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19 Dec 2002 : Column 941W—continued
Road Signs
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce metric distance signs on roads; and if he will make a statement. [88223]
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Mr. Jamieson: The position remains as set out in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) on 11 July 2002, Official Report, column 1116W.
Spending Review
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for his Department (a) those Comprehensive Spending Review 1998 targets that were outstanding at the time of the statement on the Comprehensive Spending Review 2002, (b) progress on such targets since then and (c) the expected date when targets not yet achieved will be met. [87702]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 17 December 2002]: My Department published on Tuesday progress against all its outstanding PSA targets in XDelivering Better Transport: Progress Report."
Surface-to-air Missiles
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he assesses the threat posed to British civil airlines from surface to air missiles; and what actions he proposes to take. [87997]
Mr. Jamieson: The Government believe that the terrorist threat to UK interests, including civil aviation, both in the UK and overseas, is a very real one, and has taken a range of actions to manage the risk. So far as the threat to civil airlines from surface to air missiles is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today [87844].
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Firefighters' Dispute
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Solicitor-General what role the Attorney-General plays in relation to the firefighters' dispute. [83558]
The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General has the power to apply to the Court for an injunction to prevent threatened breaches of the criminal law. This power is to be exercised in the public interest, which is exercised in independent judgment in the role as Attorney-General rather than as a member of Government. Such an application is always exceptional and is only instituted where there is the prospect of genuine, serious and irreparable harm and is judged that it is in the public interest to make the application.
It is the Attorney-General's duty to keep under constant review the question whether to exercise this power. In order to determine where the public interest lies he may consult as he has been doing with ministerial colleagues to ensure that he is properly informed as to the public interest consultations arising. The Attorney has been informed also of the views of fire authority representatives in relation to the potential threat to public safety. But the power to apply for an injunction is one for the Attorney-General to exercise in the public interest and the decision is for him alone.
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Postcodes
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Solicitor-General what use her Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for (a) the collection and publication of data and (b) the delivery of services; and when such usages were last reviewed. [87737]
The Solicitor-General: Neither my Department nor its agencies make use of postcode areas data.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Christmas Expenses
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many departmental Christmas cards he and his ministers intend to send in 2002; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he has sent this year. [88116]
Mr. Straw: I sent 905 Christmas cards at a cost of:
- a) #932.95;
b) #97.20 to post 360 first class. 415 cards were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag and a further 130 via the government mail system. There was no separate charge for this;
c) #301.22 for an A2 to spend 4 working days updating and amending the database throughout the year, ordering the cards and sending them out.
- a) #175;
b) #16.20 to post 60 first class. The remaining 190 were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag;
c) #160 for an A2 to spend 17 hours updating and amending recipient details, ordering the cards and sending them out.
- a) #315;
b) #114.75 to post 425 first class. The remaining 26 were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag or via the government mail system;
c) #184.80 for an A2 to spend 20 hours updating and amending recipient details, ordering the cards and sending them out.
- a) #129.50;
b) #15.12 to post 56 first class. The remaining 129 were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag or via the government mail system.
c) #337.50 for a B3 to spend 32 hours updating and amending recipient details, ordering the cards and sending them out.
- a) #157.50;
b) #27.54 to post 102 first class. 29 were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag and a further 94 via the government mail system;
c) #129.36 for an A2 to spend 14 hours sending out the Christmas cards.
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- a) #266;
b) #67.77 to post 251 first class. 56 were sent through the FCO diplomatic bag and a further 73 via the Government mail system;
c) #206.01 for an A2 to spend 27 hours updating and amending recipient details and sending out the Christmas cards. And 22.50 for a B3 to spend two hours sending out Christmas cards.
My cards were ordered through Card Aid which donates all profits to charity. #205 will be donated to UNICEF this year. All other ministers choose their cards from the official FCO selection. The profits of the official FCO card are split between the FCO Welfare Fund and the Diplomatic Families Association Emergency Welfare Fund.
All expenditure incurred in the purchase and dispatch of official cards is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
Citizenship Applications
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs where records of applications for registration as a citizen of the UK and its colonies submitted at the British Embassy in the former colony of Aden in 1970 have been retained; and whether they can be inspected by members of the public. [87424]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Applications for registration as a citizen of the UK and colonies, which were submitted to the British Embassy in Aden in 1970 would have been forwarded to the Home Office for consideration. Copies of these applications were not retained at the British Embassy. Any enquiries about individual cases should be made to the Home Office.
European Union
Mr. Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the acquisition of full legal personality by the European Union. [87907]
Mr. MacShane: Recognition of the legal personality of the Union would have the advantage of clarity and simplicity. But if the European Union were to have its legal personality recognised in the European treaties it could only be on the basis that the distinct arrangements for common foreign and security policy, and aspects of justice and home affairs were fully safeguarded, along with the existing arrangements for representation in international bodies. The Government would need to be sure that the necessary safeguards were in place before taking a decision on this issue.
Iraq
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British (a) individuals and (b) companies were identified in the Iraqi declaration to the United Nations Security
19 Dec 2002 : Column 945W
Council as having supplied arms, weapons-related technology or material to Iraq, giving in each case (i) the nature of the arms, technology or material supplied and (ii) the date of supply. [87868]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn) on 17 December UIN 87497.
Oil Revenues
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the volume is of unspent oil revenues allocated for Iraqi Kurdistan in the escrow account of the UN oil-for-food programmes; and what the reasons are for withholding aid to Iraqi Kurdistan. [87078]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer of 16 December 2002]: As of 11 December US$3.3 billion of 'Oil For Food' revenue remained unallocated by Iraq in the UN escrow account. US$1.2billion of the revenue allocated to the UN humanitarian programme in northern Iraq is currently unspent.
The Iraqi regime has consistently obstructed improvements in northern Iraq, delaying the arrival of de-mining equipment that could save lives and denying visas to UN personnel involved in essential humanitarian projects. It has also restricted the distribution of food and medicines to northern Iraq.
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