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Sandy Mitchell

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what talks he has had with the Saudi Arabian government on the imprisonment of a constituent, Sandy Mitchell. [87300]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, and ministerial colleagues have raised the cases of Mr. Mitchell and the other British men detained in Saudi Arabia at the highest levels with the Saudi authorities. We remain deeply concerned about these cases. The men's welfare is our paramount concern. We continue to work tirelessly to resolve the cases. We are in close contact with the Saudi authorities and the men's lawyers. We also continue to make consular visits to the men.

Uzbekistan

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed human rights with representatives of the Government of Uzbekistan. [87653]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: When I last met the Uzbek Ambassador on 4 September, I raised human rights. The Permanent Under Secretary also raised human rights issues with Uzbek Foreign Minister Kamilov in London in September. Officials raise the subject regularly, most recently with the Uzbek Ambassador on 16 December. The UK also makes representations with the EU wherever possible and was recently part of an EU delegation making representations to Deputy Foreign Minister Safaev on the deaths of two prisoners, apparently due to torture. We also make statements on human rights issues, both with the EU and bilaterally:

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our Ambassador made a strong speech in October at the opening of the Freedom House NGO in Tashkent, while in December the EU made a statement protesting about the unfair trial of Iskander Khudaiberganov.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Christmas Expenses

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the President of the Council 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. [88117]

Mr. Robin Cook: 700 Christmas cards (in three different designs) were purchased for my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary and me to send at a total cost of #763.75. These cards were bought in aid of The Children's Society and Amnesty International. The postage cost is some #70; the majority of cards were sent via the Inter-Departmental Service or parliamentary mail. Some 10 hours staff time was spent in addressing and despatching the cards; the gross salary costs for this work were some #75. Sample copies of these cards have placed in the Library.

Given the hon. Member's interest in this matter, I will include him on my Christmas card list for next year.

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the President of the Council how much will be spent on (a) entertaining, (b) Christmas decorations and (c) other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' (i) private offices and (ii) official residences. [88126]

Mr. Robin Cook: This Christmas, the Privy Council Office (PCO) spent #2,112 on entertaining, #15 on decorations and nothing on other festive activities. The expenditure on entertaining was accounted for by my traditional Christmas party, held to thank all those (hon. Members, parliamentary clerks, officials and others) who helped me in my capacity as Leader of the House. All PCO expenditure was Department-wide, and nothing was spent in Ministers' private offices or in official residences.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Amateur Sports Clubs

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of introducing 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief for all community amateur sports clubs via the Local Government Bill; and if he will make a statement; [87647]

(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of community amateur sports clubs that would qualify for mandatory rate relief under the provisions of the Local Government Bill; and if he will make a statement. [87648]

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Mr. Leslie: The Local Government Bill does not include provisions for introducing 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief for community amateur sports clubs and so no assessment has been made of the impact of introducing such a scheme.

There is also no estimate available of the proportion of community amateur sports clubs that would qualify for mandatory rate relief under the provisions in the Local Government Bill. Community amateur sports clubs would benefit from the rate relief scheme for small businesses in the Local Government Bill. The scheme would provide mandatory rate relief of up to 50 per cent. for properties with rateable values of up to #3,000. For larger properties the percentage of relief would gradually taper off, with no relief for properties with rateable values above #8,000.

Local authorities may grant up to 100 per cent. relief at their discretion to community amateur sports clubs that qualify under the new mandatory relief scheme for small businesses.

The rating lists do not record the use of property by voluntary or community amateur sports clubs as distinct from other sports clubs. The rating lists for England include about 16,000 sports properties, including those used by community amateur sports clubs as well as professional and commercial sports bodies. Of the 16,000 sports properties in England, around 7,500 have rateable values of under #3,000 and a further 4,000 have rateable values above #3,000 and below #8,000.

As explained in the White Paper XStrong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services", which was published in December 2001, mandatory rate relief is already available for all premises used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes, provided that they meet the criteria for charitable status. The Charity Commission announced in November 2001 that they will recognise as charitable purposes Xthe promotion of community participation in healthy recreation by the provision of facilities for the playing of particular sports", and Xthe advancement of the physical recreation of young people not undergoing formal education".

Where individual clubs do not meet the Charity Commission's criteria, or where they decide not to seek charitable status, local authorities retain discretion to grant rate relief to any non-profit making body. Local authorities have the power to grant relief where it is in the interests of local council taxpayers for them to do so. We have recently published on our website, revised guidance for local authorities and ratepayers on rate relief for charities and other non-profit making organisations.

In addition to this specific assistance, the Government has also introduced a tax package (legislated for in Finance Bill 2002), which will provide a range of tax reliefs for community amateur sports clubs on their income and on the donations which local people make to support them. The tax package follows that outlined in the XPromoting Sport in the Community" consultation document—mandatory rate relief was not part of the tax package which was consulted upon. The Government believes that the tax package and the option of charitable status, together with the help

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available for clubs under the non-domestic rating system, represent a generous system of support sports clubs.

Asylum Seekers (Rough Sleeping)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact on the number of rough sleepers of the coming into effect of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylums Act 2002 on 8 January 2003; what steps he has taken to address change in the number of rough sleepers after that date; and if he will make a statement. [85816]

Beverley Hughes [holding answer 10 December 2002]: I have been asked to reply.

The purpose of the new policy is to ensure that those wishing to seek asylum do so at the first practical opportunity on arrival in the United Kingdom. If that purpose is fulfilled, there is no reason to suppose that the coming into force of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 will result in an increase in the number of rough sleepers.

Bain Inquiry

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much is to be paid to the individual members of the Bain Inquiry into the fire service. [88499]

Mr. Raynsford : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) on 9 December 2002, Official Report, column 129W.

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost is of the Bain Inquiry into the Fire Service. [88500]

Mr. Raynsford: The estimated cost of the independent review of the Fire Service chaired by Professor Sir George Bain is #468,000.

Business Co-ordination Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when a Minister from his Department last visited a business in (a) West Sussex and (b) East Worthing and Shoreham as part of the work of the Business Co-ordination Unit. [87468]

Mr. Leslie: The Business Co-ordination Unit have not arranged any Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ministerial visits to either West Sussex or East Worthing and Shoreham since the creation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

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