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India/Pakistan

Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to encourage (a) India and (b) Pakistan to sign up to (i) the Test Ban Treaty and (ii) the Non Proliferation Treaty. [93426]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK supports the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1172, adopted on 6 June 1999, which calls upon both India and Pakistan to cease nuclear testing, to stop their programmes for the development of nuclear weapons and systems for delivery of such weapons, and to enter into dialogue to reduce (and ultimately remove) tensions between them. It also urges both states to accede to both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty without delay and without conditions.

We regularly press both countries to abide by all the obligations placed upon them by this resolution.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to his counterparts in (a) India and (b) Pakistan on their nuclear weapons programmes; and what the response was. [93899]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: The issue of the nuclear weapons programmes of both India and Pakistan has been discussed at many meetings at both ministerial and official level, particularly since the crisis last September.

Iraq

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the country of manufacture is of the gas canisters discovered by UN inspectors in Iraq on 16 January; and if he will make a statement. [94148]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer of 30 January 2003]. UNMOVIC have not yet disclosed to us the origin of the goods discovered on 16 January.

Israel

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to present to the United Nations a proposed resolution to require Israel to destroy its weapons of mass destruction. [93895]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly urge Israel to resolve international concerns about its nuclear status by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state and to enter into a full safeguards agreement with the IAEA. We also use our bilateral contacts with them to raise the issue of Israeli accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

The UK has consistently supported a number of resolutions at the UN calling for the establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Malta

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he voted in the Council of Ministers to allow the shooting of migratory birds in Malta for five years after the Maltese join the EU. [93580]

Mr. MacShane: As part of the package agreed during the EU accession negotiations, Malta was granted one transition period until the end of 2008 in order to phase out the trapping of seven types of finch and establish a captive breeding programme. Malta is also entitled, like existing member states, to apply a derogation under Article 9 of the Birds Directive which will allow the practice of the taking of quail and turtle dove in spring to continue. The Copenhagen European Council agreed, unanimously, to the global package on enlargement, including for Malta.

North Korea

Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since 1990 the UK has raised its concerns in the UN about the North Korean missile development programme. [93425]

Mr. Rammell: The United Kingdom, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has raised the issue in informal and private consultations with other member

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states at the UN and with the UN Secretary-General on a number of occasions. The number of such representations made is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the UK, as a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, has been party to statements made by the President of the Security Council and a resolution in connection to North Korea's nuclear programmes since 1990. These include a statement to the media made by the President of the Security Council following consultations by the Council on 8 April 1993; Resolution 825 adopted by the Security Council on 11 May 1993, and three further statements made by the President of the Security Council on 31 March 1994, 30 May 1994 and 4 November 1994.

Publicity and Advertising

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92229]

Mr. Rammell: The separately identifiable expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the categories listed by the hon. Member are:

Expenditure by category£

	Publicity	Advertising
1995–96	16,768,873	0
1996–97	14,104,569	0
1997–98	14,627,831	54,038
1998–99	11,919,392	1,029,850
1999–2000	13,545,306	54,498
2000–01	13,233,690	51,950
2001–02	10,682,233	49,581
2002–03(7)	10,061,313	14,926

⁽⁷⁾ Estimated outturn.

The figures provided represent the expenditure of the FCO and not of Wilton Park, our only agency, or our 10 NDPBs; these details are not held centrally and cannot therefore be compiled without incurring disproportionate cost.

The figures in the table include expenditure on consular publicity but exclude expenditure on advertising for recruitment. The advertising figure for 1998–99 includes £1 million spent on a consular advertising campaign in the run-up to the 1998 World Cup held in France. In addition to the expenditure identified, there was minor additional expenditure in the United Kingdom and overseas during the years specified. This cannot be ascertained without incurring disproportionate cost. The Government are committed to using only cost effective channels to deliver the publicity necessary to support policy implementation. Paid advertising is only resorted to after careful consideration of the cost-benefits.

Saudi Arabia (British Detainees)

Dr. Pugh : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice is being given to British subjects travelling to Saudi Arabia about

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terrorist threats to their safety; and what precautions they are being advised to take following the recent bombing. [93704]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign Office's travel advice for Saudi Arabia warns British nationals that "Saudi Arabia is one of a number of countries where there is an increased threat to visible British institutions and organisations from global terrorism." It explains that "given the heightened tension in the Middle East region and the increased threat from global terrorism, UK nationals in Saudi Arabia should be vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls. Visitors and residents should follow political developments in the region; and observe the British Embassy's advice on personal and vehicle security." The travel advice also alerts British nationals to the recent series of bombings in Riyadh and Al Khobar where British nationals were among the victims.

Our travel advice is kept constantly under review. It is available on the Foreign Office website www.fco.gov.uk and the website for the British Embassy, Riyadh www.ukm.org.sa. The British Embassy in Riyadh also provides regular advice to British residents in Saudi Arabia through its wardens' network.

Sickness Absence

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93503]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office sickness absence figures are listed in the table. Absentee rates and information on FCO non-departmental public bodies absences are not stored centrally so it is not possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate costs. However all the FCO's 10 NDPBs are small, with virtually no full-time staff.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set a Service Delivery Agreement to reduce sickness absence to 5.6 days by the end of 2003.

Year	Average number of days per officer
1997	8.9
1998	8.0
1999	N/a
2000	6.3
2001	6.6
2002	5.7

l. Figures for 1997 to 1998 have been uplifted to account for different recording practices in different parts of the Department and its overseas posts.

2. Figures for 1999 could be provided only at disproportionate costs, the method of recording changed part way through 1999.

3. FCO figures are recorded as total days (not working days).

4. It is not possible to provide figures prior to 1997 without incurring disproportionate costs.

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