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Pupil Attainment

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will assess the effectiveness of Express Groups on pupil attainment in schools in former coalfields areas. [120125]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: This Department published a report on "Raising Attainment in the Former Coalfield Areas"

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on 29 May 2003. The report highlighted the positive effect of 'Express Groups' on pupil attainment in these areas, alongside a number of other strategies.

This Department is now considering how best to convey these findings to other schools in the former coalfield areas.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of fraud or financial irregularities in the use of UK funds to combat the opium trade in Afghanistan. [118705]

Mr. Rammell: We receive reports on all aspects of efforts to combat the opium trade in Afghanistan and are aware of suggestions that UK funds for counter drugs work in Afghanistan may have been misused. The Government take all reasonable measures to guard against fraud and financial irregularity in the use of public funds. All public expenditure, including that in respect of counter drugs work in Afghanistan, is subject to the established scrutiny procedures of parliamentary committees and the National Audit Office.

Council of Ministers

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the UK has exercised its veto in the EU Council of Ministers in each year since 1997. [121102]

Mr. MacShane: Neither the EU's Council Secretariat nor Her Majesty's Government keeps records of legislative proposals which are blocked by member states under unanimity. Our policy is to shape the EU's agenda and legislation in line with UK interests from the outset, rather than to block it at a later stage.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many decisions in the EU Council of Ministers have been taken by qualified majority voting in the past two years; and in how many cases the UK was in a minority. [121161]

Mr. MacShane: Voting information from May 2003 onward has not yet been published. From May 2001 to April 2003, the Council took 265 decisions by qualified majority voting. The UK was in a minority on three of these and abstained on eight. This information is displayed on the Council Secretariat website at http://register.consilium.eu.int/isoregister/frames/introacfsEN. htm

Diplomatic Posts (UK Products)

Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK overseas embassies and consulates are using pottery products manufactured in the UK. [121096]

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Mr. Rammell: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We do not maintain central records on the use of pottery products.

European Convention

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the European Convention (a) concluded its deliberations and (b) delivered its report on the proposed European Constitution; and to whom. [121103]

Mr. MacShane: The Convention concluded its deliberations on Parts I, II and IV of the draft Constitutional Treaty on 13 June 2003. That text was presented to the European Council at Thessaloniki, on 20 June 2003, by the Convention's President, Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

As the European Council conclusions note:

"the European Council considers that the presentation of the Draft Constitutional Treaty, as it has received it, marks the completion of the Convention's tasks as set out at Laeken and, accordingly, the end of its work. However, some purely technical work on drafting Part III is still required, this work needing to be finished by 15 July at the latest.".

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what legal authority the Convention relied for the preparation of the proposed European Constitution. [121104]

Mr. MacShane: The European Council at Laeken in December 2001 noted the need for the Union to undergo renewal and reform to face the challenges of the future. It established the Convention:

"to consider the key issues arising for the Union's future development and try to identify the various possible responses".

In its mandate, the European Council noted the need to simplify the treaties and asked the Convention to consider whether:

"this simplification and reorganisation might not lead ... to the adoption of a constitutional text in the Union".

The Convention's consideration of this and other key issues identified at Laeken led to the drawing up of the draft Constitution, which will provide a good basis for starting discussions in the Intergovernmental Conference.

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Convention has (a) voted for and (b) formally agreed to a final text in the proposed European Constitution; and if he will make a statement. [121105]

Mr. MacShane: The Convention concluded its deliberations on Part I, II and IV of the draft Constitutional Treaty on the basis of consensus, rather than voting. The final text was presented to the European Council by the Convention President, Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Leaders agreed that the text:

"is a good basis for starting in the Intergovernmental Conference".

There was also agreement that:

"some purely technical work on drafting Part III is still required, this work needing to be finished by 15 July at the latest".

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G8 Declaration (Nuclear Non-proliferation)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional resources he intends to commit to provide support and advance the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve the security of radioactive sources, as set out in paragraph 6 of the Evian G8 Declaration on Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Securing Radioactive Sources, of 3 June 2003. [120798]

Mr. MacShane: The UK is a strong supporter of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its work, including on the safety and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In March 2002, the UK announced a voluntary contribution of £250,000 towards the IAEA's Nuclear Security Fund (NSF) for work in Russia and the Former Soviet Union. We have since announced an additional £250,000 per year for the next two years, bringing our total additional voluntary contribution to £750,000. We are also supporting the IAEA's programmes in other ways, including active participation in the revision of the IAEA Code Of Conduct On The Safety And Security Of Radioactive Sources and the provision of UK expertise where appropriate.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in the Russian plutonium disposition programme being funded under the G8 Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction; how much of the United Kingdom pledge of $750 million has been spent; and for what projects it is earmarked in future. [120800]

Mr. MacShane: The United Kingdom supports the Plutonium Disposition Programme and has committed £70 million over 10 years to its completion. We are participating fully in the negotiations on how best to implement this US/Russia-led project.

In 2002–03, we spent approximately £15 million as part of our G8 Global Partnership commitment, and in 2003–04, we anticipate spending some £33 million. Our current project plans include the dismantling of nuclear submarines, making safe spent nuclear fuel, finding sustainable employment for former weapons scientists, improving nuclear safety and security of nuclear materials, decommissioning a reactor in Kazakhstan, contributing to a shelter at Chernobyl, and chemical weapons destruction. We will negotiate further projects with Russia in due course, as part of this 10-year programme.

Gulf Co-operation Council

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage co-operation between Gulf Co-operation Council countries and (a) the UK and (b) the EU. [120503]

Mr. Rammell [holding answer 20 June 2003]: The UK has strong bilateral relations with the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). In 2003 alone my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has had meetings with Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, and the Crown Princes of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. He will see the Sultan of Oman in July. Our

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Embassy in Riyadh has regular contact with the GCC Secretariat on a wide range of issues and the Secretary-General of the GCC visited the UK in July 2002. The EU and GCC meet annually at ministerial level to discuss a range of issues. These include trade, investment and implementation of the EU-GCC Co-operation Agreement. We are discussing the establishment of a Commission Delegation in Riyadh and hope to conclude negotiations on a free trade area with the GCC. At the last Ministerial in March 2003 the EU and the GCC resolved to develop a political dialogue.

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