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16 Jul 2003 : Column 325W—continued
Defence and Overseas Policy Committee
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to provide the number of occasions the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee met between 9 September 2002 and 18 March 2003. [126304]
The Prime Minister: There was no meeting of the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee during this period. However, as I told the Liaison Committee on 8 July, the reason why this was not necessary was that Iraq appeared on the agenda of Cabinet as early as March 2002. From 23 September 2002 until after the conflict, Iraq was discussed at every regular Cabinet meeting.
Additionally, during the course of the conflict, an ad hoc group of Ministers, which I chaired, met 28 times. The membership of the group was the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Secretary of State for International Development, the Leader of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Attorney General.
Israel
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether he raised the continued imprisonment of Mordecai Vanunu during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart during his visit to London in July. [126305]
The Prime Minister: The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.
The Government have raised concerns about the conditions of Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following his latest
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parole hearing the Israeli authorities decided against his early release. Our embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to monitor his case.
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what matters in respect of Israeli possession of nuclear weapons he raised with his Israeli counterpart during his visit this month. [126306]
The Prime Minister: The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.
The Government consistently urge Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non nuclear weapons state, and to sign a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), most recently during official-level talks in Tel Aviv on 5 March. Under the agreement with IAEA, Israel's nuclear facilities would be subject to regular inspection to detect and eliminate any diversion of nuclear materials for weapons production. The UK has consistently supported UN resolutions calling for the establishment of a middle east zone free of weapons of mass destruction. That zone would include Israel.
JIC Access(Director of Communications and Strategy)
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister to what level of clearance Mr. Alastair Campbell has been vetted for access to Joint Intelligence Committee material. [126089]
The Prime Minister: Alastair Campbell has been cleared in the same way as other Downing street officials, whose roles may include seeing intelligence material.
Lord Levy
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister when Lord Levy has met Bill Burns, the Assistant Secretary of State in the United States State Department, while acting as his envoy; and where each of these meetings took place. [126447]
The Prime Minister: In his capacity as the Prime Minister's envoy, Lord Levy has met Assistant Secretary of State Bill Burns, including on 19 July 2001, 10 January, 11 March and 2 July 2002. All these meetings took place in London. Both men were also present at a London meeting on Palestinian reform on 14 January 2003.
Ministerial Meetings
Joyce Quin: To ask the Prime Minister what recent meetings he has held jointly with the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament and the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [126521]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings, under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
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Mobile Phones
Mr. Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123148]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) gave him on 15 July 2003, Official Report, columns 164–65W.
Overseas Visits
Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list (a) Government expenditure on ministerial overseas visits for the financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03 and (b) all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, including the (i) cost, (ii) destination and (iii) purpose of each visit. [126761]
The Prime Minister: Expenditure on Ministerial overseas visits for the period requested is estimated as follows:
| Year | Expenditure |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 7.9 |
| 1997–98(4) | 6.4 |
| 1998–99 | 4.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 4.6 |
| 2000–01 | 4.7 |
| 2001–02 | 5.6 |
| 2002–03 | 5.7 |
(4) 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1998
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The figure for 2002–03 reflects payments made so far for travel undertaken in this period; a few bills have yet to be submitted to Departments for payment.
A list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the costs of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.
Special Advisers
Geraint Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of the paybill for special advisers was in 2002–03; and how many special advisers there are in each pay band, broken down by Department. [126760]
The Prime Minister: The pay bands and pay ranges for special advisers for 2003–04 are as follows:
| Pay band | Pay range |
|---|---|
| Scheme maximum | 131,008 |
| 4 | 78,606 to 94,326 |
| 3 and Premium | 58,693 to 91,181 |
| 2 | 46,116 to 60,278 |
| 1 | 35,635 to 47,362 |
| 0 | Up to 35,634 |
At 14 July 2003, the number of special advisers in each pay band by Department is as follows:
| Pay band | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| No 10 (5) | — | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | — | — | (6)2 | 1 | — |
| Chief Whips' Offices (Commons and Lords) | — | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| Constitutional Affairs | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Culture, Media and Sport | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Defence (7) | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Education and Skills | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Health | — | — | 2 | 1 | — |
| Home Office | — | — | (6)4 | — | — |
| International Development (7) | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords | — | (8)1 | — | — | — |
| Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons(9) | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Northern Ireland Office | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Secretary of State for Wales | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Trade and Industry (10) | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| HM Treasury (11),(12) | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Transport (7) | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Work and Pensions | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Minister without Portfolio (9) | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Total | — | 16 | 26 | 19 | 4 |
(5) Plus two special advisers who are paid beyond Pay Band 4 but within the scheme maximum.
(6) Includes one part-time adviser.
(7) Includes one special adviser under their provisional pay band whose job has not yet been evaluated.
(8) Appointed by the Lord President on a part-time basis. Also works part-time to the Home Secretary providing cover for a special adviser who is on maternity leave.
(9) Includes two special advisers under their provisional pay bands whose jobs have not yet been evaluated.
(10) Plus one adviser who is part-time and unpaid.
(11) Includes the Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury.
(12) Plus the five members of the Council of Economic Advisers who are employed on special adviser terms (two in Band 4, two in Band 3 and one in Band 1—one is part-time).
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The cost of special advisers in 2002–03 is £5.4 million.
This figure includes salary, severance pay and an estimate of pensions costs.
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