---

18 Sept 2003 : Column 867W

Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 18 September 2003

PRIME MINISTER

Appointments

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to announce new appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and if he will make a statement. [131638]

The Prime Minister: I am pleased to announce that I have appointed four new members to the committee.

Sir Alistair Graham and Professor Hazel Genn will take up appointment from 1 October 2003 in succession to Ann Abraham, who stood down from the committee on appointment as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioner for England, and Professor Alice Brown, who resigned from the committee on appointment as the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Patricia Hodgson and Brian Woods-Scawen will take up appointment from 1 January 2004 in succession to Frances Heaton and Sir Anthony Cleaver, who will both step down from the committee at the end of this year, on completion of their second terms of office.

All four appointments are for three years in the first instance, and were made fully in line with the Guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

I am very grateful to Ann Abraham, Alice Brown, Frances Heaton and Sir Anthony for their work on the committee and for the significant contribution they have made to standards in public life.

Engagements

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to meet the Prime Minister of Sweden. [130879]

The Prime Minister: I expect to next meet Prime Minister Persson at the opening of the EU Intergovernmental Conference in Rome on 4 October.

EU Reform

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what progress has been made on the Reform Agenda in the EU. [130880]

The Prime Minister: Reforms which will be discussed in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference include the creation of a full-time Chair for the European Council and streamlining of the Union's structure and decision making. The European Council agreed in Seville last year to reform the way it works so it can better set the EU's strategic agenda. Progress, albeit not yet enough, has been achieved in the economic reform agenda agreed at Lisbon. Significant reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy were made in June this

18 Sept 2003 : Column 868W

year. Alongside these, the EU is implementing the changes agreed in the Treaty of Nice in order to incorporate 10 new members in May next year.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when the Iraq Communications Group has met since 1 September 2002; who the members of the group are; who chairs the group; and from which budget its resources are drawn. [128598]

The Prime Minister: The Iraq Communications Group was formalised on 5 December 2002 and met on a weekly basis thereafter. Prior to that, its members met on an ad hoc basis. Meetings have become less frequent since the end of the conflict in Iraq. There have been approximately 19 meetings in total.

Membership varies, but it would normally include the FCO, MOD, Cabinet Office and DfID. Alastair Campbell chaired the ICG, but chairmanship has now passed to the FCO. There were no specific resources allocated to the ICG.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister whether he communicated with all members of the Intelligence and Security Committee about the content of the September 2002 dossier on Iraq. [130731]

The Prime Minister: The chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, with my approval, accepted an invitation from the Intelligence and Security Committee to brief all members on the content of the September dossier at their meeting on the morning of 24 September 2002.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister what his reasons were for communicating with the chairman of only the Intelligence and Security Committee rather than Select Committees about the content of the September 2002 dossier on Iraq. [130732]

The Prime Minister: In addition to the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, with my approval, briefed the chairmen of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Select Committees on the content of the September dossier. All three briefings took place on 19 September 2002. The leaders of the two main Opposition parties were briefed on the previous day.

Tony Wright: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the intelligence assessment contained in the Joint Intelligence Committee report, "International Terrorism: War with Iraq", of 10 February. [130992]

The Prime Minister: Joint Intelligence Committee intelligence assessments are exempt from disclosure under exemption l(a) and 1(c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on a Security Council resolution that would give a political involvement in Iraq's future to the Security Council. [131041]

The Prime Minister: The Government believe that it is for the Iraqi people to determine their own political future. This view is shared by other members of the Security Council and was stated in Security Council Resolution 1483.

18 Sept 2003 : Column 869W

Joint Intelligence Committee

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what official channels exist for members of the security services to flag up concerns over the interpretation of raw intelligence data to the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. [128805]

The Prime Minister: There are established procedures by which the views of members of the intelligence and security agencies are relayed to the JIC. Before a paper is taken by the JIC, it is discussed at working level and then considered more formally during inter-departmental meetings (called Current Intelligence Groups or CIGS) at which representatives reflect the agreed views of their agencies and Departments. If outstanding issues remain, staff are expected to raise the matter with their representative on the JIC who will bring it to the attention of the committee when appropriate. Additionally, staff in the security and intelligence agencies are able to take any concerns or grievances they have, and which they have been unable to resolve within their internal management chain, to the staff counsellor who acts as an independent adviser.

Mongolia

Mr. Gray: To ask the Prime Minister if he will receive an official visit from the Prime Minister of Mongolia. [131179]

The Prime Minister: The Mongolian Prime Minister, Mr. Nambaryn Enkhbayar, will visit the UK as a guest of Her Majesty's Government from 23–25 October this year.

Sweden (Euro Referendum)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of Sweden on the result of the Swedish euro referendum; and if he will make a statement. [130878]

The Prime Minister: I am in regular touch with Prime Minister Persson on a range of issues. We spoke most recently on 12 September.

We respect the decision made by the people of Sweden on 14 September. The UK policy remains as before as I set out in my answers to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) at Prime Minister's Questions on 17 September 2003, Official Report, columns 851–52.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Female Entrepreneurs

20. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Minister for Women what steps the Government are taking to encourage more women to start up small and medium-sized enterprises. [130838]

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to creating an environment and a culture that encourages more women to start or grow businesses and provides the necessary help and support. This is why we launched a national Strategic Framework for Women's

18 Sept 2003 : Column 870W

Enterprise in May this year to provide a co-ordinated and long-term approach to the development of women's enterprise.

We are now working with our partners nationally and in the regions to take forward the recommendations of the Framework.

We are, for example, already engaged with regional development agencies, the Business Link Network and women's enterprise networks to ensure that the need of enterprising women everywhere are properly met.

Information and Communications Technology

21. David Taylor: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on strategies to increase the number of women entering the information and communications technology profession; and if she will make a statement. [130839]

Ms Hewitt: The DTI and DfES are working together to reverse the under-representation of women in ICT. I announced in April a new strategy to improve the participation of women in science, engineering and technology careers. The Government Skills Strategy is creating new opportunities for women to develop the skills they need.

Women's Refuges

22. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Minister for Women what plans she has to increase funding to women's refuges. [130840]

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to increasing the full range of accommodation options for victims of domestic violence, including more refuges and better help to support victims to stay in their own homes if appropriate. The Government is investing through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister £8.9 million this financial year in refuges provision and the Housing Corporation has allocated an additional £9.9 million.

---