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Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with (a) Germany, (b) Austria and (c) Italy on targeted EU sanctions against the Burmese Government. [130635]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss sanctions and other possible EU measures against the Burmese Regime with all our EU partners at official level. The EU Common Position on Burma was strengthened on 16 June. We stand ready to respond proportionately to changes that occur in Burma.

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Colombia (Human Rights)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that basic human rights in Colombia are observed; if he will make it his policy to support the call for an International Labour Organisation Commission of Inquiry into Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [132081]

Mr. Rammell: The London Meeting on International Support for Colombia in July impressed upon the Colombian Government the importance of human rights. This was reflected in the London Declaration issued after the Meeting. I reaffirmed our position when I met the Colombian Foreign Minister in the margins of the UN General Assembly in September. I made clear that implementation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' recommendations on Colombia must be a prime concern in the Colombian Government's pursuit of security and stability in Colombia. Representatives in Bogota of the donor countries who attended the London Meeting will monitor progress.

The UK Government believe that improving workers' rights in Colombia is best achieved through a supportive approach. It considers the International Labour Organisation's Special Technical Cooperation Programme for Colombia an effective way of bringing about change. We do not think an ILO Commission of Inquiry at this stage would contribute to the Technical Co-operation process. We continue to monitor progress on the Programme, and will continue to discuss with the Colombian Government how best the international community can help improve workers' rights and the situation trade unionists face.

Jamaica

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Jamaican nationals (a) applied for visitor's visas and (b) were refused in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [131459]

Mr. Mullin: The visa regime for Jamaican nationals was introduced on 9 January this year. From the period 9 January to 9 October, 21,328 Jamaican nationals applied for visas to visit the UK at our Embassies and High Commissions overseas. Of these, 8,340 were refused entry clearance.

Surplus Armaments

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to encourage developing countries to destroy surplus stocks of (a) illegally and (b) legally held armaments. [131137]

Mr. MacShane: The UK believes the weapons of greatest concern in developing countries are landmines and small arms and light weapons (SALW). It is on those weapons that we focus our efforts.

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The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to curb the problem of small arms proliferation and the damage they cause. The UK fully supports the UN Programme of Action on SALW and the OSCE document on SALW which commit states to dispose, preferably by destruction, of small arms stocks that are surplus to national requirements.

The UK strategy on small arms and light weapons is supported by the £20 million (2001–04) SALW Global Conflict Prevention Pool jointly funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. The UK has given the United Nations Development Programme £7.5 million over three years to help fund a global programme of weapons collection, stockpile management, capacity building and destruction. In addition, the FCO has also directly funded SALW destruction projects in five developing countries including part funding for an EU SALW project in Cambodia.

The Government spends approximately £15 million per year on humanitarian mine programmes. The Department for International Development is currently funding mine action in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Cambodia, Angola and Georgia. We also actively work towards the destruction of anti-personnel landmines by encouraging states which have not become party to the Ottawa Convention to ratify or accede at the earliest opportunity. Once party to the Convention, states are legally obliged to destroy stockpiled anti-personnel landmines and to clear mine-affected areas within a given timeframe.

Switzerland

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the treatment (a) British and (b) other EU nationals receive from the Swiss justice system; and if he will make a statement. [131929]

Mr. Mullin: As in other countries we would expect any British or other EU nationals to be treated in accordance with the accepted standards under international law. We are currently unaware of any particular concerns about the treatment British nationals receive under the Swiss justice system.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of bilateral agreements on the free movement of labour and trade, between the EU and Switzerland; what steps the Government is taking to ensure these agreements are adhered to; and if he will make a statement. [131930]

Mr. MacShane: The bilateral agreements on trade provide an effective framework for trade between the EU and Switzerland. Switzerland is the EU's most important trading partner after the United States. In 2002 Switzerland was Britain's fourth biggest market for goods outside the EU with exports valued at £3.3 billion. The UK is Switzerland's fifth biggest export market, valued at £4.9 billion in 2002.

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The 1999 Agreement relating to free movement of workers between the EU and Switzerland allows member states and Switzerland to maintain quotas on granting residence to Swiss or EU workers respectively for a transition period up to 2014. The Agreement has been operating smoothly. The UK, like many member states, has chosen not to maintain such quotas, in the interests of reaping the full economic benefits of free movement of labour. Negotiations are now underway to amend this Agreement to take account of EU Enlargement.

The Commission is directly responsible for monitoring the bilateral Agreements and does so through a framework of Joint Committees that meet at least once a month. The Government follows this process and can raise any relevant issues in Council Working Groups in Brussels.

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TREASURY

Job Numbers

Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) private sector and (b) public sector jobs there were in the UK in each year since 1997. [132653]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Hugo Swire, dated 20 October 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about jobs in the private and public sectors in the UK since 1997. (132653)

The attached table shows the job levels in the public and private sectors from August 1997 to August 2002 (the latest available data).

Job Levels by Main Sector in the UK, 1997–2002Thousands

	August 1997	August 1998	August 1999	August 2000	August 2001	August 2002
Public Sector	4,954	4,944	5,094	5,094	5,212	5,298
Private Sector	22,811	23,083	23,272	23,537	23,521	23,610
Total	27,765	28,027	28,366	28,631	28,733	28,908

Source:Labour Force Survey and Administrative Returns from public bodies

Stamp Duty

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been received by his Department from businesses regarding the proposed change in stamp duty. [132156]

Ruth Kelly: Extensive consultation with external representative bodies has been conducted both before Finance Act 2003 and after. Representations have also been received and considered from individuals, companies and organisations affected by the proposals and many useful suggestions have been made. These have been used to inform decision making, one example being the amendments I am today proposing to the Stamp Duty Land Tax treatment of leases, where continued consultation, as promised in the Budget, has helped shape the revisions to the Finance Act 2003.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of costs to business arising from the proposed change in stamp duty; and if he will make a statement. [132159]

Ruth Kelly: The costs to business were included in the red book for the 2003 Budget.

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