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Work and Pensions Projects (St. Helens)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by his Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party

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provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141274]

Mr. Browne: Action Teams for Jobs, which were announced in May 2000, aim to help jobless people in the most employment deprived areas of the country find and remain in work. The St. Helens Action Team for Jobs was started in October 2000; it is wholly funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, receiving an annual budget of £400,000.

St. Helens Action Team for Jobs is targeted at people in the following wards: Blackbrook; Sutton and Bold; Broad Oak; West Sutton; Parr and Hardshaw; and Queen's Park. The projected outcome was that the Action Team would find jobs for 280 people from the target group every year; so far the project has exceeded this target in each year. In the first nine months of 2003–04, the Action Team has helped 315 people into jobs.

The Department also spends money on many other regional and national projects which also benefit those living in St. Helens.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him dated 10 November 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. M. Sam. [144639]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. friend's letter of 10 November 2003 on 16 December 2003.

European Constitution

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) to discuss the European consititution. [144226]

Mr. MacShane: During the period of the Convention on the Future of Europe, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had several meetings with my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Gisela Stuart). Since the start of the Intergovernmental Conference, however, there have been no official meetings. I have had several conversations on Europe with my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Estonian Government concerning prospects for a referendum in Estonia on the European Constitution; and if he will make a statement. [144676]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed formally with the Estonian Government prospects for a referendum on the draft EU Constitutional Treaty. Our Embassy in Tallinn

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follows Estonian Government policy on this and other issues. The Estonian Government have said that it has no plans for a referendum.

Food Supplements Directive

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information has been given to the British embassies in each of the Member and Candidate States of the European Union about the practical implications for the UK health food sector of the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; what action each embassy has been instructed to undertake to support the achievement of UK policy objectives in relation to the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements; and if he will make a statement. [144873]

Mr. MacShane: The Food Supplements Directive 2002 lays out a framework for the future setting of the maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements. Following this, the European Commission has to make a proposal listing EU maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements. It has not yet done so and we do not expect it to do so for another 2–3 years.

The UK continues to press its view—with the Commission and our EU partners—that maximum levels should be set on a safety basis. Our overseas posts have been kept informed of the follow-up to the Directive and have been asked to echo our general line with their own contacts.

Give as You Earn Scheme

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of staff in his Department contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme; how much money is donated to charity per month by staff in his Department through the scheme; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater participation in the scheme by staff in his Department. [143902]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The answer is as follows:

225 (3.8 per cent.) Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff contribute to a charity through the Give as You Earn scheme. The average total contribution is about £6,710 a month. In addition, many staff overseas give their time and money generously to local charities. We encourage staff to support their chosen charities through this scheme and have recently taken a number of steps to give it a greater profile, including information on the FCO intranet, a mail shot to all posts and dissemination of publicity posters.

Guantanamo Bay

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Attorney-General on sending Crown Prosecutors to Guantanamo Bay to consider what charges might be brought against the British detainees. [144838]

Mr. Mullin: None. Any prosecution of the detainees in the UK would be a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

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Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency arrangements have been made for the transport of British detainees in Guantanamo Bay to the United Kingdom to stand trial. [144839]

Mr. Mullin: None. Discussions between the Government and the US Administration on the position of all the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay continue. We have discussed, and are discussing, a range of options with the US, including the possibility of repatriation. The question of whether there will be a prosecution in the UK is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the cases of the British prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay. [144331]

Mr. Mullin: Discussions between the Government and the US administration on the position of all the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay continue. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said during Prime Minister's questions on 22 October (Official Report, Columns 632–633), " . . . there are two alternatives: either sufficient undertakings will be given about the form of trial that the detainees will have under a military commission, or they will be returned to the United Kingdom". We hope to resolve the situation soon.

Iraq

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Iraq Survey Group is expected to make its (a) next report and (b) final report. [144031]

Mr. MacShane: There is no set timetable for reporting by the Iraq Survey Group.

Mrs. Heather Saunders

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Mrs. Heather Saunders. [144227]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met Mrs. Heather Saunders on 10 November 2003.

Northern Cyprus

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the elections for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Parliament on 14 December. [144878]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a press statement the day after the elections in northern Cyprus. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/foreign-secretary.

We remain committed to seeking a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement in Cyprus on the basis of the UN plan. We urge all concerned to seize the opportunity presented by this election outcome. What is now required is a clear demonstration of political willingness

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to build on this result and to resume substantive settlement negotiations on the basis of the UN Secretary General's proposals as soon as possible.

Olympic Games

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the proposals by Greece for an Olympic Truce during the Olympic games in the summer of 2004; and if he will make a statement. [144877]

Mr. Mullin: The UK supports the idea of the Olympic Truce. It was pleased to co-sponsor the United Nations General Assembly resolution presented by Greece this year on 'Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal', which included the concept of the Olympic Truce. Additionally, as a member of the European council, the UK agreed the presidency conclusions in Brussels on 12 December 2003, that "The European Council supports the idea of an Olympic Truce".

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