House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jan 2004 (pt 13)

19 Jan 2004 : Column 959W—continued

University Fees

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what total revenue he expects to be raised assuming (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent., (d) 40 per cent., (e) 50 per cent., (f) 60 per cent., (g) 70 per cent., (h) 80 per cent., (i) 90 per cent. and (j) 100 per cent. of universities charge the full £3,000 fee, with the remainder of universities charging the standard fee of £1,200; [148573]

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)

Alan Johnson: Information on the additional income from fees in different scenarios is contained in the Regulatory Impact Assessment published on 8 January alongside the HE Bill. Because of the nature of a variable scheme, the extra income from fees will vary according to the decisions that higher education

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institutions take on the level of fee. Figures for extra fee income, with and without the amount spent on bursaries, cannot therefore be estimated precisely at this stage. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment were placed in the Library of the House; it is also available on the Department for Education and Skills website.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iraq

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Bush Administration regarding the role of the United Nations in Iraq. [148099]

Mr. Rammell: We are in regular contact with the US Administration on all aspects of the situation in Iraq, including the role of the United Nations. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Bush have repeatedly affirmed, we support the UN's vital role in Iraq, in accordance with the mandate set out in relevant Security Council resolutions. The future role of the UN will be discussed at a meeting between the UN Secretary-General, the Iraqi Governing Council and the Coalition Provisional Authority today.

Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which British companies have won contracts to assist in the reconstruction of Iraq, broken down by type of service or project provided. [146960]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We wish to see UK companies play a substantial role in the reconstruction process in Iraq. Several UK companies have won contracts to assist in that process but have asked us not to publicise their success because of commercial confidentiality. Furthermore, UK companies are not required to report such details to the Government. Therefore, we are unable to provide the information requested. However, UK firms are active in the power, water, banking, ports, construction, telecoms, security, legal services and consultancy services.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British technical experts are deployed (a) with the Iraqi Survey Group and (b) for the disarmament of Libya's weapons of mass destruction; and what the cost to date has been in conducting each mission. [147026]

Mr. MacShane: There are currently 55 British personnel (both civilian and military) deployed with the Iraq Survey Group. The costs to the United Kingdom of their mission are not recorded separately in a readily accessible form and cannot, therefore, be differentiated from the total cost of personnel deployed to the Gulf region as a whole. We do not have figures relating to costs incurred on support for the Iraq Survey Group by other Coalition Partners.

There are no British personnel currently deployed to Libya to assist with the disarmament of Libya's weapons of mass destruction.

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Poland

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the number of people expected to travel from Poland to reside and work in the United Kingdom following Poland's accession to the European Union on 1 May. [147703]

Mr. MacShane: Research conducted for the Home Office by University College London (published in June 2003) estimates that the numbers of people who will migrate to the UK from the new Member States in the years following enlargement will not be significant. The University College London report is available on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr2503.pdf. The research was not broken down by country.

Visas

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was in each of the last five years of the visa sections of (a) embassies and (b) high commissions and consuls, including the cost of entry clearance officers. [147787]

Mr. Mullin: Total global costs of running UKvisas operations for the years 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 are published in the annual Foreign and Commonwealth Office Department Report, available in the Library of the House and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk. The latest published figure is £81.386 million for 2001–02. To break down the information further as requested by my hon. Friend could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of human rights abuses in the Cabinda province of Angola; and if he will make a statement. [147792]

Mr. Mullin: We remain concerned about reports of human rights violations in Cabinda. We hope that a speedy and negotiated settlement to the Cabinda question can be found. Our embassy in Luanda is monitoring the situation closely in consultation with EU partners.

Bilateral Treaties (United States)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bilateral treaties have been signed since 1 May 1997 between the UK and the United States, giving in each case (a) the date of signature, (b) the title and (c) information on whether the treaty is available for public inspection. [148867]

Mr. Straw: 14 bilateral treaties have been signed with the Government of the United States of America since 1 May 1997. Of these, 11 have so far been published, with the remaining three expected in due course. International treaties to which the UK is a party are published as Command Papers as soon as possible after they are concluded, and are widely available through

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The Stationery Office (TSO). All Treaty Command Papers published since March 2002, and their accompanying Explanatory Memoranda, have also been placed on the internet and may be accessed via: www.fco.gov.uk/treaty

The relevant bilateral treaties are:

(1) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the establishment on Ascension Island of an Additional Facility to be operated on Behalf of the United States Air Force.

Signed 15 July 1997 and 22 July 1997.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 049/1997: Cm 3739.

(2) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning Maritime and Aerial Operations to Suppress Illicit Trafficking by Sea in Waters of the Caribbean and Bermuda with Exchange of Notes.

Signed 13 July 1998.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 002/2001: Cm 5031.

(3) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Government of the United States of America relating to investment incentives.

Signed on 20 April 1999.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 041/1999: Cm 4395.

(4) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the construction of a Monitoring Facility on Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory (British Indian Ocean Territory 1999).

Signed on 18 June 1999 and 21 July 1999.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 001/2000: Cm 4582.

(5) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America amending the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters done at Washington on 6 January 1994.

Signed on 30 April 2001 and 1 May 2001.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 008/2002: Cm 5375.

(6) Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains.

Signed on 24 July 2001.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 023/2003: Cm 5880.

(7) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including the Government of the Cayman Islands, and the Government of the United States of America for the Exchange of Information relating to Taxes.

Signed on 27 November 2001.

Not yet published.

(8) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including the

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Government of the British Virgin Islands, and the Government of the United States of America for the Exchange of Information relating to Taxes.

Signed on 3 April 2002.

Not yet published.

(9) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America amending the Agreement done at London on 27 March 1941, and related lease and other arrangements regarding the establishment, use, operation and defence of the United States bases on Bermuda.

Signed on 18 June 2002.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 049/2002: Cm 5683.

(10) Protocol amending the Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for the avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and capital Gains, signed at London on 24 July 2001.

Signed on 19 July 2002.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 023/2003: Cm 5880.

(11) Extradition Treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America.

Signed on 31 March 2003.

Published as a Command Paper in the Country Series as United States No. 001/2003: Cm 5821.

(12) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America regarding the sharing of Forfeited or Confiscated Assets or their Equivalent Funds.

Signed on 31 March 2003.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 034/2003: Cm 5946.

(13) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America to extend the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters signed at Washington on 6 January 1994 to the Isle of Man.

Signed on 2 June 2003 and 5 June 2003.

Not yet published.

(14) Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the use of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island by Civil Aircraft not engaged in Scheduled International Air Services.

Signed on 1 October 2003.

Published as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series as No. 051/2003: Cm 6087.

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