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Jobseeker's Allowance

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is his policy that a person who has been offered a job subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks is available for work for the purpose of Jobseeker's Allowance. [162213]

Mr. Pond: Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) provides financial support to jobseekers during periods of unemployment. The main conditions for receiving JSA therefore concentrate on the requirement to be actively seeking and available for work.

A customer who has been offered employment, and is awaiting the outcome of Criminal Records Bureau checks, must continue to satisfy these and other conditions of entitlement in order to receive JSA. Customers can however restrict their availability for the period in question by making themselves available for temporary work only, pending the result of the check.

Pensions

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what proportion of people in employment and aged between (a) 18 and 25, (b) 25 and 40, (c) 40 and 55 and (d) 55 and 65 are in active membership of an occupational pension scheme; [161207]

(2) what proportion of those aged between 18 and 65 in employment are in active membership of occupational pension schemes. [161228]

Malcolm Wicks: The information available is in the table.

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Age	Proportion currently contributing (percentage)
(a) 18–25	19
(b) 25–40	51
(c) 40–55	60
(d) 55–65	45
All aged 18–65	49

Notes:

1. Those who are 'contributing' are members of a private occupational scheme.

2. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2002–03 is the latest year for which data are available. The coverage of the survey is GB.

3. Working age has been defined as 18–65.

Source:

Family Resources Survey 2002/03.

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of current member-nominated trustees of occupational pension schemes are (a) in receipt of pension benefits from that scheme, (b) managers employed by the company sponsoring the scheme and (c) trade union representatives. [161208]

Malcolm Wicks: According to the Employers' Pension Provision survey 2000, about 6 per cent. of pension scheme trustees are in receipt of a pension from the scheme. The remaining information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those aged between 18 and 65 in employment are in active membership of occupational pension schemes where the employer makes a contribution beyond that in respect of any national insurance rebates. [161227]

Malcolm Wicks: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is given in Table 5.22 of Employers Pension Provision Survey 2000 (DWP Research Report No. 163), a copy of which is available in the Library.

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CHURCH COMMISSIONER

Parish Priests

Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners pursuant to his answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, column 1633W, on parish priest salaries, how many parish priests were employed in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04. [162473]

Sir Stuart Bell: In 1997 there were 9,243 clergy in post in parishes. In 2002 the equivalent figure was 8,503. Figures for 2003 will be available shortly.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chevening Scholarships

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships were awarded in each of the last three years, broken down by country of origin of students. [161945]

Mr. Mullin: Numbers of Chevening scholarships awarded in the last three years have been: 2,285 in 2000–01, 2,284 in 2001–02, 2,390 in 2002–03. In each year the scholars were drawn from more than 150 countries, territories and regions. I will send the breakdown by country to the hon. Member, and I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to enable students who are exiled from their own country to be able to bid for Chevening scholarships. [161946]

Mr. Mullin: While candidates for Chevening scholarships are normally required to apply in their countries of origin and to return there after completing their studies, we would not exclude applications from candidates who are outside their countries of origin. All applications are considered on their merits.

Colombia

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Colombian Government fulfils its duty to provide secure working conditions for national and international human rights and humanitarian organisations in Colombia. [160001]

Mr. Rammell: We fully support the work of national and international NGOs and humanitarian organisations in Colombia. The London Declaration of July 2003 and Conclusions on Colombia at the most recent meeting of the European General Affairs and External Relations Council in January 2004 both highlight the vital role played by civil society in that country. We have also funded four human rights defender posts in areas of Colombia worst affected by the conflict. Their work is vital in ensuring that human rights and humanitarian organisations have secure working conditions. Our embassy in Bogota is in regular contact with the offices of the Vice-President and the

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Human Rights Ombudsman, and regularly raises with both of them specific cases of threats to, and harassment of, NGOs working in Colombia.

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the statement by the Colombian President, on the activities of the lawyers' collective, Jose Alvear Restrepo. [160002]

Mr. Rammell: The UK has highlighted the vital role of NGOs in Colombia on many occasions, including in the London Declaration of July 2003, and successive conclusions of the European General Affairs and External Relations Council. Such statements call on the Colombian Government to respect the work of civil society and to provide adequate protection and security for those working in such organisations. Regarding the Colectivo de Abogados Jose Alvear Restrepo (CDAJAR), we have great respect for the work of this organisation. The Deputy Head of Mission at our embassy in Bogota last called on them on 4 March 2004.

Correspondence

Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 19 January with regard to Mrs. M. Sam. [161806]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 16 February.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Small Business and Enterprise from the hon. and learned Member for Harborough dated 4 August 2003 on behalf of Mr. G. Costello of Oadby, which was forwarded to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade by the Department of Trade and Industry on 5 August 2003. [162351]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: A reply has now been sent to the hon. and learned Member.

Guinea

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent surveys have been conducted into the refugee situation in Guinea; what conclusions he has drawn; and if he will make a statement. [161948]

Mr. Mullin: The UN Organisation for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Government of Guinea have recently carried out a survey of refugees around the Guinean/Ivorian border. The UN OCHA has recommended that the humanitarian agencies and Guinean Government produce a co-ordinated assessment of the entire refugee problem. The findings from this should inform a wider strategy for refugees and lead to the creation of a National Humanitarian Action Plan.

The UK has committed £1.5 million to Guinea through the Consolidated Appeal Process, split between the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the United Nations Children Fund and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

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International Law

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Law Officers have taken to secure the strengthening of international law relating to justifiable intervention in tyrannical regimes; and if he will make a statement. [162137]

Mr. Rammell: The Law Officers have taken no recent steps in this area, which is primarily the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Under international law, force may be used provided that its use is in exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence as recognised in Article 51 of the UN Charter; or is authorised by the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter; or—in exceptional circumstances—is the only way to avert an overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe.

The Government put forward proposals in 1999 to assist the Security Council in reaching decisions on when intervention is justified on humanitarian grounds. Although agreement was not reached in the Security Council at that time, we have continued to take an active part in an international debate on this issue and regularly discuss it with partners. There have been many other contributions to this debate, notably by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty in its report "The Responsibility to Protect".

In this context, we welcome the UN Secretary-General's decision to set up a High Level Panel to review how the UN can respond more effectively to threats to international peace and security, including considering whether any institutional changes are required.

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