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25 Mar 2004 : Column 1032W—continued
Unemployment (Wales)
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to aid job placement for the unemployed in Wales. [160925]
Mr. Browne: Our active labour market policies ensure people can take advantage of the many job opportunities coming up all the time. This is especially true for those most disadvantaged; the long-term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and older workers.
The development of Jobcentre Plus is building on the high quality service already provided by social security offices and Jobcentres by delivering a single, integrated service to all people of working age, with a clear focus on work. The introduction of work-focused interviews
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enables more people to take advantage of the increasing opportunities to move into work by, for the first time, offering everyone of working age advice and guidance on the full range of Jobcentre Plus programmes. In the year up to January 2004 Jobcentre Plus had been notified of 200,000 vacancies in Wales.
There are currently 1.31 million people in work in Wales. This is an increase of 28,000 over the last year and of 100,000 since 1997. Our New Deal has helped over 63,000 people into employment in Wales and our Employment Zones and Action Teams have additionally helped more than 1,600 of the hardest to help people in to work.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Afghanistan
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Interim Election Commission, the Joint Electoral Coordination Office and the Coalition intend to address the effects of (a) cultural barriers to female participation, (b) low literacy rates and (c) the current number of electoral registration offices outside Kabul in ensuring full voter registration and participation in Afghanistan. [162928]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Women are being encouraged to participate in the electoral process through specially targeted civic education programmes and the use of all-women voter registration teams to register women. In order to overcome the low literacy rates in Afghanistan, voter education programmes are using a wide range of media to provide information on the electoral process including television, radio, public meetings and graphic posters.
A number of regional voter registration centres have now closed having completed the process in the larger population centres. As of 22 March 2004, 60 centres were in operation outside Kabul. This will increase to a total of 4,200 centres when the accelerated registration begins in May.
Climate Change
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent work his Department has carried out to assess the international security implications of climate change; and if he will make a statement. [162885]
Mr. Rammell: Helping to launch new action to reinvigorate the international response to climate change is one of the specific aims set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Strategy published in December 2003. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Potential linkages between climate change and international security include increased pressure on food and water resources and energy supplies, which in turn (and in combination with other factors) may contribute to the causes of migration, instability and conflict. FCO policies and diplomatic work to promote effective international action against climate change are underpinned by our belief that the global costs of inaction would be high.
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The FCO has been involved in work co-ordinated by DEFRA to identify how policy and operational responsibilities could be affected by climate change. Where appropriate, we consider climate change along with other environmental issues in formulating policy on international and security issues. Through our network of overseas Posts, we have disseminated to wider international audiences modelling produced in the UK on climate change impacts scenarios. Within the EU, we have supported efforts to integrate disaster prevention into EU development and environmental priorities. We believe that this work will help to increase understanding of adverse impacts of climate change internationally.
Cyprus
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy response the Government will make to the proposals by the Turkish authorities in the North of Cyprus seeking further derogations to the EU acquis as a precondition to their agreement to a settlement in Cyprus; whether the Government have communicated the proposals to the Government of Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [163244]
Mr. MacShane: The UK is working to support the UN Secretary-General's good offices mission in Cyprus and, along with other members of the European Council, has declared its readiness to accommodate the terms of a Cyprus settlement in line with the principles upon which the EU is founded.
Once a settlement is finalised and approved by both communities it will be for the European Union to accommodate those arrangements, in order for a reunited Cyprus to join the EU on 1 May. The EU should not become an obstacle to a settlement that has been agreed by the parties themselves.
The UK has not communicated any proposals from the Turkish authorities in northern Cyprus to the Turkish Government.
Eritrea/Ethiopia
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the (a) Eritrean and (b) Ethiopian Governments observe the rulings of the Independent Boundary Commission; and what action it is taking where these rulings are ignored. [163367]
Mr. Mullin: The UK, and other members of the Security Council, will continue to press Ethiopia to accept the Boundary Commission decision, which is final and binding, and begin a comprehensive political dialogue on all of the issues separating them. We have welcomed the appointment of the UN Special Envoy, Lloyd Axworthy, and are urging both parties to work with him on resolving their differences.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent involvement the UK Government has had in the dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. [163403]
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Mr. Mullin: I most recently discussed the border dispute with the Eritrean ambassador, together with a visiting representative of the Eritrean Government, on 18 March 2004 I also discussed the border with Eritrean President Isaias in Asmara on 15 January 2004 and with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles in Addis Ababa on 16 January 2004. On each of these occasions I reiterated to the parties that the Boundary Commission's decision is final and binding and urged them to engage in political dialogue on all of the issues separating them.
EU Budget
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what powers payments by the United Kingdom to the European Union budget are made. [161395]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
United Kingdom contributions to the EC budget are made under the European Communities Act 1972 as amended. This provides the framework within which the UK makes payments required by or under the Treaties listed in section 1(2) of that Act.
European Court of Human Rights
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) petitions were received and (b) cases were dealt with by the European Court of Human Rights in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many and what percentage of each total related to each Council of Europe member state. [162768]
Mr. MacShane: The information requested is as follows.
- (a) 30,828 applications were received in 2002 by the European Court of Human Rights;
- (b) 18,765 cases were dealt with in the same year (844 judgments, 17,349 applications declared inadmissible, and 530 applications struck off).
A breakdown of how many and what percentage of the total relate to each Council of Europe member state is as follows:
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(38) Breakdown available only for judgments.
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