---

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1452W—continued

Taiwan and China

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of human rights in (a) Taiwan and (b) China. [164369]

Mr. Rammell: We are concerned at the use of the death penalty in Taiwan, but have no other major concerns about human rights there.

We have serious concerns about a wide range of human rights issues in mainland China including: the extensive use of the death penalty; the continuing harassment of political dissidents, religious practitioners

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1453W

and adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual movement; the situation in Tibet; severe restrictions on freedoms of speech, association and religion.

We believe, however, that the best way to improve the situation "on the ground" is to engage critically with, rather than isolate, China. We do this through the bi-annual UK China Human Rights Dialogue. We raise our concerns through ministerial contacts and public statements. We also raise our concerns through EU mechanisms.

A more detailed assessment of our concerns and activities can be found in the most recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Annual Human Rights Report for 2003 which was presented to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in September last year. The report is also available on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/humanrightsreport2003.

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the employment agencies which his Department has used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available. [163823]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently has an agreement with three agencies to provide us with temporary agency staff. These are:

Manpower

Hays

Select

Prior to our signing of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Framework Agreement on the employment of Agency and Temporary Staff in July 2003, no central records were maintained. To compile such a list retrospectively would incur disproportionate costs.

Tristan da Cunha

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1454W

Department played in allowing rock-hopper penguins to be removed from Tristan da Cunha for onward transport to zoos in the Far East. [148592]

Mr. Rammell: The Tristan da Cunha Island Council was responsible for the decision in May 2003 to allow 146 Rockhopper penguins to be taken from an estimated population of 50,000 birds on Nightingale Island (part of the Tristan group). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was informed and confirmed that these birds were not subject to any international law prohibiting their collection. The capture of the birds was witnessed by the Administrator, Tristan da Cunha, to ensure that adequate standards of care and transportation were observed.

Typhoons Sale

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role his Department is playing in the potential sale of Typhoons to Singapore. [164209]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As is common with other important British commercial contracts, our High Commissioner and his colleagues in Singapore are actively involved in promoting the sale of Typhoon aircraft to the Singapore armed forces.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the sale of Typhoon aircraft with Singaporean Ministers during his official trip to Singapore in January 2003.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what context Zimbabwe was raised at the recent 22 March General Affairs Council meeting; and what action was decided should be taken with regard to that country. [164954]

Mr. Straw: Zimbabwe was not on the agenda for the General Affairs Council meeting on 22 March. The previous meeting of the Council, in February, issued conclusions on Zimbabwe following the EU's decision to continue and extend its targeted measures for a further year. I welcomed the renewal of the measures and pointed out that the decision had sent a clear message that the EU wanted an end to repression and economic catastrophe in Zimbabwe and a return to democratic government and the rule of law.

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1455W

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Substance Abuse

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had on ensuring consistent testing and punishment for substance abuse across all sports in the UK. [164834]

Mr. Caborn: It is a matter for UK Sport, the UK's national anti-doping agency, and sport's governing bodies to carry out a robust and consistent in-and-out of competition drug testing programme.

UK Sport is currently in discussion with sport's national governing bodies and other sporting organisations to incorporate the World Anti-Doping Code into the UK's national anti-doping policy in time for this summer's Olympic Games in Athens. The code will standardise drug-testing programmes, including sanctions, across all sports.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will make greater resources available for research and development in the field of substance abuse in sport. [164835]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds UK Sport to act, among other things, as the UK's national anti-doping agency. It is a matter for UK Sport as the UK's national anti-doping agency to decide on the budget that is allocated from their grant in aid for research and development of drug-free sport.

In 2003–04, UK Sport's grant in aid is £23.48 million of which £2 million will be spent on drug-free sport. No monies were allocated specifically to research and development because the World Anti-Doping Agency both undertakes significant research into performance enhancing substances and methods and shares its findings with national anti-doping organisations and the sporting community. UK Sport has allocated £50,000 for research and development in 2004–05.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what educational work her Department has undertaken to inform (a) athletes and (b) the general population about the dangers of substance abuse in sport; [164836]

(2) if she will outline her Department's educational work in informing (a) athletes and (b) the general population about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs. [164838]

Mr. Caborn: The UK, through its national anti-doping agency, UK Sport, is at the forefront of delivering comprehensive and imaginative educational programmes to help athletes train and compete free from performance enhancing substances and methods.

Information is readily available to athletes and their support personnel, sport's national governing bodies, and the wider public on all aspects of the UK's dope testing programme. The education programme includes a variety of delivery methods including booklets, posters and leaflets, through to audience-specific workshops and seminars.

31 Mar 2004 : Column 1456W

UK Sport offers comprehensive information via their website and e-mail service including the unparalleled Drug Information Database which helps British athletes to find out information about UK-licensed medications and substances at any time and from any place. For athletes without access to the Internet and e-mail, there is a free-phone drug information line.

During the summer, UK Sport is launching a European Commission-funded project called "Start Clean" which aims to build awareness and appreciation of the importance of drug-free sport in 13 to 17-year-olds across the UK.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will increase the resources available for educating people about substance abuse in sport. [164952]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds UK Sport to act, among other things, as the UK's national anti-doping agency. It is a matter for UK Sport as the UK's national anti-doping agency to decide on the budget that is allocated from their grant-in-aid to educate athletes to train and compete free from performance enhancing substances and methods.

In 2003–04, UK Sport's grant-in-aid is £23.48 million of which £2 million will be spent on drug-free sport. Of this, £53,125 will be spent specifically on education programmes for athletes and athlete support personnel. This is in addition to the World Anti-Doping Agency expenditure on education programmes to eradicate doping from sport. UK Sport will allocate around £150,000 for drug-free sport education in 2004–05.

BBC (Commercial Advertising)

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made as part of the Charter renewal process of the (a) extent, (b) methods and (c) purpose of commercial advertising by the BBC. [163959]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 26 March 2004]: Subject to one certain outcome—that it will maintain a strong BBC, independent of Government—the Charter Review will cover all aspects of the BBC's role, structure and function, including the promotion of its own products and services. We will make the conclusions—together with the evidence on which they are based—available in due course.

---