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17 May 2004 : Column 746W—continued
Public Sector Employment
John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of job growth in the private sector over the past seven years upon employment figures in the public service. [171242]
Mr. Boateng: As a result of the macroeconomic stability and labour market reforms delivered by this Government, employment in the public and private sectors has grown by 1.9 million since 1997, of which over 70 per cent. was in the private sector, and the total number of people in work in the UK is now the highest since records began. While jobs have risen and fallen in a number of areas, jobs in construction are up by 335,000; jobs in finance and business services up by 856,000; transport and communications up by 170,000; and distribution and hotels up by 424,000.
Teenage Pregnancies
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many girls aged 18 years and under, broken down by age, have (a) become pregnant and (b) had an abortion in each of the last three years. [172866]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Burns, dated 17 May 2004:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many girls aged 18 years and under, broken down by age, have (a) become pregnant, and (b) had an abortion, in each of the last 3 years. (172866)
Numbers of conceptions are estimated from registrations of births and notifications of abortions. Miscarriages before the 24th week of gestation are not included.
Numbers of conceptions, and those leading to an abortion, at ages 18 years and under are given in the attached table, broken down by age.
(19) Source:
Table 12.2, Birth Statistics, Series FM1, No. 30, Office for National Statistics.
(20) Provisional figures.
(21) Provisional estimates are based on incomplete abortion data, therefore the number terminated by abortion is not provided.
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Tonnage Tax
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of the tonnage tax. [173675]
Dawn Primarolo: The tonnage tax review is currently considering a number of representations from professional advisors, industry bodies, companies and Unions. These cover diverse areas of the regime, including the range of vessels covered by the regime, the training link, and numerous technical points. The impact of the regime on British shipping is being assessed. Certainly there has been a very positive effect on the registration of ships under the UK flag.
In particular, the review is also addressing the impact of revisions to the EU State Aid guidelines for maritime transport that were issued in January 2004. Discussions, primarily on the changes that will be necessary as a result of the changes to the guidelines continue between officials at the Inland Revenue and Department for Transport with industry bodies.
I expect that a number of proposals for revision of the scheme will be put forward in due course, but at this stage it is not possible to give a firm date by which the review will be completed.
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PRIME MINISTER
Government Buildings
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 April, Official Report, column 1087W, on Government buildings (party use), for what reasons he has not identified the amount of income received. [173484]
The Prime Minister: As I made clear in my earlier answer, the costs of such events are met directly by the Labour Party.
Honours List
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a consolidated list of recipients of honours since 1997. [173174]
The Prime Minister: Details of all honours are published in the London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
Iraq
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will call upon the Coalition Provisional Authority urgently to review the present policy on Iraqi prisons and prisoners. [172315]
The Prime Minister: The Iraqi Corrections Service and the Coalition Provisional Authority are currently working on a comprehensive set of policies and procedures for the entire Iraqi Corrections Service. These will be approved by the CPA Senior Adviser for Prisons and the Director of the Iraqi Corrections Service headed by an Iraqi national. The office of the UK Special Representative for Iraq stays in close touch with CPA prisons advisers, and policy and progress is kept under regular review.
The CPA has a senior adviser for prisons and there are currently 60 CPA trainers and advisers working with the Iraqis. There are currently three senior UK prison advisers working in the UK area of operations.
The UK will be sending additional UK prison officers to assist the Iraqis in administering prisons and to monitor progress in the current UK area of operations following the transition of sovereignty on 30 June.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library details of the policy agreed by the Coalition Provisional Authority on the (a) administration of Iraqi prisons and (b) the oversight and maintenance of prisoners and their welfare. [172316]
The Prime Minister: In June 2003, Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Orders 7 and 10 and "Implementing Memorandum number 2 (Management of Detention and Prison Facilities)" set in place detailed guidance for the administration and maintenance of Iraqi prisons and prisoners which are already publicly available on the CPA website. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
All Iraqi corrections officers and Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) advisers are required to follow a code of conduct that requires the humane treatment of prisoners. Coalition soldiers involved in
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looking after the administration and maintenance of Iraqi prisons and prisoners are governed by the Geneva Convention.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister who, within the Coalition Provisional Authority, has responsibility for prisons policy in Iraq, in relation to (a) administration of personnel and (b) the welfare of prisoners. [172317]
The Prime Minister: The Senior Adviser for Prisons and his staff have primary responsibility within the Coalition Provisional Authority for prison policies in Iraq. They work closely with the Iraqi Ministry of Justice and the Iraqi Corrections Service on administration of personnel and welfare of prisoners. The Ministry of Human Rights already have access to criminal detainees whenever they wish.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister (1) when he received a copy of the International Committee of the Red Cross report of February 2004 into allegations of abuse by Coalition forces of Iraqi detainees; [173200]
(2) on what date he was first informed of the existence of the Report by the International Committee of the Red Cross on the treatment by the Coalition forces of prisoners of war and other persons protected by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq during arrest, internment and interrogation, dated February 2004; and on what date he read it; [173341]
(3) when the International Committee of the Red Cross Report on the treatment by coalition forces of prisoners of war in Iraq was received in Number 10 Downing Street; and what action was taken. [173425]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) at Prime Ministers Questions on 12 May 2004, Official Report, columns 347 to 349.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has undertaken a (a) comparison and (b) reconciliation with the results of the Iraq Survey Team of information supplied by Iraq in response to UNSC Resolution 1441. [173837]
The Prime Minister: The work of the Iraq Survey Group is continuing and a final report has yet to be produced.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Prime Minister on what date the International Committee of the Red Cross report on the treatment by Coalition forces of prisoners of war and other persons protected by the Geneva conventions during arrest, internment and interrogation in Iraq was received by his Office. [173902]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) at Prime Ministers Questions on 12 May, Official Report, columns 347 to 349.
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has read the Amnesty International report, Iraq—Killings of Civilians in Basra and al-Amaia, published on 11 May; and what response he has made to it. [174332]
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The Prime Minister: As I said at Prime Minister's Questions on 12 May, Official Report, column 348, Amnesty International has passed eight cases to us, seven of which are already known to us. The one that is not known to us is being investigated.
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