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Western Sahara

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of remarks by the UN Secretary-General's former personal envoy to the Western Sahara on the policy of Morocco regarding a settlement in Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on progress towards a settlement. [190003]

Mr. Rammell: James Baker the former personal envoy to Western Sahara of the UN Secretary-General, gave an extensive interview regarding the Western Sahara on American television on 19 August. A transcript can be found on the internet at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/sahara/transcript.html. The Polisario have quoted from this interview in a memorandum circulated to United Nations member States.

The United Kingdom continues to seek a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute which provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination. We believe UN efforts to find a solution to the dispute should be maintained and we will continue to support those.

Iraq

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on border traffic between Turkey and Iraq. [189369]

Mr. Straw [holding answer of 11 October 2004]: There have been severe delays to traffic crossing the Habur gate between Turkey and Iraq. I discussed this with both Turkish and Iraqi governments when I visited last week and encouraged them to find a solution. Discussions are continuing, including consideration of a possible second border crossing point. Tailbacks on the Turkish side of the Habur crossing are 40–50km long. It can take two weeks for a truck to get through.

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2004, Official Report, column 1548W, how the money is to be spent. [190232]

 
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Mr. Rammell [holding answer of 11 October 2004] : The Department for International Development's (DFID) Political Participation Fund for Iraq; administered by the British Council is a £5 million programme over two years, designed to increase opportunities for political representation and participation by all Iraqi citizens, particularly women. Since early September. £145,000 has been allocated to provide support to Iraqi national
 
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women's organisations. This will help them to prepare for the elections by delivering civic education and information to women voters, working with potential candidates and monitoring women's participation in the political process. DFID and the British Council, responsible for managing the Fund, are looking at further opportunities to support women's participation in the political process, both before and after the forthcoming elections.
 
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NORTHERN IRELAND

Ards and Down Area Plan

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the public inquiry into the Draft Ards and Down Area Plan will begin. [190175]

Angela Smith: The Planning Appeals Commission sets the date for the commencement of the Public Inquiry. A start date has not been set at present.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what efforts the Department of Environment has made to resolve the objections received in response to the publication of the Draft Ards and Down Area Plan; and how many of those objections were resolved by the Department. [190176]

Angela Smith: The Department of the Environment received 2369 objections to the draft Ards and Down Area Plan. A number of the objections received relate to multiple issues. Full consideration has been given to all objections and work is now nearing completion on the preparation of the Department's rebuttal statements.

While the Department may see merit in all or part of an issue raised in a number of the objections, it is not possible to resolve objections at this stage. All objections have been put on public display and can be subject to a counter objection up to the date of the public inquiry. The rebuttal statements, which set out the Department's view on each individual objection, will be presented at the public inquiry which provides the mechanism for the issues to be fully considered.

It is therefore not possible to confirm at this stage the number of objections that may be resolved.

Asbestosis

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will extend the scope of asbestos industrial injury benefit to include family members of asbestosis sufferers. [189678]

Mr. Spellar: The statutory provisions of the Industrial Injuries Scheme provide benefit to employed earners due to an illness or injury due to their occupation. There are no plans to extend the scope of the Industrial Injuries Scheme to family members of asbestosis sufferers.

Business Education Partnership

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred by each of the three departments involved in establishing the Northern Ireland Business Education Partnership. [189674]

Mr. Gardiner: NIBEP was established by the Training and Employment Agency (now the Department for Employment and Learning) and the Department of Education jointly in 1995, in the form of an unincorporated association within Business in the Community. In June 2000 it was incorporated as a
 
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company limited by guarantee and moved to its own premises. Any costs incurred in respect of this move were offset by moneys transferred from Business in the Community to NIBEP at the point where responsibility transferred from one to the other. The staffing of NIBEP when it was established in 1995 consisted of one secondment from the business sector (ie at no cost to the public purse). The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Industry has incurred no costs in respect of NIBEP at any time.

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of running the Northern Ireland Business Education Partnership was in each of the last three years; and what the estimated cost of closing it is. [189675]

Mr. Gardiner: The information requested is as follows:

	Running costs (£)
2001–02	284,223
2002–03	244,999
2003–04	202,516
2004–05(9)	147,899

⁽⁹⁾ 1 April 2004 to 31 August 2004 only.
Note:
These do not include direct programme expenditure.

Estimated cost of closing NIBEP

£18,000+expenses (but will be subject to issues arising during the course of the liquidation).

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which (a) Department and (b) organisation will be responsible for carrying out the work of the Northern Ireland Business Education Partnership. [189700]

Mr. Gardiner: Future arrangements for business-education activities in support of education for employability in the curriculum are under consideration jointly by the Departments of Education, Employment and Learning and Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

As an interim measure the major bodies providing business-education activities and programmes that are currently funded through NIBEP will continue to be funded for the remainder of the 2004–05 financial year until substantive arrangements are put in place for the future. This is to be administered by the three Departments with Department of Education in the lead.

Cancer Patients

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources are provided to support cancer patients making the choice to die at home. [189966]

Angela Smith: Patients with a cancer diagnosis making the choice to die at home are facilitated through primary, community and acute services. Specific services developed within the boards in the last number of years include provision of palliative care drug boxes for out of hours use by GPs and other primary health
 
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care professionals, developing the district nursing twilight services, provision of night nursing services in partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care and complementary and counselling therapies.

A Regional Cancer Services Framework is currently being developed to make recommendations for the future delivery of cancer services in Northern Ireland over the next 20 years. As part of its work, the framework will be considering the future development of palliative care services in the home. The framework is expected to be completed by 31 December 2004.

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