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6 Dec 2004 : Column 395W—continued
Young Offenders
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young offenders were (a) illiterate and (b) innumerate (i) at assessment on entry to young offenders institutions, (ii) 25 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence, (iii) 50 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence, (iv) 75 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence and (v) on completion of their custodial sentence in the latest year for which statistics are available. [200261]
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Paul Goggins [holding answer 29 November 2004]: For the period April 2002 to March 2003 the results of the basic skills assessment screening tests at male young offender establishments were as follows:
Information regarding progression relative to the proportion of sentence served is not available; however, the number of achievements gained by juvenile and young offenders for the same period is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | 2,227 |
| Level 1 | 2,673 |
| Level 2 | 1,326 |
| Total | 6,226 |
For the period April 2004 to August 2004 information on the basic skills level at induction is available for juveniles only and is as follows:
| Juvenile only | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Entry | Entry 1 | Entry 2 | Entry 3 | Level 1 | Level 1 + | |
| Female | ||||||
| Literacy | 1 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 31 | 11 |
| Numeracy | 13 | 2 | 29 | 37 | 18 | 2 |
| Male | ||||||
| Literacy | 5 | 5 | 20 | 39 | 24 | 8 |
| Numeracy | 4 | 6 | 26 | 41 | 19 | 2 |
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Citizens Killed Abroad
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance his Department provides to families of British citizens killed abroad to assist with (a) legal and (b) other costs. [201744]
Mr. Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not usually provide financial assistance for legal costs or other expenses incurred by the families of British nationals killed abroad.
As part of our assistance to victims of terrorism, we can in certain circumstances—eg if the victim's employer, insurance company or others cannot do so—offer practical support to victims of terrorism and their families.
Where a legal case overseas raises issues of human rights or due process, the FCO will consider referring the case to a member of the UK based FCO Pro Bono
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Lawyers Panel. In such cases, an appointed Panel member would be expected to work alongside a lawyer retained and instructed locally by the family.
Cyprus
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to warn UK nationals of possible legal challenges to purchases of properties in the northern part of the island of Cyprus; and what his Department's policy is on (a) the ownership of properties constructed on illegally occupied land in the northern part of the island of Cyprus and (b) compensation to be paid in respect of such properties. [202794]
Mr. MacShane: The Cyprus travel advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website: www.fco.gov.uk has very clear language on purchasing property in the north of Cyprus. We strongly advise anyone considering buying property to seek independent qualified legal advice. We also draw attention to the political situation in Cyprus. The same advice is given to those who telephone the FCO or the British High Commission.
The UN Secretary General's comprehensive settlement plan contained provisions for the return of property and compensation in respect of properties. We continue to believe that the best way of resolving these property issues is as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement on the basis of the UN Secretary General's plan.
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will (a) obtain from the British High Commission in Nicosia and (b) place in the Library the names and addresses of British companies engaged in the construction or marketing of properties in the occupied territory of Northern Cyprus. [202795]
Mr. MacShane: The British High Commission in Nicosia does not hold records of UK companies active in Cyprus. In line with our consular policy worldwide, we encourage all British citizens living overseas to register with their local Embassy, Consulate or High Commission. But this register does not include details of business activities.
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will take steps to ensure that UK companies are not engaged in the construction or marketing of properties on land in the northern part of Cyprus legally owned by Greek Cypriots and mis-appropriated. [202796]
Mr. MacShane:
We strongly advise all those considering purchasing property in northern Cyprus to seek independent qualified legal advice before making any purchase—this is clearly stated in the Cyprus travel advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk. This advice applies equally to individuals and to UK companies. However, the UK Government is not in a position to intervene with or prevent UK companies from making commercial transactions with individuals or companies in northern Cyprus.
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Departmental Mobile Phones
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many departmental mobile telephones were used by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department in each year since 1997; at what cost; how many such telephones were lost or stolen in each year since 1997; and what the replacement costs were in each case. [202757]
Mr. Rammell: There are currently a total of 65 mobile phones in use by Ministers, Special Advisers and civil servants in ministerial offices. Records held are cumulative and reflect live numbers only, and they do not contain a summary of costs per mobile phone used. Information on charges could, therefore, be provided only at disproportionate cost. Details of old phones disconnected or replaced are not kept and it is not therefore possible to provide a breakdown for previous years.
The cost for mobile phone services, in UK, up until 2003 was based on line rental with new or replacement handsets provided to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office free of charge. While suppliers are now charging for handsets, there are no records held centrally detailing those that were lost or stolen, and the resultant cost to replace them.
Drugs (Central Asia)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government have contributed to the Central Asian Drugs Action Plan in each of the last three years; and what benefits to the UK have resulted. [200030]
Mr. Rammell: In addition to assistance to Afghanistan and contributions to the European Commission's assistance programmes in the region, the UK has spent approximately £1 million on counter narcotics activities in Central Asia since 2002. We have plans to increase the level of support and assistance provided. Increasing counter narcotics capacity on the borders of Afghanistan helps reduce the incentive to cultivate opiates in Afghanistan and improves the effectiveness of law enforcement activity aimed at reducing the flow of opiates to Europe and the UK.
Equatorial Guinea
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions (a) he and (b) officials from his Department have had with their French counterparts concerning external threats to Equatorial Guinea since January 2003; [199866]
(2) what discussions (a) he and (b) officials from his Department have had with (i) Spanish and (ii) Nigerian counterparts concerning external threats to Equatorial Guinea since January 2003. [199869]
Mr. Straw:
We do not comment on confidential diplomatic exchanges under exemptions l(b) and l(c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
6 Dec 2004 : Column 399W
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) the security services and (b) a UK police force is conducting an investigation into the Equatorial Guinea attempted coup. [199912]
Mr. Straw: It is the policy of successive Governments not to comment on the activities of the security services. The security and intelligence agencies are outside the scope of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Part 1, paragraph 6). The Equatorial Guinean authorities have passed documents relating to the alleged coup attempt in March 2004 to the Metropolitan Police, who are assessing the material.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when (a) he and (b) his officials received information from US (i) counterparts and (ii) security agencies concerning attempted coups in Equatorial Guinea during the last 18 months. [201705]
Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my written statement of 1 December 2004, Official Report, columns 37–39WS. Under exemption 1 (c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, I am not prepared to comment on the detail of confidential exchanges between governments.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates within the last 18 months (a) his Department and (b) the security services received information, including electronic information, concerning attempted coups in Equatorial Guinea. [201706]
Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my written statement of 1 December 2004, Official Report, columns 37–39WS.
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