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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months of the 2003–04 session. [201554]

Hilary Benn: DFID had no unanswered questions when Parliament prorogued.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) whether he has been
 
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informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation; [201295]

(2) how many appeals were made by civil servants to the Civil Service Commissioners regarding special advisers in his Department between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 and when each appeal was lodged. [201378]

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203454]

Hilary Benn: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether departmental Special Advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203499]

Hilary Benn: Any speeches made by Special Advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the 'Code of Conduct for Special Advisers'.

Sudan

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the UN Food Programme's decision to suspend operations in Darfur; and what steps have been taken to meet the needs of the people who are out of reach of aid workers as a result. [202803]

Hilary Benn: I am gravely concerned about the situation in Darfur, Sudan and keep a close watch on developments. The World Food Programme's (WFP) decision to suspend operations in north Darfur was in response to attacks on Talwilah town on 22 November. This prompted the UN Security Co-ordinator (UNSECOORD) to stop all UN movement out of the state capital and suspend all UN operations in SLA areas. The tension has eased in some areas allowing food distributions to re-start on 28 November. However, some parts of north Darfur are still designated as "NO GO" for UN personnel. The humanitarian community has tracked an estimated 30,000 people who fled the 22 November attacks and is in the process of registering and providing food and other assistance to them. Insecurity in north Darfur continues to affect the UN and its agencies ability to access all parts of Darfur.

The UK is pressing all parties to the conflict to implement the Abuja humanitarian and security protocols to allowed unfettered access throughout Darfur. We have also provided over £4 million to the World Food Programme for their logistical operations in Darfur and over £1 million to the UN for security operations.
 
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the decision of Sudan's Humanitarian Affairs Commission to expel the country directors of Oxfam and Save the Children; and what the implications are for the provision of food relief in Darfur. [202817]

Hilary Benn: On 29 November, our ambassador in Khartoum raised, with the local authorities, reports of the decision to ask the Directors of Oxfam and Save the Children UK to leave Sudan. The Government of Sudan subsequently indicated that this decision has been suspended until further notice.

It is vital that all humanitarian agencies are given unfettered access to deliver assistance in Darfur. We will continue to make this clear, as necessary to the Government of Sudan.

PRIME MINISTER

City Academies

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Prime Minister whether Mr. Andrew Adonis of his Policy Unit has visited the City of Newcastle upon Tyne to promote city academies in the last 12 months. [204438]

The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals. A with previous Administrations it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings, under Exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Foreign Press Articles

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list articles written by Members of his Government in an official capacity that have been published in the foreign press over the past 12 months; and if he will place copies in the Library (a) of these articles and (b) as a matter of course in the future. [204111]

The Prime Minister: The information requested is not held centrally.

Iraq

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up an independent inquiry to determine how many Iraqis have been killed or injured since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. [204264]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) at Prime Minister's questions on 8 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1166–67.

Pakistan

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether he raised the prospect of Pakistan signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty during his discussions with President Musharraf of Pakistan on 6 December. [204325]

The Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range of bilateral and international issues, including those relating to nuclear weapons proliferation, during President Musharraf's recent visit.
 
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I also refer my hon. Friend to the joint statement released and press conference I held with President Musharraf on 6 December, both of which are available on the Number 10 website.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Special Advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203445]

The Prime Minister: Special Advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister how many complaints were made by civil servants regarding the conduct of Special Advisers for whom he is responsible between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [203462]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 December 2004, Official Report, column 578W by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly).

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Special Advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203508]

The Prime Minister: Any speeches made by Special Advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister whether his special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary select committees in their official capacity since May 1997. [204302]

The Prime Minister: Yes.

Telecommunications

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister whether his office has made representations to (a) Wycombe district council, (b) mobile telephone network providers and (c) the Thames Valley police on plans to locate a radio base station at Missenden Road, Buckmoorend, Butler's Cross; and if he will make a statement. [204090]

The Prime Minister: Neither I nor my office have made any representations to these organisations.

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