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20 Dec 2004 : Column 1349W—continued

Taskforces

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on task forces and similar bodies in each year since 1997. [204879]

Alun Michael: The Department cannot separately identify within its accounts the amount spent on task forces and similar bodies.

WALES

Departmental Files

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes have been promulgated in each of the past five years to the guidelines or other criteria for the retention or destruction of departmental files. [203324]

 
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Mr. Touhig: Since 1999, the Department has produced no schedules for the disposal of records, which are specific to its administrative activities. It also disposes of its records in accordance with over 20 guidance notes produced by The National Archives (TNA) over the last five years, covering disposal schedules, managing records in the electronic environment, as well as overarching records management guidance. Further details of this guidance can be found on TNA's website at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/advice.

Plant Health

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2004, Official Report, columns 547–48W, on National Assembly for Wales, when responsibility for powers relating to plant health was transferred from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the National Assembly for Wales; and under what legislation the transfer was effected. [205318]

Mr. Touhig: Functions under the Plant Health Act 1967 and functions under the Plant Varieties Act 1997 (except the functions of "the Ministers" so far as exercisable by a Minister of the Crown other than the Secretary of State for Wales under sections 2,11, 18, 27 to 29, Schedule 1 and paragraphs 7, 14 and 15 of Schedule 3) were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672).

Functions of the Secretary of State under the Marketing of Vegetable Plant Material Regulations 1995 and the Marketing of Fruit Plant Material Regulations 1995 were transferred to the National Assembly of Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/253).

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [202250]

Mr. Hain: In the financial year 2003–04, Wales Office special advisers did not make any visits overseas in an official capacity. Within the UK special advisers will on occasion accompany their Ministers on official visits. Information on such visits and their cost is not separately identifiable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the "Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code".

PRIME MINISTER

Christmas Cards

David Davis: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many hours of his staff time were taken up in preparation of Christmas cards in 2004; [205088]
 
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(2) how many of his staff have responsibility for preparing Christmas cards; [205089]

(3) what percentage of his official Christmas cards included a contribution to charity in their cost; and which charities benefited from such a contribution; [205090]

(4) what the cost of postage was for his official Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; [205091]

(5) what the cost was of purchasing his official Christmas cards in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; [205092]

(6) how many official Christmas cards he sent in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004. [205093]

The Prime Minister: In 2003 I sent approximately 1,600 official Christmas cards at a cost of £350. This year I shall be sending approximately 1,900 official Christmas cards at a cost of £405. The dispatch and staff time for posting those cards is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in "Government Accounting". The company that supplies the cards makes a donation to charity. In 2003 this was Weston Spirit, a national youth charity tackling issues of social exclusion in young people.

Departmental Staff

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many of the staff employed by his Department have a declared disability; [205856]

(2) how many women there are in senior positions in his Department. [205857]

The Prime Minister: The Cabinet Office collects and publishes annually statistical information on the Civil Service by Department. These include data on the number of women in senior positions in Departments and on the number of staff who have a declared disability.

The latest information at April 2004 is available in the Library and on the Civil Service website and the following addresses.

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/statistical_information/statistics/publications/xls/gender_ apr04_4nov04.xls

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/statistical_information/statistics/publications/xls/disability_ apr04_4nov04.xls

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in his Department have been employed to deal with Freedom of Information Act 2000 issues in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004; and how many staff are budgeted to deal with Freedom of Information Act 2000 issues in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006. [205049]

The Prime Minister: It is difficult to identify precisely the number of officials who will be dealing with Freedom of Information issues from 1 January 2005, since it is potentially part of every civil servant's role to respond to Freedom of Information requests.
 
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Mr. Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a list of those documents held by his Office that (a) may be disclosed under Freedom of Information Act 2000 provisions and (b) have been destroyed within the preceding four months, that pertain to (i) the European Constitution and (ii) the criteria for acceding to the euro. [204464]

The Prime Minister: The Freedom of Information Act establishes a general statutory right of access to information. Once implemented, on 1 January 2005, a person who writes to a public authority and asks for information will have the right to be told whether or not the authority has the information and, if so, to have that information communicated to them, subject to clearly defined exemptions. Every piece of information held must be considered individually; therefore to consider every document held pertaining to the European Constitution and the criteria for acceding to the Euro and to identify which might be disclosed could be achieved only at disproportionate cost since the information requested is not immediately available.

My office keeps records for as long as they are needed for administrative and business purposes. Records of enduring historical value are selected for permanent preservation under the guidance and supervision of the National Archives, on the basis of guidelines which are published on the National Archives website at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/advice/

Gangmasters

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up an inquiry into the co-ordination of policy and the issuing of press statements by the Home Office and the Department for Trade and Industry regarding the regulation of gangmasters prior to the deaths of cocklers in Morecambe Bay. [206082]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the afternoon press briefing given by my official spokesman on 14 December 2004, a copy of which is available on the Number 10 website.

Mr. Alistair Campbell

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister (1) for what reasons telephone calls intended for Mr. Alistair Campbell are officially routed to Mr. David Hill's secretary; [205454]

(2) what proportion of the salary of Mr. David Hill's secretary is attributed to the handling of telephone calls for Mr. Alistair Campbell; [205455]

(3) what official responsibility Mr. David Hill has for (a) consulting and (b) liaising with Mr. Alistair Campbell; [205456]

(4) what role is played by Mr. Alistair Campbell in continuing to (a) advise and (b) be consulted by Government. [205457]

The Prime Minister: Alastair Campbell is no longer employed as a special adviser. He therefore has no role in advising Government and is not provided with any official support or resources.
 
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