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Staff Training

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997. [213786]

Charlotte Atkins: The information requested is not collected centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Traffic

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has commissioned into headway control as a means of controlling traffic density and congestion. [215621]

Mr. Jamieson: Several research projects into headway control as a means of controlling traffic density, in addition to reducing congestion and improving safety have been undertaken in the past five years.

Details of the Highways Agency's research are available in published reports or from the Agency's website (www.highways.gov.uk).

Travel Costs

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997. [203779]

Charlotte Atkins [holding answer 9 December 2004]: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002. The total travel and subsistence costs for officials
 
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in the Department for Transport in 2002–03 were £1,606,589, and in 2003–04 were £1,919,678. Information for earlier years is not readily available. Travel costs for Ministers' and special advisers are not held centrally within the Department.

All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 15 November from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Samiul Alam. [215125]

Mr. Mullin: I refer my right hon. Friend to the replies I gave him on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1018W, 27 January 2005, Official Report, column 523W and 7 February 2005, Official Report, column 1310W.

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will send a substantive reply to the letter dated 8 December 2004, ref. GV100/90815/H post ref. 74117 from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood. [215153]

Mr. Mullin: UKvisas, the department responsible for entry clearance matters arising overseas, replied to my right hon. Friend on 3 February.

Departmental Costs

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the costs of departmental (a) staff training days and (b) staff development days held away from the Department were in each year since 1997. [213801]

Mr. Alexander: There are 20 main training providers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). They centrally arrange more than 200 different courses for staff at both internal and external venues. The FCO also encourages its directorates and diplomatic posts to take responsibility for further enhancing specialist job and/or personal development skills. These activities are paid from local funds, for which no centrally held records are kept.
Costs of training (£)
1997–986,261,972
1998–997,233,036
1999–20006,671,147
2000–019,874,047
2001–0211,331,631
2002–039,772,578
2003–0413,118,950

Centrally held records on the costs of staff training and development days held away from the Department cover activities run by the central FCO training department, based in London. Readily accessible records are only available from April 2000.
£

Training courses(15)Development(15)
2000–011,160,258177,277
2001–021,250,186326,820
2002–031,431,207475,233
2003–041,247,524142,264


(15)Centrally run



 
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The FCO training provision is recorded on a variety of management information systems. Further figures could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the EEC-Slovenia Co-operation Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215442]

Mr. MacShane: We can find no information on an EEC-Slovenia Cooperation Committee. Slovenia formally joined the EU prior to the Dutch presidency and had been accepted as an EU member prior to the Italian and Irish presidency.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Turkey) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215443]

Mr. MacShane: We believe the question refers to the EU-Turkey Association Committee, which meets once a year. During the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies (June 2003-December 2004) it met in March 2004, in Brussels. An official from the Department for Trade and Industry attended.

European Public Bodies

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list its publications and newsletters published over that period. [215229]

Mr. Pond: I have been asked to reply.

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions was established in 1975 by the EU Council of Ministers to provide
 
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research-based information on the improvement of living and working conditions. This includes comparative cross-European research on employment and unemployment, equal opportunities, social inclusion, health in the workplace and employment relations. As well as commissioning research through open tender the foundation is active in disseminating research-based information through publications, conferences and seminars throughout the member states. The foundation is active across all of these areas in all member states of the EU including the UK.

A full listing of its activities across the EU, its publications and newsletters, are set out on their website (www.eurofound.ie) and all are downloadable in full text as well as summary form.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activity of the European Training Foundation in the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will list their publications and newsletters published over that period. [215237]

Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.

The European Training Foundation (ETF) is an EU agency set up to assist EU neighbour countries, including EU candidate countries, with the development of their vocational education and training (VET) systems to improve employability and mobility within their economies.

The ETF has published several reports describing progress made within VET systems in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the former candidate countries during 2004. These publications, including ETF newsletters which are published on a bi-monthly basis, can be accessed via the ETF website: www.etf.eu.int

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