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25 Feb 2005 : Column 847W—continued
Targets
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many targets have been set in each year since 1997 by the Department; and, of these, which have been (a) met, (b) nearly met, (c) not met, (d) changed and (e) dropped. [215835]
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Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 75W, by the Financial Secretary.
CABINET OFFICE
Departmental Policies (Blackpool, South)
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out, with statistical information relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effect of the Duchy's actions and policies on Blackpool, South constituency since (a) 1997 and (b) 2001. [215685]
Mr. Milburn: The Duchy of Lancaster is not a Government Department and, therefore, is not involved in the setting or execution of national policies.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Al-Takfir wa al-Hijra
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the activities of Al-Takfir wa al-Hijra in (a) the EU and (b) North Africa since January 2002; and if he will make a statement. [216733]
Mr. MacShane: We are aware that the Al-Takfir wa al-Hijra movement is active across parts of North Africa and Europe. Her Majesty's Government regularly assess all groups which they identify as posing a potential terrorist threat to UK interests.
Belarus
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he plans in conjunction with other EU member states for co-operation on essential border controls between the EU and Belarus; and if he will make a statement. [217453]
Mr. MacShane: The UK actively participates in joint EU operations at weak points on the EU's external border. There are plans for such operations at the border with Belarus in the future.
The UK Immigration Service also has regular operational contact with the authorities in Belarus on migration issues, including on border control matters. Home Office officials met recently with representatives from the Belarusian Ministry of the Interior to discuss co-operation on migration issues.
Cambodia
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of corruption in Cambodia; what assistance is being given to Cambodia to eliminate corruption; and if he will make a statement. [216125]
Mr. Alexander:
Cambodia faces a challenging governance agenda of which combating corruption is of central importance, as the president of the World Bank made clear recently.
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Strengthening governance remains a key part of UK bilateral assistance for Cambodia. The UK is helping the Government undertake critical reforms that will help tackle corruption. For example, we are helping the Government undertake reforms of management of public funds and we have supported work to tackle illegal logging.
At the annual consultative group meeting between Government and donors in Cambodia in December last year, the Government committed to specific actions to tackle reported corruption, enact anti-corruption legislation and increase Government openness and transparency.
However, these promises need to be backed by faster progress towards reform. I raised this issue with the Cambodian Minister of Justice, Mr. Ang Vong Vathana, on 27 January 2005. Our ambassador in Phnom Penh also raised it with the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on 1 February 2005.
We welcome the Cambodian Government's intention to adopt soon an anti-corruption law. We hope that the political will needed to implement the legislation will be forthcoming.
We will continue to encourage the Government of Cambodia to take concrete action against corruption and are providing practical support to help them do so.
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Correspondence
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department will reply to the letters on behalf of Ms Amani Hamadalla (a) to Mr. Goldsmith of the Libya Desk dated 1 September and 19 October 2004 and (b) to Baroness Symons dated 19 November 2004. [217587]
Mr. Rammell: We regret the delay in replying to the hon. Member's correspondence, but note that officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been in direct contact with Ms Hamadalla several times during this period, including in relation to the issues raised in the hon. Member's letters of 1 September, 19 October and 19 November.
Officials at the British Embassy in Tripoli continue to raise Ms Hamadalla's case with the Libyan authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will write to the hon. Member with a full update shortly.
EU Contributions
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) gross and (b) net contributions of each EU member state since 1986. [217656]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
Details of member states gross contributions, after taking account of the UK abatement, receipts, and indicative net contributions for the period 1986 to 2003, the latest year for which information is currently available, are set out in the following tables.
Note:
Figures for gross contributions are after account is taken of the UK's abatement and the bringing to account of surpluses and deficits in respect of member states contributions in earlier years. Since 1988, member states' contributions exclude 10 per cent. collection costs (25 per cent. from March 2001) in respect of sugar and agricultural levies and customs duties payments—which are deducted before contributions are made to the Community. Prior to 1988 member states made their sugar and agricultural levies and customs duties contributions available in full. The 10 per cent. collection costs were paid from the expenditure side of the Budget to member states and thus scored as receipts.
Sources:
1. 1986 to 1991 Court of Auditors Reports.
2. 1992 and 1993 European Commission Report on own resources system.
3. 1994 to 2003 European Commission Reports on the Allocation of EU Operating Expenditure.
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Notes:
1. With effect from 1988, payments to member states no longer include collection costs in respect of sugar and agricultural levies and customs duties. Since 1988 member states have retained 10 per cent. (25 per cent. from March 2001) of their levies and duties before making these contributions available to the Community.
2. Information for 1986 to 1991, which has been taken from ECA reports, may not include full data on the benefit to member states from spending on administration or "other institutions". Figures for 1986 to 1991 are not therefore fully comparable with those for later years.
Sources:
1. 1986 to 1991 Court of Auditors Reports.
2. 1992 and 1993 European Commission Report on own resources system.
3. 1994 to 2003 European Commission Reports on the Allocation of EU Operating Expenditure.
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Notes:
1. Negative sign indicates net beneficiary.
2. Information for 1986 to 1991, which has been taken from ECA reports, may not include full data on the benefit to member states from spending on administration or "other institutions". Figures for 1986 to 1991 are not therefore fully comparable with those for later years.
3. Figures in this table should only be regarded as indicative net contributions for the member states.
Source:
Gross contributions minus receipts.
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