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1 Mar 2005 : Column 1046W—continued
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on (a) new furniture and (b) hired furniture in each year since 1997. [205616]
Mr. Rammell: The Department has spent the following amount on new furniture, including freight costs and domestic equipment, since 1997:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 17.7 |
| 1998–99 | 14.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 17.7 |
| 2000–01 | 16.0 |
| 2001–02 | 15.0 |
| 2002–03 | 13.0 |
| 2003–04 | 10.0 |
The Department does not normally hire furniture for permanent use.
The costs of hiring furniture for temporary use cannot be separately identified.
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 Joint Council (EEC—Countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217920]
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Mr. Rammell: During this period, the EU-GCC Joint Council met on 17 May 2004 in Brussels. The UK was represented by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office official.
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—Yemen) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217921]
Mr. Rammell: During this period, the EC-Yemen Joint Co-operation Committee met on 6–7 October 2003 in Sana'a. The UK was represented by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office official.
EU Presidency
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what dates have been agreed for meetings of (a) the European Council and (b) configurations of the Council of the European Union during the UK presidency of the European Union. [218052]
Mr. Rammell [holding answer 25 February 2005]: During the UK Presidency of the EU the following provisional dates have been agreed for:
(b) Councils of the European Union:
General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC)
Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
A copy of the official calendar of the UK Presidency of the EU has been placed in the Library of the House.
Gibraltar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the recent discussions between the UK and Spain concerning Gibraltar. [216076]
Mr. Rammell: Following my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's joint statement on Gibraltar with his Spanish counterpart on 27 October 2004, representatives of the UK, Gibraltar and Spanish Governments met on 8–9 December 2004 to agree modalities for a new, trilateral forum. A first meeting of the new forum was held on 11 February 2005. These talks covered a range of issues including telecoms, the airport, nuclear submarines and delays at the border crossing with Spain.
Religious Organisations (EC Funding)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those religious organisations that are in receipt of financial support from the European Communities. [216064]
Mr. MacShane: The Commission does not provide core funding for any religious organisations. Some cross-faith bodies and religious linked NGOs have received EU grants to carry out specific projects.
The Commission does not maintain a list of religious organisations to which grants have been made, but selected projects for 2003 and 2004 can be found at the following URLs:
Russia
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds his Department has allocated for programmes to help the sharing of information and experience to support the institutional framework for civil society in Russia. [218403]
Mr. Rammell: This financial year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has spent over £900,000 on projects that cover human rights, governance and democracy issues in Russia. The aim is to have a positive impact on the development of civil society in Russia.
One of the larger projects is being implemented with the help of the Novosibirsk School of Civic Society and aims to improve the interaction between local government and local media.
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Another, co-funded with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, is contributing to the process of reform of regional-level public administration, intended to improve standards in public life.
Funding for financial year 2005–06 is currently under discussion. The focus in Russia will be on increasing respect for the rule of law and freedom of expression, both of which are critical to developing civil society.
Somalia
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government are providing to the exiled Somali Government to enable it to return to Mogadishu. [218182]
Mr. Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) on 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 664W.
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the Government and international partners regarding the prospects for (a) stabilisation and (b) the establishment of an effective government in Somalia. [218184]
Mr. Mullin: We are working closely with the international community in Nairobi and with our EU partners to support the Somalia National Reconciliation process, which created new Transitional Federal institutions. We continue to support the early return of the Transitional Federal Government to Somalia, and to assist it with internal reconciliation and the restoration of good governance, stability and the rule of law.
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