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Departmental Accounts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers in his Department have issued written instructions to override his Department's accounting officer's objections since 1997. [221110]

Mr. Straw: No.

eBay

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department sold any surplus stock on the eBay auction website, in each year since 2000–01. [220954]

Mr. Rammell [holding answer 9 March 2005]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) only holds centrally the values realised for the disposal of assets, not the methodology employed for the disposal of those assets. The global nature of the FCO's operations means that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

European Constitution

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 1251W, on the European Constitution, what his Department's policy on the title of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe is; and whether the UK Government proposed an amendment to this title during the negotiation of the Treaty. [221234]

Mr. MacShane: The title of the Treaty is "the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe". The Government did not propose any amendments to it during the negotiations.
 
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Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March, Official Report, column 1381W, on the European Constitution, what definition he uses of partnership marketing; and whether the costs of the agencies for partnership marketing and online information were met from the EU Constitution Team programme budget of £613,000 for 2004–05. [221238]

Mr. MacShane: The aim of partnership marketing is to work with organisations in the private, public and voluntary sector to deliver information and extend the reach of communication activities. Partners are defined as organisations or companies that provide free or value-added opportunities (as distinct from paid for sponsorship opportunities). The costs of the agencies for partnership marketing and online information are being met from the EU Constitution Team programme budget.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 1381W, on the European Constitution, what the total staff costs are of the EU Constitution Team in 2004–05; and whether these are met from the overall programme budget of £613,000 for financial year 2004–05. [221239]

Mr. MacShane: Based on average grade costs, staff costs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's EU Constitution Team amount to £542,819 for 2004–05. These costs are not met from the Team's programme budget of £613,000.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to decide whether the Government will distribute the EU Constitution to all households in the United Kingdom prior to the referendum; and what factors will inform his decision. [221259]

Mr. MacShane: There are no current plans for such a distribution. Factors informing a decision on this issue include the overall cost and public demand. The text of the EU Constitutional Treaty and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Commentary upon it are available free at www.europe.gov.uk. The full text and Commentary have also been made available to central libraries, and are available to members of the public on request from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Government intend to distribute to every household regarding the EU Constitution (a) prior to the relevant period, (b) during the relevant period and (c) during the referendum period, as defined by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. [221260]

Mr. MacShane: No decisions have yet been made on this issue.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answers of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1020W, to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (John Cryer), on the European Constitution, what activities of the Institutions of the EU have been agreed with the Government to date;
 
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when he intends to announce the date of the referendum on the European Constitution; and what factors will inform his decision on the date. [221261]

Mr. MacShane: The Institutions of the EU undertake a basic level of factual information provision about the European Union for the European public. They are in regular contact with Ministers and officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding these activities in the UK.

Clause 6 (1) of the European Union Bill provides for the date of the referendum to be set by order, after the Bill has been approved by Parliament. No decision has yet been taken on the date. All member states have agreed to pursue ratification of the Treaty by November 2006.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answers of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1020W, to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (John Cryer), on the European Constitution, if he will ensure that the referendum on the European Constitution will not take place on the same date as the nationwide elections to local authorities in May 2006. [221262]

Mr. MacShane: No decision has yet been taken on the date of the referendum.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1020W, on the European Constitution, how he intends to balance the requirement that information issued by his Department is objective with the requirement that it supports Government policy; and who is responsible for ensuring that information issued by his Department is objective. [221263]

Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (John Cryer) on 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 1020W.

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will decide on the service provider for delivering referendum addresses during the referendum on the EU Constitution; and on what criteria he will base his decision. [221379]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

Paragraph 1 of Schedule 12 to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 provides that the service provider for delivery of referendum addresses is to be the universal service provider. Royal Mail is currently the United Kingdom's only postal operator licensed to provide the universal service.

Expatriates

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate how many UK expatriates are living abroad; and if he will make a statement. [220668]

Mr. Mullin: The estimated number of British nationals living abroad for the period financial year 2003–04 is 13,155,540. This compares to 12,764,134 and 12,927,040 in financial year 2002–03 and financial year 2001–02 respectively.
 
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Hajj Delegation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to public funds of the UK Hajj delegation was in 2003–04; and what proposals he has to increase it. [220096]

Mr. Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) contributed approximately £30,000 to the costs of the British Delegation to the Hajj in February 2004. The Department of Health contributed a further £20,000. Final figures are not yet available, but we estimate that the FCO contributed about £60,000 to the British Delegation for the most recent Hajj in January 2005. This represents an increase of about £30,000 in the FCO's annual contribution.

It is not possible to predict at this stage what level of funding will be provided for the Delegation for future Hajjs. Funds are drawn down according to need as planning for each Hajj progresses. Officials will be meeting with other members of the Hajj Advisory Group, including leading representatives of the British Muslim community, to discuss all aspects of planning for the next Hajj in January 2006, including funding.

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