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8 Jun 2005 : Column 599W—continued
Incapacity Benefit
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time taken to process appeals against a decision of non-entitlement to incapacity benefit was in the last year for which figures are available. [2228]
Mr. Hanson: In the 2004–05 financial year, the average time taken to process an appeal (i.e. from receipt of appeal by the Social Security Agency to the date the decision is released to the claimant) was 23 weeks.
Pensioner Bonus
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the £200 bonus to pensioners to assist with payment of the council tax will be made available to pensioners in Northern Ireland to assist with the payment of local rate bills. [1741]
Mr. Hanson: This year the Government are making a one-off tax free, lump sum payment of £200 to all eligible households with someone aged 65 or over towards council tax bills. As Northern Ireland does not have council tax, the payment is intended to provide extra help with rates.
Pre-school Education Advisory Group
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Pre-School Education Advisory Group places were allocated to (a) Killeeshill playgroup, (b) Gallally playgroup, (c) An Tearmann playgroup and (d) Little Acorns playgroup in the Southern Education and Library Board area in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [1742]
Angela E. Smith: The number of places allocated to the groups for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 academic years were:
At the end of the admissions process the Southern Education and Library Board's Pre-School Education Advisory Group (PEAG) recovered places from
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undersubscribed groups and re-allocated them to groups who had been over-subscribed with application for funded places.
As a result of this exercise the actual number of funded pre-school places which the groups were in receipt of in September 2003 and September 2004 was as follows:
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people (a) retired from and (b) were medically retired from the then Royal Ulster Constabulary in 2001; what the (i) average age and (ii) average length of service of those retirees was; and if he will list the equivalent figures so far for 2005 from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [2180]
Mr. Woodward: The following tables set out the information requested by the hon. Lady:
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(17) This figure includes 105 Officers who left under the Full Time Reserve Severance Scheme, which was introduced on 1 April 2005.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will answer the letter to him dated 3 March 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Z. Khanum. [2132]
Dr. Howells: I refer my right. hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 65W.
The Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter with regard to Mrs. Z. Khanum on 14 March 2005.
Egypt
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from his Department's officials on changes to the constitution in Egypt requiring potential candidates for the presidency to be supported by 300 elected officials from both Houses of Parliament and local councils; what representations have been made by his Department to the Egyptian Government on the matter; and if he will make a statement. [2057]
Dr. Howells: We welcomed President Mubarak's proposal on 28 February 2005 for a change to the Egyptian constitution, with the stated aim of enabling direct election of the President from multiple candidates. On 10 May 2005, the People's Assembly voted in favour of the amendment, as did the Egyptian people in a referendum on 25 May 2005.
In future elections, after 2005, legal political parties may nominate a member of their central committee as a presidential candidate. The nominating party must have been in existence for at least five years; the party nominee must have held the same position on the board for at least one year; and the party must hold at least 5 per cent. of the seats in both the People's Assembly and the Shura Council. Independent candidates who are not
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members of legal political parties must have the support of at least 250 elected members of the People's Assembly, Shura Council and local councils.
The UK, through our embassy in Cairo, works closely with the Egyptians to promote political reform. Through the development of the EU neighbourhood policy, we are encouraging a greater focus on supporting democracy, governance and human rights in Egypt.
Sudan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent killing of internally-displaced people in the Soba Aradi camp in Khartoum; and what measures are being taken by (a) the Government and (b) international agencies to (i) protect the human rights of internally-displaced people in Khartoum and (ii) prevent their forcible relocation. [1640]
Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave him on 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 238W and 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 384W.
Zimbabwe
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Government of Zimbabwe concerning the recent arrests of street traders in (a) Harare and (b) other Zimbabwean cities; and if he will make a statement; [2028]
(2) when his officials were first informed of the recent arrests of street traders in (a) Harare and (b) other Zimbabwean cities; and if he will make a statement; [2031]
(3) what discussions he has held with his European Union partners concerning the recent arrests of street traders in (a) Harare and (b) other Zimbabwean cities; and if he will make a statement; [2032]
(4) if he will make representations to the Zimbabwean Government on operation drive out rubbish; and if he will make a statement; [2033]
(5) if he will make representations to the South African Government on operation drive out rubbish in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement; [2034]
(6) if he will hold discussions with his European Union partners on operation drive out rubbish in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement; [2035]
(7) what discussions he has held with African countries on operation drive out rubbish in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement; [2036]
(8) when his officials were first informed of (a) operation drive out rubbish and (b) other attempts by the Zimbabwean Government to demolish homes which it deemed unauthorised; [2038]
(9) if he will make representations to the Government of South Africa concerning the recent arrests of street traders in (a) Harare and (b) other Zimbabwean cities; and if he will make a statement. [2039]
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Ian Pearson: We have been following closely and with concern developments since operation drive out rubbish began recently, including informal sector housing and traders. We condemn the wholesale and callous destruction of people's homes and livelihoods caused by the security forces in urban areas across Zimbabwe as part of a "clean up" campaign. The Government of Zimbabwe's own figures indicate that nearly 23,000 people have been arrested since the operation began and many thousands rendered homeless. This has inflicted even greater hardship and suffering on the innocent and needy who are being punished for the regime's failed policies.
Department for International Development funds are being used in provision of immediate assistance to affected households who do not have the capacity to absorb the shock themselves (particularly children and the chronically ill). We are pressing the UN to take a lead in assessing the extent and impact of the regime's operation, and the scope for international assistance to those who are in immediate humanitarian need.
We understand that the UN's world food programme Director, James Morris, raised the issue with Mugabe on 1 June.
We regularly press the Government of Zimbabwe on our human rights concerns, of which this is only the latest example. We also maintain a dialogue with key African states on Zimbabwe focusing on key developments of concern such as this. We are also discussing a response with our EU partners.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Zimbabwe on land reform in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [2029]
Ian Pearson:
We have consistently said that we would support a land reform programme that was transparent, fair and legal and that was carried out within a wider Zimbabwean Government programme to reduce poverty. The United Nations development programme agrees that the Government of Zimbabwe's fast track programme is inconsistent with these principles. Concerns about land seizures are just one of the areas of
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concern we raise regularly with the Government of Zimbabwe, both bilaterally and with our international partners.
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