| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1101W—continued
Voter Registration
28. Mr. David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy on individual voter registration. [28131]
Ms Harman: The Electoral Administration Bill, currently before Parliament, includes provision for the collection of personal identifiers such as individual signatures and dates of birth at the point at which a person registers to vote.
In order that the effect of this policy may be tested prior to full implementation, the Bill provides for personal identifiers to be first piloted at a local level, with the results to be evaluated by the Electoral Commission.
Election Campaigns
29. Ms Barlow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to limit the money that can be spent in election campaigns. [28132]
Ms Harman: There are no current plans to further limit the money that can be spent in election campaigns, over and above the limits that already exist both for candidates and parties. I understand that the Electoral Commission will be publishing its report into the spending at this year's general election in the spring of 2005. They also propose to undertake a review of expenditure limits beginning in mid-2006. I look forward to reading both reports.
Commercial Court
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to modernise the Commercial Court [27152]
Bridget Prentice:
My Department is working with Her Majesty's Courts Service to finalise investment plans which will set out what new court building projects and major refurbishments will be taken forward. The
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1102W
improvement of the accommodation for the Commercial Court features in these plans and has been identified as a priority project within the HMCS Estate strategy.
A business case is being developed. This will include consideration of business justification, costs and funding. Accordingly, the business case will consider a number of options and solutions as to how and where improved facilities can be provided for this court.
Following consultation with the judiciary and users of the Commercial Court, we are also seeking to develop a new IT system for the Commercial Court which is designed to meet the particular needs of the court.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Computer Facilities
34. Hywel Williams: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will arrange a Welsh language spell-checker to be installed on computers on the parliamentary network. [28138]
Nick Harvey: Existing software licences provide spell-checkers for a number of languages, including Welsh. A non-English spell-checker can therefore be installed on a specified personal computer on the basis of a request from an hon. Member to the Parliamentary Communications Directorate (PCD).
Contract Cleaners
35. David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what progress has been made in improving pay and conditions for the contract cleaners on the parliamentary estate. [28139]
Nick Harvey: Over recent months officials have worked hard to find ways of saving money within the contract. I understand that, as a result, in mid-August, MITIE were able to offer an increase in basic hourly rates to £6.00: and that dialogue between the company and the union on this offer continues. New changing accommodation and a limited rest facility have been made available.
Recycling
36. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the latest estimate is of the proportion of waste from Members' offices on the parliamentary estate which is recycled; and what steps are planned to increase this proportion. [28140]
Nick Harvey:
Currently 35.7 per cent. of parliamentary waste is recycled. It is not possible to provide a separate figure for Members' offices. The new Waste Management policy to be adopted shortly sets out a target for increasing recycling by 5 per cent. per annum until 75 per cent. is reached.
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1103W
College Green Ticket Office
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the seasonal ticket office located on College Green is due to be removed. [27626]
Nick Harvey: The ticket office was removed last week.
PRIME MINISTER
China
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will press President Hu Jintao to meet the Dalai Lama to discuss the Tibet conflict; [27073]
(2) what his assessment is of progress in the dialogue between the representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government. [27075]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Hoon) to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) at Prime Minister's Questions on 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 300.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the situation in Tibet. [27074]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ian Pearson) to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 11 November 2005, Official Report, columns 863–64W.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met non-governmental organisations working on human rights in (a) China and (b) Tibet. [27076]
The Prime Minister: I have not had any recent meetings with these organisations. However, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have regular meetings with non-governmental organisations working on human rights in China and Tibet.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to give a joint press conference with China's President Hu Jintao when he pays a state visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [27077]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the morning press briefing given by my official spokesman on 9 November 2005, a copy of which is available on the Number 10 website.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions were held on Tibet prior to the agreement of the recent joint EU-China statement. [27079]
The Prime Minister: I encouraged further meetings between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama's representatives during my visit to China in September, at the end of which the joint EU—China Statement was signed.
Prisons
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Prime Minister how many prisons he has visited since 1 May 1997. [28487]
15 Nov 2005 : Column 1104W
The Prime Minister: I visited Pentonville prison in February 2001, and have undertaken a number of other visits relating to the criminal justice system since 1997.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Bilateral Trade
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what bilateral trade agreements are in force with developing countries. [27331]
Ian Pearson: The following bilateral trade agreements between the European Union and developing countries are currently in force:
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of bilateral trade agreements with developing countries on their (a) local trade, (b) development and (c) economic growth; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on these matters. [27332]
Ian Pearson: Bilateral trade agreements have the potential to promote trade, growth and prosperity in developing countries. But to do this, they must be carefully designed and any trade reform in developing countries must be sequenced as part of a wider strategy for development and poverty reduction.
The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for International Development work closely at all levels on this and other trade policy issues relating to developing countries.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |