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22 Nov 2005 : Column 1893W—continued
Damages
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, indicating in each case the nature of the claim. [27738]
Mr. Hain:
Since the Wales Office was established in July 1999, no claims for damages have been paid.
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Departmental Contracts (Direct Mail)
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts were signed by his Department in (a) 2005–06 to date and (b) 2004–05 for direct mail; and what the value was in each case. [27670]
Mr. Hain: Since the Wales Office was established in July 1999 we have never signed any direct mail contracts.
Hospital Provision
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Waleswhat discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales Minister for Health to discuss funding for the provision of new hospitals serving patients in Wales. [25939]
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Waleswhat discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales Minister for Health on funding forthe provision of new hospitals serving patients in Wales. [23672]
Nick Ainger: I regularly meet with the Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services to discuss a range of issues, including funding for the provision of new hospitals in Wales.
Capital expenditure for building hospitals is detailed within the Welsh Assembly's Capital Investment Plan. This includes a major rebuilding scheme aimed at modernising health and social care and increasing capacity. It will be delivered by investment in the NHS infrastructure in Wales increasing from £120 million in the current financial year to £309 million in 2007–08.
There are currently 55 schemes of which 30 have either on-site development or fully approved business cases 25 which are actively progressing through the business case process, in addition there are 47 schemes in the planning stage.
Of the current schemes, the funding already approved for the first three years of the Capital Investment Plan includes the following projects where work is already ongoing:
And the following schemes, where it is anticipated that work will start within the next two years:
In addition, work is currently taking place with the NHS to develop a 10-year capital investment plan to 2014–15.
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Ministerial Travel
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many journeys he has made between London and Cardiff on official business since 2002 by (a) car, (b) train, (c) bus, (d) coach, (e) helicopter and (f) aeroplane; and what the costs of travel were in each year. [30856]
Mr. Hain: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code" and Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Details on the number of journeys made by car could be provided only at disproportionate cost. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 2004–05. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library.
For information for the financial years 2000–01 to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library.
I have made 428 journeys by train.
The total cost of train journeys per calendar year were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 11,593 |
| 2003 | 9,568 |
| 2004 | 8,400 |
I have not used any other method of transport between London and Cardiff.
Ministerial Visits
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the dates and venues of visits he has made to armed forces' bases in Wales since October 2002. [30857]
Mr. Hain: I visited Maindy Barracks in February 2004 and Brecon Barracks in July 2004.
NHS Hospital Beds
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had in Cabinet on the number of NHS hospital beds in Wales. [30858]
Mr. Hain: The provision of access to NHS treatment in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government. In my role as Secretary of State for Wales, I discuss issues relating to health service delivery regularly with the First Minister.
I also regularly discuss matters relating to health services in Wales with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. For example, in the
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current Session, my right hon. Friend has introduced two Bills, the Health Bill and the NHS Redress Bill, which contain provisions relating to Wales.
I will continue to raise such matters with Cabinet colleagues when it is appropriate to do so.
Rural Workers (Pay)
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of levels of pay for workers in rural Wales; and if he will make a statement. [25940]
Nick Ainger: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes details of pay and earnings within Wales for employees in all industries and occupation by unitary authority that is taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
This information is published on the ONS website: www.statistics.gov.uk
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Ambassadors
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what additional amount the frais allowance was increased in this financial year in respect of the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States; and for what purposes. [26867]
Mr. Straw: The Frais provision of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the United States of America was slightly lower at the beginning of the current financial year compared to the previous one. This reflected movements in the exchange rate of the US Dollar to the Pound and in the cost of living index comparing Washington with the UK. However Frais was underspent by £29,000 the previous financial year and it was agreed that, that amount could be carried over to this financial year to be available for possible additional expenditure in respect of the EU and G8 presidencies, as well as the visit of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. This expenditure will need to be accounted for in the usual way.
Assets Recovery Agency
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any complaint from the Assets Recovery Agency in respect of any overseas territory failing (a) to comply with requests from the Agency and (b) to legislate to facilitate the Agency's work; and if he will make a statement. [30086]
Mr. Douglas Alexander [holding answer 21 November 2005]: The Assets Recovery Agency has not raised any complaints with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with regard to any Overseas Territory failing to comply with Agency requests or to legislate appropriately.
The Assets Recovery Agency is currently exploring with some countries and Overseas Territories how the civil recovery part of the UK legislation could be enforced in their jurisdictions. Police and Her Majesty's
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Revenue and Customs also continue to liaise and co-operate with other jurisdictions in their application of the criminal confiscation and cash seizure aspects of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
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