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16 Jan 2006 : Column 968W—continued
Single Regeneration Budget Scheme
Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the role of appraisal panels in awarding development funding under the single regeneration budget scheme. [40639]
Yvette Cooper: The single regeneration budget consisted of six annual bidding rounds, running from 1995 to 2000. Government offices (and regional development agencies for rounds 5 and 6) were responsible for assessing bids received from applicants and making recommendations to Ministers.
To assist with bid assessment, each Government office created an advisory panel of private and public sector experts to provide advice about the bids against the key assessment criteria set out in the bidding guidance for each round.
Copies of the bidding guidance are available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines his Department publishes on the tendering process for the allocation of single regeneration budget development funding. [40640]
Mr. Woolas: The single regeneration budget consisted of six annual bidding rounds, running from 1995 to 2000. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's (ODPM) predecessor Departments published detailed bidding guidance on each round for prospective bidders.
Copies of the bidding guidance are available on the ODPM website.
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Town and Country Planning Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) males and (b) females were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted during 2004 of an offence under section 224(3) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. [41054]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Waste Management
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department issues to county councils on their legal obligations to collect household waste from April 2007 in cases where a borough council chooses not to participate in a waste management partnership scheme. [40627]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
Defra has not issued guidance on these particular circumstances. The duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for:
district councils, as waste collection authorities, to collect household waste in their area and deliver it to their waste disposal authority; and,
county councils, as waste disposal authorities, to arrange for the disposal of household waste collected by their district councils,
continue to apply where a district council chooses not to participate in a waste management partnership scheme.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Airspace (Extraordinary Rendition)
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his interview on the Today programme on 12 December 2005, what methodology was used to check the allegations made by Liberty to several chief constables, to which he referred, on the United States policy of rendition of detainees. [41554]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the Rt. hon. Member for North East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) on 12 December 2005 (Official Report, column 1652–1653 W) and to the Written Ministerial Statement my Rt. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave on 10 January (Official Report, column 5WS). These demonstrate that the US Government has sought the UK Government's permission before using UK airports and airspace for the purpose of rendition.
Since before 11 September 2001, we have worked closely with the US to achieve our shared goal of fighting terrorism. As part of that close co-operation, we have made clear to the US authorities, including in recent months:
that we expect them to seek permission to render detainees via UK territory and airspace (including the Overseas Territories and Sovereign Bases);
that we will grant permission only if we are satisfied that the rendition would accord with UK law and our international obligations, and
We are clear that the US would not render a detainee through the UK without our permission. It has sought such permission in the past: in some cases we have agreed, in others we have not, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear.
Belarus
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage a fair presidential election in Belarus in March. [41389]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government continue to raise the issue of free and fair elections with the Belarusian authorities, both bilaterally and together with EU partners. At November's General Affairs External Relations Council meeting in Brussels, EU partners called for the Belarusian Government to issue an early invitation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights electoral monitoring mission, and stated the Council's willingness to take appropriate restrictive measures in the event of a failure to uphold international standards. A further discussion on Belarus will take place in January's Council meeting.
Burma
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations the British Government have made to Russia regarding (a) the situation in Burma and (b) placing Burma on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council; [41723]
(2) what representations the Government have made to Russia regarding the sale of a nuclear reactor to Burma. [42248]
Ian Pearson: Both our ambassador in Rangoon and our Mission to the United Nations in New York regularly discuss the situation in Burma with their Russian counterparts. They are fully aware of our views. On 16 December 2005 United Nations Security Council members, including Russia, met with the UN Secretary-General and senior UN officials in informal consultations to consider the situation in Burma.
The British ambassador has raised the issue of the possible sale of a Russian nuclear reactor to Burma with her Russian counterpart. There is no evidence that this matter has progressed beyond the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made by the (a) British Government and (b) European Commission of the effectiveness of the EU common position on Burma. [41880]
Ian Pearson:
We consider that the best interests of the people of Burma continue to be served by a twin-track common position of targeted measures against members of the regime, and humanitarian support to the poorest and most vulnerable. With our European partners and the European Commission, we keep the common position under review.
16 Jan 2006 : Column 971W
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with Condeleeza Rice regarding the situation in Burma. [42244]
Ian Pearson: There have been no recent discussions with Condeleeza Rice regarding the situation in Burma. However, officials regularly discuss the situation in Burma with their counterparts in the United States.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government recognises the National League for Democracy as the winners of the 1990 elections in Burma. [42245]
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made in the past two years to companies importing Burmese goods into the UK. [42246]
Ian Pearson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no recent representations to companies importing goods into the UK, but our clear policy is not to encourage trade with Burma.
Caps Committee on Missing Person
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide further financial support to the Caps Committee on Missing Persons towards their general programme of exhumations and identifications due to start in Spring 2006; and if he will make a statement. [41334]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The United Nations search for missing persons in Cyprus is both a humanitarian priority and a rare prospect for reconciliation between the two communities on the island. In 2004, we donated US$50,000 towards what we hope will become a truly successful confidence building measure. More recently, we have informed the Committee on Missing Persons and the British charity INFORCE, which is assisting in the new phase of the Committee's work, that we are happy to provide further funding of up to £45,000. We expect that this contribution will go towards training forensic archaeologists from both communities in the necessary skills for continuing this important work.
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