---

16 Jan 2006 : Column 971W—continued

China (Arms Embargo)

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government supports the lifting of the EU embargo on arms exports to China. [42046]

Ian Pearson: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 December 2005, Official Report, column 2061W.

Christian Minorities

Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from Christian minority groups from (a) Burma, (b) China and (c) Pakistan. [41048]

 
16 Jan 2006 : Column 972W
 

Ian Pearson: We have received no recent representations from Christian minority groups from China and Pakistan. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to receive correspondence from UK-based organisations about the treatment of Christians in these two countries.

Officials at our embassy in Rangoon have frequent meetings with Christian and other minority groups in Burma. They have also provided funding to these groups for schools, orphanages and a peace and reconciliation project.

We are concerned about the situation of religious freedom in all three countries and we regularly raise those concerns with their governments, bilaterally and with our international partners.

Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 5 December 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. T. Iqbal. [41840]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied on 9 January.

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 5 December 2005 from the right hon.Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms R. Hughes. [41841]

Dr. Howells: We have no record of having received this letter and have requested a copy from my right hon. Friend's office. My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will reply as soon as possible after a copy of the letter is received.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the annual expenditure on training and development by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland was in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [39980]

Mr. Straw: The approximate figures for expenditure on training and development are as follows:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

	£000
2002–03	9,136
2003–04	11,429
2004–05	13,171
2005–06 (Est.)	14,919

Notes:
1.Includes all training and development costs (including languages, ICT, security, consular and visa work), most training-related travel where separately identifiable.
2.Excludes most staff costs, indirect and overhead costs.
3.Figures apply to the FCO's staff in the UK (all in the South East of England) as well as diplomatic missions overseas.





 
16 Jan 2006 : Column 973W
 

British Council £000

		Of which:
	Total	Scotland	Wales	England	Northern Ireland
2002–03	5,200	14	8	5,172	6
2003–04	7,300	25	8	7,261	6
2004–05	6,500	25	6	6,456	13
2005–06 (Est.) 4,400		25	6	4,354	15

Notes:
1.Includes all direct costs and fees, travel and accommodation, project budgets relating to staff development and the indirect cost of staff attendance.
2.Excludes apportionment of overhead costs.
3.British Council figures are not broken down by English region.




Wilton Park

	£000
2002–03	15
2003–04	16
2004–05	15
2005–06 (Est.)	23

Note:
Figures apply to the South East of England.




Westminster Foundation for Democracy

	£000
2002–03	1
2003–04	1
2004–05	6
2005–06 (Est.)	10

Note:
Figures apply to the South East of England.

No other non-departmental public bodies reported expenditure in any financial year over £1,000.

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on refreshments in each year since 1997. [41249]

Mr. Straw: Expenditure on refreshments can be identified only by examining individual transactions in the UK and at overseas Posts for the periods concerned. The information requested is not held centrally and could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent in each year since 1997 by his Department on salaries paid to civil servants. [41587]

Mr. Straw: The amount spent on salaries paid to UK based civil servants in each year since 1997 is as follows:
£

Financial year	Amount
1997–98	127,942,176.19
1998–99	128,674,412.28
1999–2000	135,464,386.85
2000–01	147,110,659.02
2001–02	152,775,417.07
2002–03	171,743,435.00
2003–04	177,045,645.99
2004–05	185,914,352.64

 
16 Jan 2006 : Column 974W
 

Departmental Functions

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which functions of his core Department are carried out in (a) England and (b) London; and what administrative costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year. [39819]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is a global network and carries out its core functions across the world through its 218 embassies, high commissions and consulates overseas. In the UK, policy and service delivery functions are carried out in London and the corporate function is split between London and Hanslope Park, near Milton Keynes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Ian Pearson) gave to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 13 December 2005, Official Report, column 1950W. The FCO does not identify its expenditure on administration costs by area.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what functions in his Department are carried out in Scotland; and what the administrative costs of these functions were in the last year for which figures are available. [40015]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is a global network which carries out its core functions across the world through its 218 embassies, high commissions and consulates overseas. The FCO has five officers working in the Glasgow office of UK Trade and Investment, a joint FCO and Department for Trade and Industry organisation. They are involved in assisting British companies in the gas and oil industries to find business abroad. The FCO does not identify its expenditure on administration costs by area.

Diplomatic Immunity

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2005, Official Report, column 539W, on diplomatic immunity, if he will set out in his proposed written ministerial statement whether a prosecution for the offence was undertaken in the home country of the person holding the diplomatic immunity. [41903]

Mr. Straw: Further to my written ministerial statement of 12 December 2005, Official Report, columns 127–29WS, it is not within our remit to set out whether a prosecution for the alleged offence was undertaken in the home country of the person entitled to immunity. We do all we can to ensure that alleged offences committed in the UK are fully investigated and, if there is justification, the outcome determined by the UK courts. Where the sending State refuses to waive immunity to enable a prosecution to take place in the UK, we ask for the withdrawal of the diplomat. Once the diplomat has left the UK we consider this an end to the matter. Foreign missions are not obliged to inform me of action taken once the alleged offender has left the United Kingdom.
 
16 Jan 2006 : Column 975W
 

---