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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to question 53502, on Remploy, tabled by the hon. Member for Caerphilly for answer on 27 February 2006. [63191]
Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 26 April 2006, Official Report, column 1143-44W.
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to question (a) 47075 and (b) 47074, on his Department's buildings in Lytham St. Annes, tabled by the hon. Member for Fylde on 26 January 2006. [63474]
Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 26 April 2006, Official Report, column 1139-40W.
Single Room Rent Restrictions
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people were in receipt of single room rent restricted housing benefit on 1 April in each year since its introduction. [68451]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information is not available in the format requested. Data is produced quarterly in February, May, August and November each year; the available information as at May each year is in the table.
| Housing benefit recipients assessed under the single room rent scheme: Great Britain | |
| As at May: | |
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten. 2. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in May 1997 to May 2005. |
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single room rent restriction determinations there were in each year since October 1996. [68452]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information for single room rent determinations in England is in the table.
| Number of referrals with Rent Officer single room rent restriction determination | Number of referrals with Rent Officer single room rent restriction determinations, where single room rent restriction is binding restriction | |
| Notes: 1. A reliable estimate of the number of Rent Officer determinations in 2002-03 is not available due to data limitations. 2. The table presents both the number of referrals assessed under the single room rent restriction and the number of referrals where this restriction is binding. Some referrals assessed under the single room rent restriction will be bound by other Rent Officer restrictions and some will not have their rent restricted. 3. The numbers of referrals are rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: Rent Officer data, England from 1997-98 to 2004-05. |
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will amend the housing benefit regulations in line with the recommendation in the departmental research report number 243 that all care leavers and disabled people should be exempted from the single room rent restriction. [68454]
Mr. Plaskitt: Our Green Paper “A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering People to Work” sets out our proposals for extending the local housing allowance (LHA) across the private rented sector. The LHA scheme replaces the single room rent with a new shared room rate, which is based on a broader definition of shared properties. We will continue to look at the operation of the shared room rate as we move forward with housing benefit reform, but the underlying principles of the rate, that of encouraging work, remain.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
EU Arms Embargo
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the European Union on the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China; and if she will make a statement. [70797]
Mr. McCartney: There have been no recent representations made to the European Council on lifting the EU arms embargo on China. The European Council decided in December 2003 to review the EU Arms Embargo on China. This review is ongoing and it was last discussed by EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on13 December 2005. There is no consensus at present in the EU for lifting the embargo. The Government continue to fully implement the embargo.
EU Reform
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is her Department's policy to endorse the EU Commission's call for a declaration of commitment to future institutional reform; and if she will make a statement. [71140]
Mr. Hoon: The UK welcomes the communication from the Commission “A Citizens Agenda Delivering Results for Europe”. The communication stresses that the EU should now be focusing on practical policies which deliver practical results to citizens, and on the economic reforms needed to make the EU competitive in today's global economy.
The Commission recognises that there is as yet no consensus on the constitutional treaty and underlines the need to concentrate on delivery. The Government are open to the idea of a political declaration setting out Europe's values and ambitions and believe that the real challenge ahead for the next year is delivering on the policy agenda.
Kifle Tigneh Abate
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the trial of Kifle Tigneh Abate has begun in Addis Ababa; what representations she made to the Ethiopian Government prior to the trial; and what reports her Department has received from Michael Ellman, the international observer of the trial. [70037]
Mr. McCartney: The trial of Kifle Tigneh Abate started on 10 May in parallel with the trial of other Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) members. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and our ambassador in Addis Ababa have made representations to the Ethiopian Government about the trial of the CUD party leadership including Kifle Tigneh Abate. They asked that the courts deal with the charges fairly, quickly and transparently in accordance with international standards.
We have not yet received a report from Michael Ellman, who is acting on behalf of the European Union.
Russia
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work her Department is undertaking with civil society groups in Russia to tackle racism and racial violence. [69993]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to actively co-operate with civil society groups in Russia to promote human rights. Between 2003 and 2006 we have supported the following racial tolerance projects:
National Associations and Local Media: Co-operation or Confrontation?
Project duration: April 2006 to May 2007
Project aim: Develop contacts between youth leaders of national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Urals region and local media to promote balanced media coverage of ethnic issues.
Implementing partner: International Information Centre
Project cost: £5,190
Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
Promotion of Racial Tolerance in St. Petersburg
Project duration: 1 September 2006 to 30 November 2006
Project aim: Achieve higher public recognition of the importance of tolerance towards ethnic and cultural minorities and broader acceptance of the value of diversity, particularly by the younger generation, drawing from the positive experience of the UK in promoting diversity and building relationships between different ethnic communities and the authorities.
Implementing partners: Fund for the Development of Peter & Paul Fortress, Association of Photo Correspondents of the Union of Journalists of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Institute of Law and the Youth Information Centre.
Project costs: £25,000
Fund: Public Diplomacy Challenge Fund.
Project duration: April 2005 to September 2006
Project aim: Develop ethnic tolerance in Ekaterinburg through increasing awareness of national cultures and traditions.
Implementing partner: Pervouralsk XXI Century
Project cost: £2,900
Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
Project duration: July 2005 to June 2006
Project aim: To challenge the use of hate speech in the media, particularly with regard to the Roma community.
Implementing partner: European Roma Rights Centre
Project cost: £26,300
Fund: Global Opportunities Fund.
Creating of ‘The International Information Portal’
Project duration: April 2005 to February 2006
Project aim: Create an internet resource that will collect information about history, culture, rights and freedoms of ethnic groups in the Ural region. Promote the results of hate speech monitoring ‘the language of hostility’ in mass media.
Implementing partner: International Information Center
Project cost: £1,130
Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
Training in Multi-cultural Education of Young People
Project duration: December 2005 to February 2006
Project aim: Train professionals working with children and teenagers in promoting ethnic, racial and cultural diversity and tolerance.
Implementing partner: St. Petersburg Youth Information Centre
Project costs: £3,650
Fund: Devolved Directorate Programme Budget.
Ethnic Minorities and Access to Justice
Project duration: September 2003 to December 2005
Project aim: Improve community policing through a joint programme between ethnic minority representatives and local police in Moscow, Samara, Krasodar and Ekaterinburg. Drawing on the experience of UK police forces.
Implementing partner: European Dialogue
Project cost: £103,285
Fund: Global Opportunities Fund.
“School of Tolerance” (a youth camp for children of different ethnic origin in the Pskov region, North-West Russia)
Project duration: 4 to 24 July 2005
Project aim: Bring together children of different ethnic origin and social positions, including refugees, to give them first-hand experience of living in a diverse multi-cultural society. Raise their awareness of issues such as human rights and tolerance and give them communication and leadership skills.
Implementing partner: ‘Pskovskaya Glubinka’ NGO
Project costs: £2,996.65
Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
Training of Trainers in Human Rights and Tolerance Issues (workshop for teachers of Pskov oblast, North-West Russia)
Project duration: March 2005
Project aim: Promote human rights and the values of tolerance among teachers and give them practical skills to disseminate this information among their students.
Implementing partner: ‘Pskovskaya Glubinka’ with support from Amnesty International
Project costs: £3,709.38
Fund: Devolved Programme Budget.
Trade Deals
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2006, Official Report, column 1676W, on trade deals, how many bilateral trade negotiations the European Commission has (a) conducted and (b) signed on behalf of the UK in each of the last eight years. [70201]
Mr. Hoon: The European Commission has competence for EU trade policy and conducts all trade negotiations on behalf of, and on the basis of a mandate from, EU member states.
Within the last eight years, and in addition to the trade agreements relating to enlargement of the EU, the following EU trade agreements have entered into force: Mexico, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Chile, South Africa and the Cotonou Agreement (with 77 Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries).
Negotiations are ongoing with Mercosur, the Gulf Co-operation Council, Turkey and Albania, and on Economic Partnership Agreements (which will replace the Cotonou Agreement). Signature of an Association Agreement with Syria is pending.
A comprehensive list of EU trade agreements currently under negotiation or which have already been concluded can be found on the Europa website:
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