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25 Jan 2007 : Column 1958Wcontinued
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to (a) China, ( b) France, (c) the Russian Federation, (d) the United States, (e) Belgium, (f) the Republic of the Congo, (g) Ghana, (h) Indonesia, (i) Italy, (j) Panama, (k) Peru, (l) Qatar, (m) Slovakia and (n) South Africa on UK support for India gaining a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. [110741]
Dr. Howells: The United Kingdom's position on this issue is well known. Our support for Indian permanent membership of an enlarged UN Security Council has been publicly reiterated in recent months by several senior members of the Government: by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his foreign policy speech in Georgetown in May 2006; by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary during her visit to India in November 2006; and by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer during his visit to India in January 2007. We have not made direct representations to UN Security Council partners.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on paragraphs 12, 13, 15 and 16 of Recommendation 780 on European forces in Afghanistan adopted by the Assembly of the Western European Union on 20 June 2006. [116631]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 18 January 2007]: The UK agrees with the emphasis in paragraph 12 of the Western European Union (WEU) Recommendation 780 on dismantling the European trafficking networks. The UK is a partner nation to the Afghan Government on counter narcotics and is providing support on developing their capacity to tackle drug-trafficking networks. Separately, the UK is pursuing policies aimed at disrupting these networks in Europe through bilateral and multilateral co-operation, including engaging with Europol, and the Police Chiefs Task Force. The focus is on interdiction activity against drugs flowing into the EU and money flowing out.
The UK supports a visible and strong role for the EU in Afghanistan and enhanced co-ordination of EU assistance (as advocated in paragraph 13 of WEU Recommendation 780). It welcomes the announcement by the Commission of its intention to spend €40 million on justice sector reform in Afghanistan. The UK supports the deployment of a European Security and Defence Policy mission to Afghanistan focusing on policing, but with linkages to the wider rule of law.
Protecting EU civilian personnel in Afghanistan is a priority. However, a Battlegroup cannot be used to protect them as this is a rapid response capability for use in a crisis.
There are many existing opportunities for dialogue between the US and European countries on Afghanistan, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The UK therefore does not intend to call for dialogue between the US and WEU, as proposed in paragraph 15 of the WEU Recommendation 780.
Purchasing the poppy crop, as proposed in paragraph 16 of WEU Recommendation 780, is not a realistic or sustainable solution. It does not form part of the Afghan Governments National Drug Control Strategy, which the UK fully supports. The UK agrees with the Afghan Governments position that licensing opium cultivation for medical use is not a realistic solution to the problems of the opium economy.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 13W, on the WMD dossier, whether the first draft of the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction dossier authored by John Williams makes reference to Iraqs ability to deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes. [117162]
Margaret Beckett: There are no plans for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to publish Mr. Williams draft document, extracts from it or to confirm details of the contents.
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) recent steps she has taken and (b) steps she plans to take to bring the person who murdered WPC Yvonne Fletcher in 1984 to justice. [110805]
Dr. Howells: Metropolitan Police Service officers last visited Libya to pursue the case in December 2006.
We regularly raise the case with the Libyan authorities and I have done so myself.
We continue to press for resolution of the case.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department spent in each of the Government Office regions in the most recent year for which figures are available. [116700]
Vera Baird: The following is the net outturn data for 2004-05, which DCA provided to the Treasury as part of the Country and Regional Analysis (CRA), which breaks down net expenditure into the regions recognized by the Office for National Statistics.
These data are used to compile the tables in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2006 published document.
£ million | |
Region | Amount |
The aforementioned data represents core spending and does not include agency or NDPB expenditure.
In keeping with the basis of the CRA analysis, the figures exclude non-cash costs and provisions and are produced on the basis of where the benefit is estimated to be rather then where the expenditure is necessarily incurred.
Please note that not all expenditure can be apportioned to a region, as the spending benefits the whole country, and not a specific area.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much programme expenditure sponsored by her Department was spent via each of the Government Offices for the Regions in the most recent year for which figures are available. [116752]
Vera Baird: To provide this breakdown would incur disproportionate costs.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent by each of her Departments Executive agencies in each of the Government office regions in the most recent year for which figures are available. [116664]
Vera Baird: The following is the net out-turn data for 2004-05, which DCA provided to the Treasury as part of the Country and Regional Analysis (CRA). This breaks down net expenditure into the regions recognised by the Office for National Statistics.
These data are used to compile the tables in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2006 published document.
Region | Amount (£ million) |
During the financial year 2004-05, DCA had just one agencythe Public Guardian Office.
In keeping with the basis of the CRA analysis, the aforementioned figures exclude non-cash costs and provisions and are produced on the basis of where the benefit is estimated to be rather then where the expenditure is necessarily incurred.
Please note that not all expenditure can be apportioned to a region, as the spending benefits the whole country, and not a specific area.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposed changes to the lower limit for personal injury claims in the small claims procedure on victims of road traffic accidents. [110645]
Vera Baird: The Government have been considering all the case track limits and intends to publish a consultation paper in the near future.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [110486]
Bridget Prentice: My Department has had a centrally managed contract with Kelly Services Ltd. for the provision of agency staff since 2001. Prior to this, expenditure relating to temporary staff was not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information regarding the expenditure on temporary staff employed through Kelly Services appears as follows:
Financial year | Expenditure (£) |
The average number of temporary staff employed through Kelly Services rose from 395 in 2004-05 to 722 in 2005-06, due in part to the creation of HM Court Service and the incorporation of magistrates courts.
The average number of staff employed through this contract to date in 2006-07 is around 600.
Information relating to workers employed through other employment agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the guidance issued to Ministers on the use and availability of Dorneywood for Government meetings and seminars. [113970]
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to allocate Dorneywood to a senior Minister, or appropriate figure as permitted by the Dorneywood Trust Deed, as a residence for that individual. [113974]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 3-4W to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove).
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to seek parliamentary approval for major re-organisations of the machinery of Government; and if he will make a statement. [111278]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 15 February 2006, Official Report, columns 2031-2W.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Prime Minister (1) which individual in 10 Downing street is co-ordinating the Governments response to police requests in relation to the police investigations into party donations and the honours system; and if he will make a statement; [111089]
(2) how many e-mails have been passed to the police by staff at 10 Downing street since 1 June 2006 in relation to the investigations into party political donations and the awarding of honours; and if he will make a statement. [111148]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) at Prime Ministers Questions on 24 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1416-17.
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