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1 Mar 2007 : Column 1468W—continued
Departments: Consultants
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which external consultants were used by (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies in relation to private finance initiatives in 2005-06; and what the (i) nature and (ii) cost of the work was in each case. [123014]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a private finance initiative (PFI) contract covering its global telecommunications network. In 2005-06 the FCO engaged Bird and Bird, an international commercial law firm, to provide legal advice in respect of contractual options relating to outsourcing of telecommunications in the event that this PFI was to be assessed as not providing value for money. The cost of this advice was £6,967.50.
The FCO also employs Drivers Jonas, specialist financial consultants, to advise on the Berlin embassy PFI contract. Consultancy work undertaken by Drivers Jonas in 2005 and 2006 cost £88,810.56.
There were no other PFIs used by the FCO or its agencies in 2005-06.
Departments: Databases
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what databases are controlled by her Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database she estimates is inaccurate or out of date. [124038]
Mr. Hoon:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) makes extensive use of databases. Some (for example for recording visa applications and financial transactions) are managed centrally. Many others, where there is no operational need to share data, are locally owned, by either diplomatic posts overseas or departments in the UK. A survey in 2005 identified more than 1,000 databases, of varying size and complexity, holding over one million records supporting the full range of activities undertaken by the FCO worldwide. The owning post or department is best placed to ensure the accuracy of the data held, in accordance with local need and any relevant
UK statutory provisions. We do not duplicate this responsibility by central monitoring, and consequently to collect and collate the information required to answer the hon. Member’s question fully could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Diplomatic Service: Languages
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the criteria are for providing language training for spouses of diplomats. [123737]
Mr. Hoon: All spouses and partners of officials posted overseas are entitled to pre-posting language training in the official language of the country to which they are posted, in order to handle everyday social situations confidently.
Spouses/partners who wish to train to a higher level than confidence level for employment or representational purposes may bid for additional language training to any level—this will be allocated in accordance with available resources and current business priorities.
Spouses/partners who have received language training to confidence level and are later posted back to a country with the same principal language are entitled to refresher training of up to a maximum of 50 hours.
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes there have been in the level of provision of language training for spouses of diplomats over the last five years. [123738]
Mr. Hoon: The following increase to the level of provision for spouses and partners was made with effect from 1 April 2003:
The previous entitlement of 100 hours tuition was replaced with a graduated system in which the maximum available tuition hours varied according to the difficulty of the language:
| Hours | |
Anyone who has received this training, and who is subsequently posted to a country where the same language is required, is entitled to refresher training, limited to a maximum of 50 hours. Spouses/partners who wish to train to a higher level for employment or representational purposes can bid for additional language training to any level.
Egypt: Human Rights
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions she has had on the human rights of religious groups other than Christians, Jews and Muslims in Egypt; and if she will make a statement; [124158]
(2) what discussions she has had on the ability of religious groups other than Christians, Jews and Muslims in Egypt to obtain identity cards; and if she will make a statement. [124159]
Dr. Howells: Although my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no such discussions, the UK has raised these issues bilaterally with Egypt at official level, as well as through the European Union. We raised these issues with the Egyptian government most recently on 22 January 2007.
European Research Council
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what she expects the (a) budget and (b) location of the new autonomous European Research Council to be; what she expects the UK contribution to be to the Council’s budget; and how many and what percentage of staff she expects to be UK citizens. [123457]
Mr. Hoon: The European Research Council (ERC) is an independent body composed of a Scientific Council of 22 eminent scientists and a Delivery Agency. Its purpose is to strengthen the quality of European research by allocating funding for research on the basis of scientific excellence. It will have responsibility for a budget of €7.51 billion (£5 billion) in the seven year period 2007-13. The ERC is part of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development in the overall EU budget; the UK contribution to the ERC will therefore be in proportion to our contribution to the EU budget. The ERC will be based in Brussels and staff will be recruited under Commission staff regulations as they apply to Commission Executive Agencies, so it is not possible at this stage to determine how many of the staff will be UK nationals.
Forced Labour
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the governments of (a) India and (b) Pakistan on the enforcement of laws prohibiting bonded labour. [124487]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, raised the issue of bonded labour during his visit to India in November 2006 and in correspondence with Pakistani interlocutors in January 2007. We will continue to seek suitable opportunities to raise the matter in the course of our human rights dialogue with both countries.
Irian Jaya: Political Prisoners
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of political prisoners in West Papua. [124062]
Mr. McCartney: We have no figures for the number of political prisoners in Papua, or in Indonesia as a whole. However, we are aware of the cases of eighteen individuals mentioned in a recent Human Rights Watch report, who have been sentenced to jail terms for peaceful protest in Papua.
North Korea: Politics and Government
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are in place to support the growth and development of liberal democracy in North Korea. [122396]
Mr. McCartney: The UK is committed to promoting democratic principles and values around the world. With regards to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Government's main focus is on achieving peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and tackling issues relating to its appalling human rights record, including non-compliance with human rights norms, denying freedom of expression, assembly, association, movement or information, on which democracy is built. The positive outcome to the latest round of six-party talks, with agreement reached on 13 February, is a step in the right direction towards denuclearisation. On human rights, we and our European partners regularly raise our concerns with the DPRK Government and in international fora. We have continued to urge the North Koreans to allow a visit by the UN special rapporteur for human rights, but the DPRK Government have consistently denied access. Despite having to deal with such a closed society we will continue to seek opportunities to promote openness and acceptance of universal values.
Trident
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will publish the legal advice the Prime Minister received which allowed her to state that the upgrading of Trident is compatible with the UK's obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. [122917]
Dr. Howells: As noted in the ministerial code, the fact and substance of legal advice to the Government remains confidential. This enables Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.
Treasury
Immunisation
13. Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the International Finance Facility for Immunisation. [124175]
Ed Balls:
The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) was launched in September 2005 with contributions from France, Italy, Spain and Sweden, as well as the UK. Norway, Brazil and South Africa have since pledged contributions. The IFFIm will demonstrate the benefits of frontloading aid using
legally binding, long-term commitments from donors through issuing bonds in international capital markets.
The first IFFIm bonds were issued on 7 November 2006, raising $1 billion, which is currently being disbursed to purchase vaccines and deliver them to the poorest countries through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). One of the first programmes that will benefit from the accelerated availability of $139 million of IFFIm resources is the worldwide effort by the Measles Initiative to reduce measles deaths by 90 per cent. by 2010. The ongoing effectiveness of the disbursements will be monitored by GAVI.
Over the next 10 years, IFFIm will provide $4 billion to support vaccinations in the world’s poorest countries, and it is estimated that the frontloaded IFFIm resources will save a total of 10 million lives, including 5 million children before 2015.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by his Department in contributing to the International Finance Facility beyond the commitments to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation. [123098]
Ed Balls: The concept of the International Finance Facility—to bring forward financing for development—is first being piloted through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm).
The first IFFIm bonds were issued on 7 November 2006, raising $1 billion which is currently being disbursed to purchase vaccines and deliver them to the poorest countries through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). The Government are working closely with GAVI to evaluate the impact of IFFIm funding disbursed through GAVI.
Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what support his Department has provided for the international finance facility for immunisation. [124285]
Ed Balls: The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) was launched in September 2005 with contributions from France, Italy, Spain and Sweden, as well as the UK. Norway, Brazil and South Africa have since pledged contributions.
IFFIm has been established as a UK charity and is governed by a Board of five directors. It issues bonds to convert long-term commitments from donors into up-front resources for development. These resources are then disbursed through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
The first IFFIm bonds were issued on 7 November 2006, raising $1 billion, which is currently being disbursed to purchase vaccines and deliver them to the poorest countries through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
City Bonuses
14. Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the inflationary effects of City bonuses. [124176]
Ed Balls: The Chancellor receives a wide range of representations on economic, financial and City issues.
Millennium Development Goals
15. Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress in raising funding for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. [124177]
Ed Balls: At the G8 Summit in Gleneagles in 2005, the G8 and other donors agreed to provide an extra $50 billion in aid by 2010, with at least half of this going to Africa, and to cancel debt worth another $50 billion.
Already, 20 countries are benefiting from this debt relief, using the additional savings, to meet their poverty reduction priorities, and Official Development Assistance (ODA), as measured by the OECD, reached an all-time high in 2005 at $106.8 billion.
The UK will continue to press the G8 and other donors to deliver on the aid and debt relief commitments made in 2005. At the same time, it is important also to demonstrate how these additional resources can be spent to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
That is why the UK has committed to spend at least £8.5 billion on aid for education over the next 10 years, entering into 10-year agreements to help finance education plans developed by the poorest countries. The UK will continue to urge other donors to provide long-term predictable financing for education as part of their contribution to Gleneagles targets, including at an International Education Conference on 2 May.
Debt
16. Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the level of debt in the UK economy; and if he will make a statement. [124178]
John Healey: HM Treasury continually monitors the levels of both household liabilities and assets, and the implications of these for the wider economy are examined as part of the pre-Budget report and Budget forecasting process.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of debt in the British economy; and if he will make a statement. [124180]
John Healey: HM Treasury continually monitors the levels of both household liabilities and assets, and the implications of these for the wider economy are examined as part of the pre-Budget report and Budget forecasting process.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of debt in the British economy; and if he will make a statement. [124503]
John Healey: Figures for the level of household debt are provided by the Bank of England, series LPMVTXC, and can be found on the Bank of England website, www.bankofengland.co.uk. The Government’s macroeconomic framework has delivered stability and rising prosperity. Sound domestic economic fundamentals have underpinned the growth in personal debt.
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