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12 Mar 2007 : Column 93Wcontinued
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has made to the United Nations on resolving the conflict in Sudan; and what estimate she has made of the impact this conflict has had on numbers of people seeking asylum from that country within the United Kingdom. [125845]
Mr. McCartney: The UK has played a leading role in negotiating all the UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) on Darfur.
Ministers and officials are in constant contact with the UN Secretariat about Darfur. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, visited New York on 21 February to press the UN for more rapid action on deployment of the African Union/UN hybrid force and for urgent action on the political process.
We believe that the next step is for the UN Security Council to impose tougher measures on the Government of Sudan and rebel groups in view of their failure to co-operate with the UN. We will be pressing the council for the extension of the existing arms embargo and for sanctions on more individuals in accordance with UNSCR 1591 (2005).
The numbers of Sudanese asylum applications received in the UK between 2004 and 2006 have dropped. The total number of applications, excluding dependants, at the height of the Darfur conflict in 2004 was 1,305; in 2005 the figure fell to 885; and in 2006 to 675. The 2005 and 2006 figures are provisional.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of Syrian co-operation with the International Independent Investigation Commission established pursuant to Security Council Resolutions 1559 (2005), 1636 (2005) and 1644 (2005). [124847]
Margaret Beckett: The International Independent Investigation Commission produces quarterly reports on the progress of the investigations including on how Syria is co-operating with the Commission. The most recent report, dated 12 December 2006, stated that the co-operation of Syria with the Commission was timely and efficient. Earlier reports had highlighted difficulties with Syrian co-operation.
The UK continues to insist on Syria's "full and unconditional" co-operation as called for in Security Council Resolution 1559.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 19 February 2007, Official Report, column 21W, on Timor-Leste, if she will urge the UN Secretary-General to place the final report from the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor on the agenda of a meeting of the Security Council. [125259]
Mr. McCartney: The CAVR Commission for Truth and Reconciliation was appointed by the then UN Transitional Administration in East Timor at the urging of the National Council of Timorese resistence, a representative East Timorese political body. Its report was delivered to East Timorese President Gusmao in October 2005, who subsequently presented its findings to the Timorese Parliament. The report has not yet been discussed by the East Timorese Parliament. However, in addressing the UN Security Council on 23 January 2006 President Gusmao expressed caution about the recommendations contained in the report, noting the need to achieve restorative justice rather than punitive justice and warning of the need to consolidate democracy in East Timor and Indonesia. In the absence of further interventions by the East Timorese Government and Parliament, we do not believe it will serve the interests of the people of East Timor for the United Kingdom to call for the report to be placed on the agenda of the UN Security Council at this stage.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will invite the President of Turkey to make a state visit to the UK. [126970]
Mr. Hoon: The Government have no current plans to invite the President of Turkey to make a state visit to the UK.
The UK values extremely highly our relationship with Turkey. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I all visited Turkey in 2006, and the Turkish Foreign Minister met my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I in London in July. Other ministerial bilaterals take place regularly.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking in relation to progress on Turkeys membership of the European Union. [126991]
Mr. Hoon: The Government strongly support Turkeys objective of EU accession and welcomed the agreement at the December 2006 General Affairs and External Relations Council that negotiations should continue. As well as working for sustained progress towards this goal, the Government are also providing practical assistance. Under the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Global Opportunities FundReuniting Europe programme, we funded projects valued at over £800,000 in 2006-07, including on political reform, the justice system and human rights.
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding her Department plans to allocate to support events undertaken together with the Congressional UK caucus in the United States. [126185]
Mr. McCartney: There are no plans to allocate funding on a formal basis. However, our embassy in Washington does, from time to time, host events in conjunction with the caucus on the occasion of ministerial or parliamentary visits.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints have been received by his Department since its establishment. [121707]
The Deputy Prime Minister: None.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff work in dedicated complaints units in his Department. [121709]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 4 December 2006, Official Report, column 109W.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many work permits were applied for by his Department since its inception. [126798]
The Deputy Prime Minister: None.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date he last attended the Policy Review Working Group on (a) Britain and the World, (b) Environment and Energy, (c) Public Services, (d) the Role of the State and (e) Crime and Security. [115393]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Details of the membership of Policy Review Working Groups and related Cabinet Committee business are available on the Cabinet Office website:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/secretariats/economic_ and_domestic/policy_review/index.asp
and copies have been placed in the Library for the reference of Members. There are no non-ministerial members of the working groups.
Further information about the deliberations of the working groups and the other work strands supporting the policy review, including the citizen's forums, have now been published on the Cabinet Office website:
and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
More detailed information relating to the proceedings of working groups, including when and how often they meet and who attends any particular meeting, is generally not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2007, Official Report, column 1009W, on 10 Downing street: repairs and maintenance, how much was spent on the refurbishment and maintenance of (a) the Downing street offices and (b) the 11 Downing street flat in each year since 1997-98. [124548]
Hilary Armstrong: The Downing street complex is maintained to standards appropriate to its Grade 1/2 listed status in consultation with English Heritage. In addition to providing office accommodation the building also fulfils an important representational role. For details of the total costs of refurbishment, maintenance and structural improvements between 2002-03 and 2004-5, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. Liddell-Grainger) on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2393W. The cost of refurbishment, maintenance and structural improvements for 2005-6 was £306,222. This expenditure was to maintain the fixed assets, plant and machinery, the fabric of the building, floors, walls and ceilings and the upkeep and repair of heritage assets, and to ensure a safe working environment for staff and visitors. For details of maintenance, decorating and otherwise improving 10 and 11 Downing street for before 2002-03, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr. Amess) on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 1937W.
For details of routine maintenance on the flat above 11 Downing street, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member on 19 December 2006, Official Report, column 1808W.
For details of expenditure on work to the flat above No. 11 Downing street in previous years, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 10 March 2006, Official Report, columns 1836-37W, and 11 October 2004, Official Report, column 54W.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether her Department provided funding for the parliamentary reception for the charity v in February 2007. [126592]
Edward Miliband: The parliamentary reception was hosted by my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Tom Levitt) in his role as chair of the All-Party Group on the Community and Voluntary Sector. The reception was funded by the charity from within their existing budgets.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will place in the Library a copy of the (a) presentation and (b) handouts produced for her Department's seminar on information sharing on 7 February 2007. [124350]
Hilary Armstrong: I will place in the Library copies of the presentations delivered to and circulated at The Power of Information seminar held on 7 February 2007 as part of the Policy Review work.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Wifi spectrum is planned to be auctioned; and which parts of spectrum will be available. [123000]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Gentleman. Copies of the Chief Executives letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to the public purse was of the event held at No. 11 Downing Street on 26 February for film makers. [125757]
John Healey: No cost was incurred.
Mr. Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's total expenditure on preparations for potential UK entry to the euro was in each year since 1997. [126766]
Ed Balls: Since December 1997, the Euro Preparations Unit in the Treasury has worked with stakeholders from across the economy to ensure that euro preparations are at an appropriate level. The costs of the Euro Preparations Unit are met from within the Treasury's departmental expenditure limit
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that could be created in the environmental technology sector in each of the next five years. [125935]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
The UK environmental goods and services industry is strong, well established and diverse, employing approximately 400,000 people in around 17,000 companies, with an estimated annual turnover of £25 billion. A joint DTI/Defra report published in November 2006 estimated that this turnover would increase to more than £34 billion by 2010 and £46 billion by 2015. Although the Government have not produced forecasts for employment in each of the next five years, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has estimated that over 100,000 new jobs could be created in the sector over the next 10 years.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to reply to the letter of 22 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss M. Griffin. [127279]
Dawn Primarolo: I have replied to my right hon. Friend.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the process was by which the Olympics budget as it appeared in the London 2012 Candidate File was agreed. [125377]
Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
Co-ordinated by London 2012 Ltd., the London 2012 Candidate File was agreed by Government and all other Olympic stakeholders including the Greater London Authority and the British Olympic Association in October 2004.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many economically inactive people of working age there were in the UK aged (a) 18 to 24, (b) 25 to 49 and (c) 50 years and over and were neither (i) disabled and (ii) a lone parent in each month since 1992. [125895]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 March 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking how many economically inactive people of working age there were in the UK who were aged (a) 18 to 24, (b) 25 to 49 and (c) over 50 years and over and were neither (i) disabled and (ii) a lone parent in each month since 1992. (125895)
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