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22 May 2007 : Column 1214W—continued


The latest prices, excluding bonus payments, for February 2007 shows a 0.6p per litre increase from February 2006. As bonus payments are often not paid until the end of the financial year, prices including bonus payments in 2006-07 are not directly comparable with those in previous years.

National Fruit Collection

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tenders it has received from third parties in relation to the contract to manage the National Fruit Collection; whether any of those parties' tenders would (a) break up and (b) relocate the collection from Brogdale; and if he will make a statement. [137424]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 16 May 2007]: The bids are currently being processed by DEFRA. Under competition rules it is not possible to comment on the content of any of the bids since to do so might prejudice the outcome of the process.

Rights of Way: Databases

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to establish a national dataset of (a) public rights of way and (b) tree preservation orders to assist cross-compliance enforcement. [137971]

Barry Gardiner: Local authorities have the primary role in providing information for both of these cross compliance requirements and take measures appropriate to their areas, making information available to, or receiving information from RPA if requested.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Ascension Island

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects the Island Council of Ascension to meet next. [138657]

Mr. McCartney: The Island Council (Ascension) Ordinance was suspended by the Governor in April when insufficient nominations were received for the election of an Island Council. The suspension will last for a period of approximately 12 months. In the interim period, the Governor will proceed with such legislative and policy decisions as he needs to take for good governance in Ascension, taking appropriate advice as required.

Ascension Island: Economic Situation

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of producing the 2005 Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Office's economic report on Ascension Island. [138658]

Mr. McCartney: The cost of producing the economic study by the Oxford Policy Management Group, which was completed in October 2005, was £35,766.98.

Ascension Island: Tourism

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many tourists visited Ascension Island in 2005-06. [138656]

Mr. McCartney: Entry to Ascension Island is regulated through an Entry Permit control system. With very few exceptions, every arrival needs an Entry Permit and this includes persons in transit, visitors of relatives or friends and ‘tourists’ as well as many of the people working and living on Ascension.

During 2005 and 2006 the number of persons transiting or categorised as tourists were:

Holiday Transit Total

2005

1,034

1,575

2,609

2006

1,068

1,776

2,844


22 May 2007 : Column 1215W

Burma: Nuclear Power

Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Russian Ambassador and (b) the Ambassador of Burma on the export of Russian nuclear technology to Burma; and if she will make a statement. [138437]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Russian Ambassador or the Burmese Ambassador about the export of Russian nuclear technology to Burma.

We are concerned by recent reports that Russia will be exporting nuclear technology to Burma and will be seeking clarification.

Any such export would need to be consistent with both parties’ relevant international obligations, including those under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). The International Atomic Energy Agency would need to be able to verify fulfilment of Burma’s obligations under the NPT, through the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement which Burma has signed with the Agency.

Cyprus

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will hold discussions with her Turkish counterpart and with the Turkish administration in Northern Cyprus on the full re-opening of Famagusta. [138316]

Mr. Hoon: Ministers and officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hold regular discussions with their Turkish counterparts and Turkish Cypriot community leaders on a range of issues relating to the current situation in Cyprus. Ultimately, we believe that the ongoing division of the island can only be resolved through a comprehensive settlement brokered by the UN. We continue to urge both sides to show the political will and flexibility to bridge the gap between words and deeds, and to engage constructively with the UN’s efforts to broker a comprehensive and durable settlement.

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) a Minister of her Department and (b) an official of the British high commission in Cyprus has visited the closed area of Famagusta. [138317]

Mr. Hoon: Our high commissioner in Nicosia and other officials have visited the closed area of Varosha. As far as we are aware, no Minister from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has visited Varosha.

Departments: Buildings

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department spent on staff offices in the UK in each of the last five years. [138173]


22 May 2007 : Column 1216W

Mr. Hoon: The amounts spent on rents, rates, utilities, maintenance and refurbishment by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on staff offices in the UK in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2005-06 are listed as follows:

£

2001-02

10,994,601

2002-03

13,149,036

2003-04

14,050,467

2004-05

15,966,480

2005-06

19,467,977


Departments: Correspondence

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what correspondence has been received by her Department from Mr. David Rose of Dublin. [138331]

Mr. McCartney: The Government have received substantial correspondence from Mr. David Rose over several years. To collate information on all correspondence received would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Manpower

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff funded by the public purse in her Department are classified as people without posts. [137702]

Mr. Hoon: There are 32 members of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who are currently available for work but not deployed. All staff in this position have access to vacancy information and are deployed whenever possible in temporary or project work.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what value of annual private finance initiative payments by her Department was classified as (a) identifiable and (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project. [137798]

Mr. Hoon: All payments made under private finance initiative (PFI) are identifiable. Prior to a PFI contract being signed the profile of unitary charge payments is agreed between the contractor and the public sector, subject to the operation of the payment mechanism.

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what value of annual private finance initiative (PFI) payments were (a) to repay capital and (b) expenditure on other parts of each PFI contract, broken down by project in each of the last five years. [137799]

Mr. Hoon: The following is an analysis of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s payments against private finance initiative contracts in the years indicated:


22 May 2007 : Column 1217W
£000
Global Telecommunications Berlin Embassy Service and interest costs Berlin Embassy Capital repayments

2005-06

26,924

5,711

342

2004-05

27,634

7,234

370

2003-04

22,146

4,477

400

2002-03

20,674

3,843

434

2001-02

15,991

3,800


The Global telecommunications payments are for a contract with Global Crossing for the provision of a world-wide telecommunications network for a term of 10 years from 10 May 2000, which is treated as an operating lease.

The Berlin Embassy payments are for a contract with Arteos for the building, operation and maintenance of our Embassy in Berlin, the value of which has been capitalised in our balance sheet.

EC Action: Adoption

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the recognition of adoption orders in the Council of Europe. [138328]

Mr. McCartney: A number of member states of the Council of Europe are contracting states to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The UK ratified the Hague Convention in 2003. The Hague Convention applies only to intercountry adoptions and requires all contracting states to recognise adoptions that are made in accordance with the convention.

In respect of adoptions to which the Hague Convention does not apply, or where a Council of Europe member state is not a party to the Hague Convention, it is a matter for individual Council of Europe member states whether to recognise adoptions made outside their jurisdiction.

The Council of Europe 1967 European Convention on the Adoption of Children aims to harmonise the laws in contracting states to promote the welfare of children who are adopted. However, the convention does not provide for international recognition of adoptions made in the UK, or in any other country. It is a matter for each contracting party to the convention to decide whether to recognise adoptions made outside its jurisdiction. The UK denounced the 1967 convention in respect of the metropolitan territory and the Isle of Man in 2005 and remains a party only in respect of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the recognition of British adoptions in other European Union countries. [138329]

Mr. McCartney: A number of member states of the EU are contracting states to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The UK ratified the Hague Convention in 2003. The Hague Convention applies
22 May 2007 : Column 1218W
only to intercountry adoptions and requires adoptions that are made in accordance with the convention to be recognised in all contracting states.

In respect of adoptions to which the Hague Convention does not apply, or where a EU member state is not a party to the Hague Convention, it is a matter for individual EU member states whether to recognise adoptions made outside their jurisdiction.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Government have made to the Council of Europe's ruling on case no. 5913/72, on recognition of adoptions. [138330]

Mr. McCartney: Case 5913/72 was brought against Ireland in 1972. The European Commission of Human Rights declared this case inadmissible on 18 December 1973. It is not for the Government to respond to cases relating to other Council of Europe member states.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Council of Europe about the recognition of British adoptions abroad. [138332]

Mr. McCartney: The Council of Europe 1967 European Convention on the Adoption of Children aims to harmonise the laws in contracting states to promote the welfare of children who are adopted. However, the Convention does not provide for international recognition of adoptions made in the UK, or in any other country. It is a matter for each contracting party to the Convention to decide whether to recognise adoptions made outside its jurisdiction. The UK denounced the 1967 Convention in respect of the metropolitan territory and the Isle of Man in 2005 and remains a party only in respect of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey.

The Government have not therefore made any representations to the Council of Europe about the recognition of British adoptions abroad.

A number of member states of the Council of Europe are contracting states to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The UK ratified the Hague Convention in 2003. The Hague Convention applies only to inter-country adoptions and requires all contracting states to recognise adoptions that are made in accordance with the Convention.

In respect of adoptions to which the Hague Convention does not apply, or where a Council of Europe member state is not a party to the Hague Convention, it is a matter for individual Council of Europe member states whether to recognise adoptions made outside their jurisdiction.


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