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11 Oct 2007 : Column 702W—continued
Democratic Republic of Congo: Primates
Mr. Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the fate of rare mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park. [156725]
Meg Munn: Officials from our Embassy in Kinshasa lobbied the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Government in August on their duty and international obligations to protect all their wildlife., including mountain gorillas. We have also reminded the DRC authorities that wildlife populations bring sustainable development and economic benefits, especially for establishing a viable tourist industry. My hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the hon. Member for South Dorset (Jim Knight) lobbied the Congolese Minister of the Environment on the need to protect vulnerable species during his visit to DRC in 2005.
We are urging the DRC Government to do more to control the activities of the militia groups that are reportedly killing wild animals including gorillas in eastern DRC. We will continue to monitor the situation and raise with the DRC Government their duty to protect all forms of wildlife.
Departments: Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on (a) staff and (b) communication training in the last 12 months. [153049]
Meg Munn: During the last 12 months £8,834,098 was spent by the human resources directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on staff training. These are direct training costs only.
Policy and technical training provided by other FCO Directorates, individual home departments and overseas posts has not been included because collating this information would incur disproportionate cost.
During the last 12 months £222,594 was spent by the human resources directorate on written and oral communications training.
This figure does not include media, press and public affairs training, for which a budget of £225,000 has been allocated for this financial year (FY) and approximately £200,000 was spent in FY 2006-07. Nor does it include training provided by individual overseas posts or home departments and directorates because collating this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Diego Garcia: Rendition
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government took in assessing the assurances of the US authorities over the non-use of Diego Garcia for the rendition of detainees suspected of involvement in terrorism, with reference to the answer of 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 2076W, on British Indian Ocean Territory; what contribution the UK made to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights reports on secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees involving Council of Europe member states; what steps the Government took to ascertain whether the (a) processing and (b) other administration relating to the rendition of detainees had been undertaken on Diego Garcia by US agencies; and if he will make a statement. [157081]
Meg Munn: Under the 1966 Exchange of Notes between the US and UK, of non-US and non-UK nationals who are not serving members of the US military cannot be detained without notification to the Government.
There is no US facility for foreign detainees on Diego Garcia. The only civilian detention centre is at the small UK-run police station.
The US authorities have repeatedly given us assurances that no detainees, prisoners of war or any other persons in this category are being held on Diego Garcia, or have at any time passed in transit through Diego Garcia or its territorial waters or airspace. This was most recently confirmed during the 2007 US/UK Political Military Talks held in Washington on 11 and 13 September.
The Government co-operated fully with the Council of Europe’s inquiry last year, together with an inquiry on similar issues by the European Parliament. At that time the Government explained that we had carried out extensive searches of official records and found no evidence of detainees being rendered through the UK, or Overseas Territories, since 1997, where there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of torture.
EU Reform Treaty
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that the Bill to give effect to the terms of the European Treaty will be drafted in such a way as to ensure that amendments requiring a referendum to be held before the enactment of the Bill are within the scope of the Bill. [157217]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him during Foreign and Commonwealth Office oral questions on 9 October 2007, Official Report, column 159.
European Commission: Information Officers
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers are employed by the European Commission. [154123]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold the information requested.
Further information may be available by contacting the European Commission’s Representation in the UK at the following address:
European Commission Representation in the UK
8 Storey’s Gate
London
SW1P 3AT
Malawi: Politics and Government
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what selection procedure was used to select the next High Commissioner to Malawi; and if he will make a statement. [156331]
Meg Munn: The right hon. Jack McConnell’s appointment by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister as the next high commissioner to Malawi is in line with the Government’s policy of recruiting appropriate skills and experience from all areas of public life. His experience and skills make him well qualified for the job.
There have been a number of such appointments made by successive Governments.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer the letter of 6 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr. M. K. J. Iqbal. [156908]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's ministerial support unit telephoned my right hon. Friend's office at the House on 20 August to request that his letter of 6 August be sent again, as the enclosures referred to in this letter were missing. A further letter was not received.
Officials from UKvisas subsequently telephoned my right hon. Friend's office on 9 October to confirm that Mr. M. K. J. Iqbal’s wife had successfully appealed
against her refused visa application, which was overturned on 20 September. It was agreed that a written reply would not be necessary.
Royal Visits
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what official visits are planned for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to countries where Her Majesty the Queen is Head of State in the next 12 months; what estimated proportion of the costs of each visit will be met from (a) United Kingdom funds and (b) host country funds; and if he will make a statement; [156850]
(2) what official visits are planned for Her Majesty the Queen to countries where Her Majesty is Head of State in the next 12 months; what estimated proportion of the costs of each visit will be met from (a) United Kingdom funds and (b) host country funds; and if he will make a statement. [156851]
Mr. Jim Murphy: It is not the practice to announce royal visits until they are firm and all parties concerned have agreed that they can proceed.
Health
Chlamydia Infection: Screening
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care trusts participated in the chlamydia screening programme in the most recent period for which figures are available; which primary care trusts are not participating in the programme; and if he will make a statement. [156810]
Dawn Primarolo: As of 30 June 2007, the screening programme has been successfully rolled out to 64 per cent. of primary care trusts (PCTs). The vast majority of the remaining PCTs have active plans in place and have started recruiting staff to begin screening by the end of December 2007. At the end of June, the PCTs that have not indicated a start date to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are given in the following list.
List of PCTs where plans to commence screening by the end of December 2007 have not been submitted to the HPA.
Devon
Havering
Hillingdon
Sandwell
Source:
National Chlamydia Screening programme as of 30 June 2007.
Doctors: Career Structure
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the (a) Library, (b) Vote Office and (c) post to the hon. Member for Worthing, West the full report, including annexes and appendices, of the 12 July final report of the Douglas review on doctors’ training posts and modernising medical careers. [157218]
Ann Keen: The report of the Douglas review on modernising medical careers including annexes and appendices was placed in the Library on 6 August. A copy was posted to the hon. Member for Worthing, West on 10 October 2007.
Further copies can be made available to hon. Members via the vote office.
Health Services: Overseas Visitors
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which 12 hospitals took part in the internal departmental report on overseas visitors completed in April 2005. [154972]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The national health service bodies that took part in the project which resulted in the internal report in question did so on the understanding that the document was an informal piece of work for the Department, and that their anonymity would be guaranteed. Several of the NHS trusts involved have specifically asked for that anonymity to be maintained. That being the case, it would be inappropriate to release details of any of the NHS bodies involved.
Influenza
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he has put in place to ensure NHS ambulance trusts can decontaminate their ambulances in the event of an influenza pandemic. [156777]
Dawn Primarolo: Standard infection control procedures are in place that follow current Ambulance Service Association guidelines for decontaminating ambulances, with stringent cleaning procedures between patients, such as washing and wiping down areas and surfaces within the ambulance that have been in contact with the patient with detergent or alcohol spray. Single-use equipment and clinical waste would be disposed of in accordance with current procedures.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Department's press release of 16 August 2007 entitled “Government announces advanced supply contracts for pandemic influenza vaccine”, how many doses of pandemic vaccine have been secured as part of the advanced supply contracts; and in which country the pandemic vaccines will be manufactured in the event of an influenza pandemic. [156781]
Dawn Primarolo: As announced by the Department on 16 August 2007, advanced supply contracts have been put in place with two companies, Baxter Healthcare and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The contracts allow the United Kingdom to purchase up to 120 million doses of pandemic specific vaccine should a pandemic occur. The exact number of doses will be determined by the strength of the virus and its impact on the population, which will only be known once the virus has emerged. Pandemic specific vaccines will be manufactured at Baxter Healthcare's facilities in Austria and the Czech Republic, and at GSK's site in Germany.
Influenza: Disease Control
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2007, Official Report, column 1332W, on influenza: disease control, on what date he plans to publish the national framework. [156748]
Dawn Primarolo: The national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic and the supporting guidance are due to be published in the autumn.
Home Department
Animal Experiments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to Andre Menache’s letters to her Department of 3 August and 23 August on the proposed experiments on the macaque monkey Felix at Oxford University. [156408]
Meg Hillier: A reply was sent to Mr. Menache by email on 19 September 2007.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons (a) the number of scientific procedures on living animals in 2006 recorded as being for the purpose of food additives rose by 368.4 per cent. on the previous year and (b) the number of procedures recorded as being for the purpose of other foodstuffs rose by 30.2 per cent. on the previous year; and if she will make a statement. [156409]
Meg Hillier: In 2005 the food additives tested were flavourings, colorants and plant extracts. In 2006 they included dietary supplements, stabilisers, sweeteners, colorants and flavouring agents. All of the work in both years was conducted to fulfil regulatory requirements. Changes from year to year depend on the requirements of industry and the regulators concerned with the safety of the products. All the “other foodstuff” testing in 2005 and 2006 was conducted to fulfil regulatory safety requirements mainly for marine biotoxins testing. Part of the increase in procedures in 2006 involved validation of a non-animal alternative for pre-screening for marine biotoxins testing as a result of which it is likely that live animal use for these purposes will begin to fall in 2007.
Domestic Violence: Entry Clearances
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of domestic violence have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected since the introduction of the domestic violence rule. [156818]
Mr. Byrne: Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on the grounds of domestic violence (DV) was brought within the rules on 18 December 2002. During the period 18 December 2002 to 30 September 2007 1,043(1) applications were granted and 2,101(1) refused.
Data are provisional management information (MI) produced by the Border and Immigration Agency. They are not National Statistics.
(1 )Data do not include dependants.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was for the final determination of immigration cases involving domestic violence at the most recent date for which figures are available. [156819]
Mr. Byrne: The average time for determination of applications for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) on the grounds of domestic violence (DV), decided between 18 December 2002 and 30 September 2007, was 61 days. This is provisional management information (MI) produced by the Border and Immigration Agency. It is not a National Statistic.
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