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30 Oct 2007 : Column 1319W—continued
Hong Kong: Politics and Government
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation his Department has undertaken with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in relation to the Chief Executive’s Green Paper on Constitutional Development, published in July 2007; and if he will make a statement. [159468]
David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Green Paper on Constitutional Development produced by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July; what Government policy is in regard to the proposals for China’s future role in Hong Kong’s constitutional affairs; and if he will make a statement. [159469]
David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Iran: Terrorism
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent conclusion by the Financial Action Task Force on the Islamic Republic of Iran's lack of comprehensive anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism regime represents a significant vulnerability within the international financial system; and what steps the UK will be advocating in this regard. [159560]
David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Iraq: Resettlement
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of cooperation between Government departments involved in offering assistance to Iraqi staff working and who have worked for the Government; and if he will make a statement. [159252]
David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what written guidance has been provided on the implementation of the Government’s policy of assistance to locally-employed Iraqi staff for British staff employed in the British embassies in (a) Iraq, (b) Egypt, (c) Iran, (d) Syria and (e) Lebanon; and if he will place copies in the Library. [159253]
David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Scotland
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any representation from the Scottish Executive on it being represented by Scottish Ministers on an observer basis at future Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty discussions. [161665]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received any such representations. Under the Scotland Act 1998, Foreign Affairs including International Relations, are a reserved matter. Defence is also a matter reserved by the Scotland Act. Scotland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Scotland is not eligible therefore for separate observer status.
Poland: Environment Protection
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2007, Official Report, columns 853-54W, on Poland: environment protection, whether the Government plan to make an intervention to the European Court of Justice in the case of the European Commission and Poland on the construction of the Augustow and Wasilkow road bypasses following the publications of details in the Commission’s Official Journal on 25 August. [161689]
Mr. Jim Murphy: On July 31 2007 the construction work of Via Baltica in Rospuda Valley was stopped. The outgoing Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Law and Justice Party, (Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc (PiS)) announced that work would continue on other sections of the planned route, without any damage to the whole investment.
The Polish Government still has to wait for the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) decision on the proposed route via Rospuda. It may take up to one and a half years as the ECJ has rejected Poland’s request to deal with the issue in an urgent six-month mode.
It is difficult to predict what may happen during this time following recent elections and the change of Prime Minister. Press reports suggest the new Government of Civic Platform may change the plans chosen by the PiS to avoid Natura 2000 areas in the Rospuda Valley. The decision is to be postponed until after social and environmental consultations.
Details about the case were published in the Official Journal on 25 August. The UK’s deadline for applying to intervene in order to submit a statement in intervention expired on 16 October. No Departments have expressed an interest in intervening in the case and therefore the Government do not currently plan to make an intervention in the case.
Serbia: International Whaling Commission
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10tOctober 2007, Official Report, column 677W, on Serbia: International Whaling Commission, what plans his Department has to seek to persuade (a) the Serbian government and (b) other European governments which are not yet members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to join the IWC and vote for whale conservation. [160657]
Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials have identified a number of European countries, including Serbia, as possible candidates for the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Our embassies in these countries lobbied their host countries prior to the 2007 annual meeting of the IWC; Serbia most recently in March 2007. Embassies in the region will be lobbying further before the next annual meeting of the IWC.
Sri Lanka: Immigration
John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Rule 39 applications were lodged with the European Court of Human Rights by Tamils facing removal from the UK to Sri Lanka in each month since October 2006. [161597]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold statistics for the number of Rule 39 applications lodged with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This is a matter for the Court. However, from October 2006 to 25 October 2007, the ECHR has notified the FCO of 38 Rule 39 indications, one each in April, and June 2007, followed by 12 in September, and 24 in October concerning Tamils facing removal from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka.
Sudan: Peacekeeping operations
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the recent report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the deployment of the African Union-United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [160613]
Meg Munn:
UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1769 requires the UN Secretary-General to report to the Security Council every 30 days on progress in deploying the African Union (AU)/UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). He issued his first report on 9 October. The report shows that the UN has made progress in generating troops and in pre-deployment preparations. However, the report also highlights shortfalls in generating helicopters and ground transport. We are supporting the Department of Peacekeeping Operations by lobbying countries with the capability to meet this shortfall to contribute to UNAMID. We also continue to press all sides to ensure UNAMID meets the deployment timetable set out in UNSCR 1769 by assuming authority from the AU Mission in Sudan no later than 31 December 2007,
with a view to achieving full operational capability and force strength as soon as possible thereafter.
Switzerland: Elections
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic initiatives he plans to take in response to the results of the Swiss elections. [161573]
Mr. Jim Murphy: No new diplomatic initiatives are planned. We enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship with the Swiss Government with regular exchanges at ministerial and official level.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Bankruptcy: Council Tax
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individual bankruptcy petitions were received by the official receivers where council tax arrears are mentioned as a significant reason in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [150891]
Mr. McFadden: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
British Telecom
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints Ofcom has received in the last 12 months from customers relating to contract cancellation fees levied by British Telecom in (a) the North West and (b) the UK. [156199]
Mr. Timms: 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. Member. Copies of the chief executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
British Telecom: Billing
Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to ensure that the recent decision by British Telecom to make additional charges for payment methods other than direct debit will not adversely and disproportionately affect low income and elderly people. [161664]
Mr. Timms: The increased charge for payment methods other than direct debit, does not apply to special tariff schemes for vulnerable customers provided by BT under the universal service obligation.
The independent regulator the Office of Communications (OFCOM) announced on 6 June that it would carry out a full review of communications providers' additional charges. OFCOM expects to
announce the conclusions of its review in the autumn and progress may be monitored on its website www.ofcom.org.uk
The review covers charges for non-direct debit payments, as well as other additional charges including late payment, restoration of service and early termination fees. It also covers fixed and mobile operators, and pay TV services. OFCOM is looking at the nature and level of charges levied by communications providers and how well signposted and transparent such charges are. It is investigating how far consumers are aware of additional charges, whether they are able and willing to shop around on the basis of core prices and additional charges rather than just core prices, and whether there are certain groups of consumers who are unable to do this and therefore may be disadvantaged.
On investigating this issue it became clear that it would be wrong to look at BT in isolation. More than 40 per cent. of homes are provided with telephony services by operators other than BT, and the differentials for payment by non-direct debit range from no extra charge to £15 a quarter. Some providers provide no payment option other than direct debit.
Citizen's Juries
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many citizens' juries were arranged for (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) his Department's and its predecessor's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each. [160020]
Mr. Timms: Data from 1997 are not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting costs for citizens' juries at a disproportionate cost.
Departments: Accountancy
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the (a) former and (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case. [160410]
Mr. Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Departments: Carbon Emissions
Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of his Department’s carbon dioxide emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when his Department started to offset those emissions; and what the cost is expected to be of offsetting his Department’s emissions in 2007-08. [161862]
Mr. Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Departments: Internet
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost (a) was of establishing and (b) has been of maintaining each site. [135739]
Mr. Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member before Prorogation.
Departments: Legislation
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Bills in policy areas for which his Department is responsible introduced in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses. [151835]
Mr. Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Bills introduced by his Department and its predecessors in the last five years did not contain sunset clauses; and if he will make a statement. [152489]
Mr. Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many regulations his Department has (a) brought forward and (b) revoked over the last 12 months. [158735]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 24 October 2007]: BERR is responsible for one Act of Parliament receiving Royal Assent in the last 12 months. The former DTI was responsible for two Acts of Parliament receiving Royal Assent within the last 12 months.
Data on Statutory Instruments are published by the Office of Public Sector Information. In the period 1 January 2006 to 30 June 2007, the former DTI was responsible for a total of 160 Statutory Instruments. Data for the period 1 July 2007 to date have not been published yet.
Many of these individual pieces of legislation will update, replace or revoke existing legislation either completely or in part. Detail at the level of individual pieces of legislation can only be produced at disproportionate cost.
The Government have committed to a 25 per cent. reduction in administrative burdens arising from regulation by 2010. In delivering this commitment, the Government are also repealing regulations where appropriate. BERR’s Simplification Plan 2007 will be published later this year.
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