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28 Jan 2008 : Column 49W—continued
Roads: Tolls
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make a statement on the application of tag and beacon technology in road pricing schemes. [181976]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 25 January 2008]: Experience in a number of road tolling schemes around the world shows how tag and beacon technology can be a cost-effective way of charging for road use. We are encouraging the further exploration of its potential, including in the local pricing schemes that are being considered by local authorities, as part of packages combining investment in transport and demand management that could be supported by the Transport Innovation Fund.
Transport: Costs
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost was of travelling a mile by (a) road, (b) rail and (c) air, expressed in (i) constant and (ii) current price in each year since 1997. [182337]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The estimated average cost to passengers of travelling a mile by car (and van) and rail in both constant and current prices in pence are given in the following table. Information on passenger costs per mile for air travel is not available centrally.
Vehicle Registration: Fines
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been raised in revenue by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency via fines for failing to notify change of vehicle ownership in the last two years; what the cost has been of taking such action; and if she will make a statement. [180595]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collected £1,103,000 from April 2005 to March 2006, £913,000 from April 2006 to March 2007 and £813,000 in the financial year to date (April 2007 to December 2007) in revenue from fines raised for failing to notify of a change of vehicle ownership.
This revenue is paid over directly to HM Treasury.
The DVLA for the first time began keeping a record of the estimated annual costs of taking action against failure to notify changes of vehicle ownership from April 2007. The estimated level of costs is £617,000 for the financial year April 2007 to March 2008.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Security
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the safety of departmental staff working in Afghanistan following the bombing of the Serena Hotel. [181227]
Dr. Howells: The safety of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff abroad is of paramount importance. Security of FCO personnel in Afghanistan is reviewed regularly and has been revisited since the attack on the Serena Hotel. We do not, however, comment on specific security arrangements at any mission overseas.
Burma: Politics and Government
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking in support of the United Nation Security Council’s call for greater dialogue between the military government and pro-democracy leaders in Burma. [182174]
Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have made clear to UN, EU and regional partners the UK’s support for the UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices mission to seek reconciliation in Burma. We support Aung San Suu Kyi’s call for ‘meaningful and time-bound’ dialogue between the regime and opposition and ethnic groups.
Burma: Sanctions
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are to increase the number of Burmese officials subject to the EU asset freeze and travel ban. [182198]
Meg Munn: The UK, with its EU partners, is considering a range of measures that could be implemented through the EU Common Position, should the Burmese regime fail to engage constructively with the UN or make significant progress towards political reform and genuine national reconciliation. Among the measures under consideration is an extension of the list of those covered by the asset freeze and visa ban under the Common Position.
18 more Burmese officials and 48 individuals who have benefited from the regime’s economic policies were added to the list in November 2007.
Children's Rights: EC Action
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on the rights of children and young people. [175664]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Treaty of Lisbon sets out for the first time in article 1.4 that the protection of children’s rights is one of the objectives of the EU:
“It (the EU) shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child.”
The Government support this reference which ensures that children’s rights are taken into account in the EU’s actions.
The treaty also recognises the importance of protecting children’s rights in its outward facing actions:
“In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall... contribute to... eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child....”.
Departmental Consultants
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultancy contracts his Department issued in each year since 2005; what the (a) value, (b) purpose and (c) contractor was in each case; and whether the consultant’s report is publicly available in each case. [181886]
Meg Munn: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Department’s annual reports, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The two most recent annual reports also contain details of expenditure on the top five consultancy suppliers. The vast majority of work undertaken for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by consultants is associated with its major Information Communication Technology and Estate construction programmes.
I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) on 6 December 2007, Official Report, column 1427W, and to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Murphy) gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 October 2007, Official Report, columns 542-43W.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 852W, on the departmental internet, what the grade is of the locally engaged commercial officer who works on the blogging platform. [182807]
Meg Munn: The officer is a grade one locally engaged commercial officer.
Departmental Telephone Services
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers are used by (a) his Department and (b) related departmental bodies for public access to services. [179200]
Meg Munn: There are two 0845 or similar cost telephone numbers in use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and related departmental bodies for public access to services. These are used for consular and visa enquiries.
Information relating to similar cost telephones at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Missions abroad is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Eritrea: Human Rights
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [181819]
Meg Munn: We monitor events in Eritrea closely and remain deeply concerned about Eritrea’s human rights record.
Our embassy in Asmara is aware of the detention without charge by the Eritrean Government of members of minority religious groups, journalists, leading political figures and members of civil society. This is unacceptable and contravenes international human rights agreements to which Eritrea is a party.
Our ambassador in Asmara raises these issues with the Eritrean Government at every suitable opportunity. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials do likewise with the Eritrean embassy in the UK.
We also raise our concerns on human rights through the EU. For example the EU lobbied Eritrea on the sixth anniversary of the detention in September 2001 of the G11, 11 members of the Eritrean political party who protested at the government’s direction in a letter to President Isaias, together with a number of journalists who were also detained at that time.
Following up on reports of human rights abuses is not easy in Eritrea. There are no independent local journalists. There are neither local nor international human rights non-governmental organisations operating in Eritrea. The police and security services are not willing to engage with embassies on these matters. Travel restrictions mean foreign diplomats may only leave Asmara with written permission.
We will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Eritrea, raising our concerns with the Eritrean Government whenever possible.
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the treatment of Christians in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [181820]
Meg Munn: We continue to be concerned by reports of detentions of members of minority Christian Churches. While Orthodox Christians, Catholics and the major Protestant Churches, who make up an estimated 40-50 per cent. of the population of Eritrea, are usually able to worship openly, some church activities can be restricted and members of smaller churches are not free to pursue their faith.
We will continue to urge the Government of Eritrea to allow all its citizens to worship as they wish, as set out in article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ethiopia: Somalia
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of relations between Somalia and Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement. [181902]
Meg Munn: The Transitional Federal government of Somalia and the Government of Ethiopia maintain close relations. There is currently an Ethiopian military presence in Somalia at the request of the Transitional Federal government.
European Commission
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what liaison work is undertaken between his Department and the political intelligence section of the European Commission in London; what meetings have taken place as part of that work in the last 12 months; what matters have been discussed at these meetings; and who participated in them. [180308]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials liaise regularly with the European Commission’s Delegation in London across the full range of EU issues.
Most recently I met the Head of the European Commission’s London Delegation, Mr. Reijo Kemppinen, on 15 January. The meeting focussed on the issues of climate change and forthcoming visits by senior Commission figures to the UK.
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