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25 Feb 2008 : Column 1140W—continued
UN World Conference Against Racism
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Libyan counterpart on Libya’s intentions in chairing the preparatory committee for the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. [188754]
Mr. Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this with his Libyan counterpart. UK officials in Geneva are engaged in talks with other delegations on the preparatory process.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has made to put anti-semitism on the main agenda of the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. [188755]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government believe that it is vital to avoid a repeat of the disgraceful anti-Semitism that occurred at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism.
We want the Durban Review Conference to assess how states have implemented the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme for Action. The agenda for the Conference is not yet clear. The UK was among a small number of countries that worked hard to ensure that the issue of anti-Semitism was included in the 2001 Declaration and Programme for Action. We will seek to ensure that anti-Semitism receives due attention at the Durban Review Conference.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Ministerial involvement is planned in the preparatory committee for the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. [188756]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The United Kingdom will be represented at the preparatory committee for the Durban Review Conference by our Mission to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva. There are no plans for Ministers to attend.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Canadian government on its decision not to attend the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. [188757]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been in discussions with their Canadian counterparts on the Durban Review Conference. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this with the Canadian Government.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with European Union Ministers on the preparations for the 2009 UN World Conference Against Racism. [188758]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Durban Review Conference has not yet been discussed at the level of European Union Foreign Ministers. It has, however, been a regular item on the agenda of meetings at official level.
Vietnam: Religious Freedom
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Vietnam on the treatment of the Underground Church in that country. [187430]
Meg Munn: Together with our EU partners, we regularly discuss human rights issues, including religious freedom, with the Vietnamese authorities. The biannual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue is the main forum for raising our concerns. Our ambassador in Hanoi attended the last dialogue, which was held in Hanoi on 19 December 2007. We also discuss the issues with the Government of Vietnam, both bilaterally and with our EU counterparts.
We are aware of reports of the continued harassment of some religious groups in some areas. We have urged the Vietnamese authorities to increase awareness and capacity among local authorities, to guarantee the right of all religious groups to practise their faith freely in the community through full implementation of the appropriate legislation, and to adhere to their international human rights obligations. Regulations, in force since 2004, establish criteria for the recognition of hitherto non-sanctioned religious groups.
I raised our concerns on human rights with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister at the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Singapore on 23 November 2007 and with the Deputy Foreign Minister during his visit to London on 29 November 2007. Additionally, I raised the issue with the Vietnamese ambassador on 9 October 2007.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Government of Vietnam on the imprisonment of church leaders in that country. [187431]
Meg Munn: We are concerned at the arrests and sentencing of a number of human rights defenders, including some campaigning for increased religious freedoms, in Vietnam and have made numerous representations to the Vietnamese authorities on the plight of these individuals.
We co-operate closely with our EU partners in Hanoi on human rights issues, including on the question of religious freedoms. The biannual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, which was established in 2003, is the main forum for raising our concerns. Our ambassador in Hanoi attended the most recent dialogue, which took place on 19 December 2007 in Hanoi.
I raised our concerns on human rights with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister at the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Singapore on 23 November 2007 and with the Deputy Foreign Minister during his visit to London on 29 November 2007. Additionally, I raised the issue with the Vietnamese ambassador on 9 October 2007.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in his Department's ministerial correspondence unit in each of the last five years; and how much it cost to run the unit, including utilities and other expenses, in each year. [187050]
Mr. Woodward: Although the Northern Ireland Office does not have a dedicated ministerial correspondence unit, there are staff within the Belfast and London private offices that act as correspondence clerks as part of their duties.
The measurement of the costs relating to the time spent completing correspondence duties could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Stationery
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on stationery in each of the last five years. [187057]
Mr. Woodward: The following table shows the amount the Northern Ireland Office, excluding its Agencies and non-departmental public bodies, has spent on stationery in each of the last five years.
| Financial year | Stationery costs (£) |
Departmental Temporary Employment
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by employment agency. [187795]
Mr. Woodward: The average hourly rate paid to employment agencies for agency staff used by the Department is not readily available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Historical Enquiries Team
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases the Historical Enquiries Team are investigating; and how many staff there are currently associated with the team. [187833]
Paul Goggins: The Historical Enquiries Team is to examine all deaths attributed to "The Troubles" from January 1969 to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998; this equates to 3,268 deaths which occurred in 2,516 incidents (an incident is described as a case). To date 1,039 cases have been allocated to the HET business process.
HET currently have a total of 175 staff.
Honours
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the senior civil service in his Department have received an honour. [187121]
Mr. Woodward: Four members of staff in the Northern Ireland Office have received an honour.
International Development
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior Civil Service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [187542]
Mr. Thomas: The total claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior civil servants in DFID in the last 12 months was £111,005.
This figure relates to claims made directly through our UK systems. It is not possible to include reimbursable costs claimed through our local accounting sections overseas without incurring disproportionate cost.
All reimbursable expenses are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries have been visited by officials from his Department in each year for which information is available. [187581]
Mr. Malik: A list of countries visited, for years which information is readily available, has been placed in the Library of the House. The data reflect all overseas visits for UK-based officials. It is not possible to provide information on visits carried out by staff based overseas other than visits back to the UK, without incurring a disproportionate cost.
Honours
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of the Senior Civil Service in his Department have received an honour. [187123]
Gillian Merron: Of the 96 senior civil servants currently employed by the Department for International Development, four have received an honours award.
Overseas Aid
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the compatibility of programmes funded by the European Commission on the Millennium Development Goals with (a) the Global Business Plan on MDGs 4 and 5 and (b) the International Health Partnership. [188720]
Mr. Thomas: Both the Global Business Plan on MDGs 4 and 5 and the International Health Partnership aim to deliver more effective aid in support of national health plans and priorities. The European Commission is a signatory to the IHP and the UK continues to work closely with the Commission in ensuring the aid it provides is consistent with these principles. The EC does not have specific MDG ‘programmes’. Our main interest with regard to their support for the MDGs is at the country level.
In 2007, the EC published the majority of its country strategy papers for the period to 2013. Many of these were completed before donors agreed the GBP and the IHP. DFID considered these CSPs against a range of criteria, including their adherence to the legal and policy base and alignment with the priorities of the partner country as set out in their national plans—this is in line with the principles of the IHP. Our assessment is that those which have so far been presented have generally met these criteria.
Senegal: Mauritania
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the UK plans to contribute to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ appeal for funds to help repatriate black Mauritanians who have been in exile in Senegal. [187405]
Gillian Merron: There are no plans to contribute to the appeal.
Scotland
Children: Poverty
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Third Report of the Scottish Affairs Committee Session 2007-08, on Child Poverty in Scotland, (HC 277); what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Report; and what steps his Department plans to take to implement recommendations set out in the Report. [187314]
David Cairns: The Government are considering the recommendations contained within the Committee’s report on Child Poverty in Scotland, and will respond in full in due course.
Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions are aware of the report, and my officials are in regular contact with counterparts in DWP who are contributing to the content of the Government response.
We will work with other Government Departments to implement any necessary actions identified in our response.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) alcohol and (b) entertaining in the last 12 months. [187956]
David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 October 2007, Official Report, column 1363W. The Scotland Office maintains records for expenditure on hospitality in each financial year but does not distinguish that part spent on alcohol.
Departmental Translation Services
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on translation services by his Department in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) in 2007-08 to date. [188001]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not separately record any costs associated with translations.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what documents his Department translates for people in the UK who do not speak English. [188002]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not offer translation services to the public.
Honours
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members of the senior Civil Service in his Department have received an honour. [187120]
David Cairns: No member of the senior civil service at the Scotland Office has received an honour.
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