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10 Mar 2008 : Column 98W—continued
Ministerial Policy Advisers: Resignations
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 147-50WS, how many of the special advisers in post on 22 November 2007 have since (a) resigned and (b) given notice of their intention to resign. [191041]
Edward Miliband: Since 2003, the Government have updated the names and numbers of special advisers by way of an annual statement. The Government intend to publish the statement for 2007-08 before the summer recess.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
1 Carlton Gardens
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 964W, on 1 Carlton Gardens, what the reasons were for the time taken by the right hon. Member for Derby South to vacate 1 Carlton Gardens after ceasing to be a Minister; [189579]
(2) whether the right hon. Member for Derby, South was charged (a) rent, (b) council tax and (c) utility bill costs whilst she occupied 1 Carlton Gardens after ceasing to be a Minister in June 2007. [189580]
Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) was given a reasonable amount of time to make arrangements to move to another property. During this period, she continued to pay tax on ancillary services associated with the flat, which are provided for use in the private part of the accommodation and which constitute a taxable benefit in kind.
Caribbean: Royal Visits
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UK Government officials will accompany HRH Prince of Wales during his visit to the Caribbean in March; and which of these will be accommodated on the Leander. [190922]
Meg Munn [holding answer 5 March 2008]: Staff from our high commissions in Port of Spain, Castries and Kingston and the Governor’s Office in Montserrat will participate in various engagements during the visit. None of them will be accommodated on the Leander.
Cuba
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings have taken place between representatives of the Government and the Cuban government in the last two years; and whether he plans to meet the new President of that country. [192607]
Meg Munn: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office meet regularly with their counterparts both in the Cuban Government in Havana and Cuban embassy in London. In addition my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, met Cuban Minister of Trade, Antonio Carricarte on 30 April 2007. I met with the Cuban Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation, headed by Jamie Crombert, on 13 November 2007. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister, Eumelio Caballero is due to visit the UK next month. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to meet the new Cuban President.
Departmental Cost Effectiveness
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made in its zero-based budget review under the Comprehensive Spending Review. [191489]
Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the Annex pertaining to my department in meeting the aspirations of the British people: the 2007 pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm 7227).
The conclusions of our zero based review informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) settlement, as part of which we identified scope to achieve £144 million of cash-releasing, sustained Value for Money savings in 2010-11.
We have published our Value for Money Delivery Agreement, which sets out how these gains will be achieved, and will report on progress in our Autumn Performance Report. The FCO’s CSR07 Value for Money Delivery Agreement has been published on our website:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/CSR07%20VfM%20 Delivery%20Agreement.pdf.
Departmental Equality
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty. [190673]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is fully committed to the Disability Equality Duty and the promotion of disability equality in the way it develops policy, employs staff and delivers services.
In the last year the FCO has made considerable progress in widening the scope and strengthening the effectiveness of its Disability Equality Scheme, in direct response to feedback and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including disabled people and the former Disability Rights Commission. A revised Disability Scheme and Action Plan will be published shortly.
The FCO recognises the need for strong and effective governance in this area and has mandated a senior level Steering Group, chaired by me as the FCO’s Equality Minister, to ensure the FCO is effective in meeting all of its obligations under the relevant public sector equality duties.
The FCO published its first Annual Review of Diversity in March 2008 and it summarises where we have made progress and where we need to further improve. A detailed update of progress against the Disability Equality Scheme and its associated Action Plan is planned for publication in April 2008.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's personal digital assistants have been (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was. [185275]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office devolves responsibility for the purchase and safekeeping of these items to its directorates and posts overseas. Consequently it is not possible to provide the details and outcome of every reported incident of loss or theft worldwide without incurring disproportionate cost.
Confirmed losses are subject to formal write-off procedures. There have been none in relation to personal digital assistants in the last five years.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) mobile telephones, (b) personal digital assistants and (c) laptop computers issued to departmental staff were reported (i) lost, (ii) missing and (iii) stolen in each year since 2001. [184327]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office devolves responsibility for the purchase and safekeeping of these items to its directorates and posts overseas. Consequently it is not possible to provide the details and outcome of every reported incident of loss or theft worldwide without incurring disproportionate cost.
A review of the arrangements for the purchase, management and disposal of laptops and other mobile devices is in progress, with a view to establishing what additional mechanisms should be implemented to enhance the central system of control.
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by his Department in each of the last three years. [191520]
Meg Munn: The number of people over the age of 55 who were recruited by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in each of the last three years is provided as follows:
| Number of recruits aged 55 and over | |
Departmental Plants
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years. [192058]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a number of contracts to supply and maintain pot plants on its home and overseas estate. Central records are not held and it would not be possible to obtain this information without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental Translation Services
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how much was spent on translation services for people in the UK who do not speak English by his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) to date in 2007-08; [187997]
(2) what documents his Department, associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies translate for people in the UK who do not speak English. [187998]
Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services: Translation and Interpreting receives from FCO customers virtually no requests to provide translation services aimed at people in the UK who do not speak English, other than the occasional public information notice. For example, in 2006, Consular Directorate commissioned the translation of a public information notice on child abduction in Pakistan. The spend with FCO Services: Translation and Interpreting by FCO customers on work of this kind is less than £1,000 per year.
Diego Garcia
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory last visited Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement. [191152]
David Miliband: The commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory visited Diego Garcia and the outer islands from 14 to 22 September 2006.
Diplomatic Service: Parliamentary Questions
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that parliamentary questions relating to specific countries are communicated for information to British diplomatic staff in those countries. [188146]
Meg Munn: British diplomatic staff serving in countries which are the subject of a parliamentary question are often involved in the drafting of answers to those questions. It has not, however, been standard practice to copy staff into parliamentary questions as a matter of course. We will amend our guidance to ensure that this practice is now in place.
Entry Clearances: Contracts
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether checks on applicants for UK visas are outsourced by UK consulates. [192455]
Meg Munn:
There are at present 106 visa application centres (VACs) in 49 countries which accept visa applications on behalf of visa sections overseas. These VACs are responsible for collecting biometric information along with the visa fees. They also provide advice on the application process, including whether or not all the
necessary documents have been provided. VACs take no part in the decision, whether to issue or refuse a visa, and carry out no formal checks on applicants.
Equatorial Guinea: Diplomatic Service
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will (a) put in place increased British consular resources in Equatorial Guinea and (b) establish a temporary consular office in Malabo. [190326]
Meg Munn: There are currently no plans to increase the level of UK consular resources in Equatorial Guinea or establish a temporary consular office in Malabo. UK diplomatic and consular representation for Equatorial Guinea is provided on a non-resident basis from our Missions in Nigeria, and we are confident that we can meet all the consular needs of British nationals within this arrangement.
Forced Marriage
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to record activities relating to suspected forced marriages in cases involving immigration; whether it is possible to identify people suspected of being involved in activities relating to forced marriage if they subsequently try to gain admission to the UK; and what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on this matter. [192000]
Meg Munn: The joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Home Office forced marriage unit offers assistance to reluctant sponsors. These are individuals who are forced into a marriage and then subsequently coerced into sponsoring a spouse visa. When contacted by a reluctant sponsor the unit liaises closely with the relevant overseas entry clearance officials to ensure they are aware of the full situation in regard to the sponsor. Post will then process the visa application according to the immigration rules. Where visas are refused details of the unsuccessful application are retained and referred to if the person applies for another visa at a later stage.
If a victim of forced marriage contacts the forced marriage unit after their spouse has entered the UK, the unit encourages the victim to write to the Border and Immigration Agency (as the agency responsible for processing any further applications for settlement) with full details of their reluctance to support any further applications.
Gujarat: Homicide
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether his Department has continued to offer the assistance of UK police in the investigation of the deaths of the two members of the family of Mr. Yusuf Dawood of Huntingdon in Gujarat in 2002; [192160]
(2) whether his Department is requesting further information on the progress of the case in India against the people accused of the deaths of the two members of Mr. Yusuf Dawood’s family in Gujarat in 2002. [192161]
Meg Munn [holding answer 6 March 2008]: In our regular contacts with the Indian authorities we have continued to offer the assistance of UK police in the investigation of the tragic deaths of two members of the Dawood family in the inter-communal riots in Gujurat in 2002. We have also asked to be kept updated on the progress of the case against those who have been arrested in connection with the incident. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East, raised both of these issues directly with the Indian authorities during his visit to India in May 2007. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, subsequently wrote to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in July 2007. Our deputy high commissioner in New Delhi followed this up during a call on the Ministry of External Affairs in August 2007 and wrote a further letter in November 2007. We have yet to receive any response from the Indian authorities to any of these letters but we will continue to press for one.
Iran: Israel
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take at the United Nations about derogatory statements made by the President of Iran about the State of Israel; and if he will make a statement. [190869]
Dr. Howells: The Government have consistently condemned the Iranian President’s inflammatory comments about the State of Israel and his offensive statements about the Holocaust. President Ahmadinejad’s approach towards Israel can only damage international confidence that Iran is willing to act as a respectable member of the international community.
Most recently, on 25 February, the EU presidency, with strong UK support, issued a statement condemning the recent anti-Israeli comments made by Iranian leaders. The statement called on Iran to refrain from all threats towards other states, to support the need for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the search for lasting peace between Iran and its neighbours. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary commented publicly:
“I have always said that Iran is a cultured and educated country with the potential to be a key player in a key region of the world. Foreign Minister Mottaki has written in the Guardian about his country’s commitments to stability. But recent appalling comments about Israel are a recipe for instability. On 31 January President Ahmadinejad said
‘the mighty hands of the Palestinian people will bring about annihilation of the Zionist regime’.
The Commander in Chief of the IRCG said:
‘In the near future we must see the annihilation of the cancerous tumour of the Israeli occupation by the mighty force of the Hezbollah Ummah fighters’.
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