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6 May 2008 : Column 804W—continued
Pakistan: Nuclear Power
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan on A. Q. Khan. [201916]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the subject of A.Q. Khan with the new Pakistani Government during his recent visit on 20-21 April.
Piracy
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ministry of Defence on tackling piracy on the high seas, with particular reference to the potential for asylum being claimed by arrested pirates; what guidance his Department has issued as a result of those discussions; and if he will make a statement. [203579]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) contribute to wider Government work on piracy issues and incidents that specifically affect UK citizens or assets. The FCO does not lead within Government on asylum issues and as such the Department has issued no guidance to the MoD on this matter.
Simon Mann
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in the week beginning 5 May to monitor the (a) treatment and (b) risk of torture of Mr. Simon Mann in Black Beach Prison, Equatorial Guinea; and whether he has received reports on whether Mr. Mann is still being continuously shackled. [202156]
Dr. Howells
[holding answer 28 April 2008]: Our consul from the British deputy high commission in Lagos was refused consular access to Simon Mann
during his last visit to Equatorial Guinea in March. We have expressed our concern to the Equatorial Guinea authorities and are urgently seeking another consular visit. His welfare remains our primary concern.
Sudan: Armed Conflict
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the execution of the warrants from the International Criminal Court in relation to Darfur in respect of Ali Koshyb and Ahmed Harun. [202310]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 28 April 2008]: The UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005) referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK fully supports the ICC and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Sudan's compliance with the ICC with the ICC President Kirsch on 8 November 2007.
We remain gravely concerned that the two individuals, for whom the court has issued arrest warrants, remain at large. The UK continues to press the Government of Sudan, at all levels, to comply with ICC requirements. We have raised Sudanese compliance with the ICC with partners who have influence over the Government of Sudan and will continue to reinforce these concerns.
Taliban
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his recent comments in Pakistan, whether his officials are currently conducting talks with members of the Taliban or their associates in Afghanistan and Pakistan. [202645]
Dr. Howells: The Government support the approach of the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan in tackling Taliban and insurgent influence through a comprehensive method of addressing security, governance and development needs. We fully support President Karzai's efforts to bring disaffected Afghans into society's mainstream, providing they renounce violence and accept Afghanistan's constitution. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his recent visit to Pakistan, we support the Government of Pakistan's plans to reconcile with people who are willing to participate in normal politics in a non-violent way. Such reconciliation should be designed to marginalise those who are using extremist means for ideological reasons.
USA: Lebanon
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States government on the deployment of US Navy warships along the coast of Lebanon. [202374]
Dr. Howells: Our officials discuss UK and US policy in Lebanon with their American counterparts on a regular basis, including the deployment of US naval vessels off the coast of Lebanon.
Women and Equality
Departmental Responsibilities
Mrs. May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what work has been conducted by the Government Equalities Office on the Single Equalities Bill, excluding work conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Women's National Commission, and the former Equalities Commissions. [201425]
Barbara Follett: Officials have been developing policy in light of the consultation on the Equality Bill's proposals and the Government plans to issue a formal response to the consultation in due course.
Equal Opportunities: EU Law
Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the timetable is for the implementation of the EU Gender Directive; and if she will make a statement. [201035]
Barbara Follett: The EU Gender Directive was implemented on 6 April 2008 by the Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008. These regulations amended both the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government have taken to implement the EU Gender Directive. [201036]
Barbara Follett: The EU Gender Directive was implemented on 6 April 2008 by the Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008. These regulations amended both the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.
Work and Pensions
Bird and Bird
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts were awarded by his Department to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 2005; and what the (a) value and (b) duration of each such contract was. [201639]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has not awarded contracts to Bird and Bird solicitors since 2005.
Children: Day Care
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) pre-school age and (b) school-aged children in lower-income working families in England using formal child care in each year since 2004 as measured against the 2003-04 and 2004-05 averaged baseline; and what progress has been made towards meeting his Department’s public service agreement target. [200819]
Mr. Timms: The data requested are not available.
Information relating to what progress has been made towards meeting this public service agreement target is available in the departmental Autumn Performance Report 2007. This is available in the Library and can also be viewed at:
Figures showing progress towards public service agreement 3b will be available when the results of the 2007 Childcare Survey are published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families later this year.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date his Department published the Households Below Average Income annual statistics in each of the last six years; and on what date he plans to publish the statistics for 2006-07. [Official Report, 15 May 2008, Vol. 475, c. 10MC.][199528]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 21 April 2008]: The publication dates of the last six sets of households below average income statistics are given in the following table.
This year's statistics will be published in June. Publication has been delayed by additional validation and quality assurance checks of the data set. The date of publication has been announced on the National Statistics website, in line with the National Statistics Code of Practice.
| Households below average income publication | Publication date |
Employment
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the employment rate of (a) lone parents, (b) ethnic minorities, (c) people aged over 50, (d) the 15 per cent. of the population with the lowest qualifications and (e) those living in wards with a benefit claim rate of 25 per cent. or above and wards in the 10 local authority districts with the lowest employment rates which have benefit claim rates between 20 and 25 per cent. was in each year since 2004 as measured against the baseline figures used to assess progress towards public service agreement target 4; and what progress has been made towards meeting this target. [200821]
Mr. Timms: Available information on the employment rate of lone parents, ethnic minorities, older workers, people with the lowest qualifications and people living in deprived areas in each year since 2004 as measured against the baseline figures used to assess progress towards public service agreement target 4 is shown in the following table.
The baseline for the targets set in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2004 was Quarter 2 2005. The Quarter 2 2004 data were measured against a different baseline.
| Percentage | ||||
| Quarter 2 2004 | Quarter 2 2005 | Quarter 2 2006 | Quarter 2 2007 | |
| Notes: 1. The data are not seasonally adjusted so Q2 quarters are compared (as this is the baseline). 2. Quarter 2 2007 are the latest data available. 3. The data refer to Great Britain. 4. The PSA target covers people aged 50-69.. | ||||
Information relating to what progress has been made towards meeting this target is available in the departmental Autumn Performance Report 2007. This is available in the Library and can also be viewed at:
Incapacity Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) the Welfare Reform Act 2007 and (b) new guidance on the disability living allowance on the granting of benefits to people with myalgic encephalopathy. [201838]
Mr. Timms: The Welfare Reform Act 2007 contains provision for the creation of the new employment and support allowance. This will be supported by the new work capability assessment.
The work capability assessment will be a fair, robust and accurate assessment of limited capability for work which takes account of all conditions, including those that are long term and that fluctuate such as myalgic encephalopathy.
Employment and support allowance will replace incapacity benefits for new claimants from October 2008. No assessment of its impact can be made yet.
Updated medical guidance on myalgic encephalopathy for disability living allowance decision makers was published in July 2007. No assessment has been made of the impact of the guidance on entitlement to disability living allowance for people with myalgic encephalopathy.
Legal Profession
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Christine Lee and Co. solicitors, (b) Ward Hadaway solicitors, (c) Dean and Dean solicitors and (d) Lawford Kidd solicitors were in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [201635]
Mrs. McGuire: Information prior to 2005-06 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department for Work and Pensions has not awarded contracts to Christine Lee and Co. solicitors, Dean and Dean solicitors and Lawford Kidd solicitors in the last three years (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08).
Contracted expenditure with Ward Hadaway solicitors in each of the last three years was £28,520 in 2005-06, £5,979 in 2006-07 and £1,293 in 2007-08.
State Retirement Pensions
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the incremental cost would be of allowing all those entitled to national insurance pensions to receive the annual increase in those pensions irrespective of place of residence. [202709]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK state pension is uprated for UK pensioners living overseas where there is a reciprocal social security agreement or a legal requirement to do so.
The current estimate to bring all frozen rate UK state pensions up to the current rate is around £440 million and this would be an ongoing cost increasing year on year.
Source:
March 2007 retirement pension and widows benefit administrative data, 5 per cent. sample
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