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7 May 2008 : Column 930W—continued
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on publicity and advertising in 2007-08. [199031]
Mr. Woodward: The Department (excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs) has spent £477,176.88 on publicity and advertising in 2007-08.
Departmental Public Participation
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) surveys, (b) questionnaires and (c) other services were provided by polling companies for his Department in financial year 2007-08, broken down by company. [200011]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office and its Executive agencies conducted the following during the financial year 2007-08:
One survey using Millward Brown Ulster;
One survey and nine focus groups using SMR (Social and Market Research); and
One survey and three modules of a survey using NI Statistics and Research Agency.
House of Commons Commission
Parliament: Carbon Emissions
Justine Greening: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the Commission has made of the Parliamentary Estate’s carbon footprint in 2006-07. [202190]
Nick Harvey: The amount of absolute carbon being released into the atmosphere as a result of gas and electricity consumption on the Parliamentary Estate during 2006-07 was 4,015 tonnes. This figure was calculated from the monthly energy meter readings, with 10 per cent. of electricity consumption between April 2006 and January 2007 and 100 per cent. of electricity consumption between February and March 2007 derived from renewable sources.
The carbon emissions resulting from transportation have not been calculated so the direct/primary carbon footprint cannot be determined. The indirect/secondary carbon footprint cannot yet be determined either.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Clarence Mitchell
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Mr. Clarence Mitchell was seconded by his Department to act as an official spokesperson for the family of Madeleine McCann. [202007]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Clarence Mitchell was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from the Central Office of Information (COI), for a period of 25 days in May 2007 to provide assistance with the media to the family of Madeleine McCann. He resigned from the COI in September 2007.
Departmental Pensions
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the unfunded liability in present value terms of each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible; and on what assumptions for (a) discount and (b) longevity the estimate is based. [200691]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have responsibility for a departmental pension scheme. UK civil servants employed by the FCO belong to the central Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme (PCSPS). The PCSPS publishes details of its unfunded liability in its annual resource accounts, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the unfunded liability in present value terms was of each public sector pension scheme for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1990-91. [200692]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have responsibility for a departmental pension scheme. UK civil servants employed by the FCO are members of the central Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme (PCSPS). The PCSPS has published details of unfunded liabilities in present value terms in its annual resource accounts since 2000-2001. Because the assumptions underlying estimates of unfunded liabilities, for example life expectancy, vary, they are not directly comparable from year to year.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) rate and (b) cost was of employer contributions for each public sector pension scheme for which his Department has responsibility in each year since 1990-91; and if he will make a statement. [200693]
Dr. Howells: UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Schemes (PCSPS). The PCSPS has published details of employer contributions in its annual resource accounts every year since 2000-01. Copies of the PCSPS accounts are held in the Library of the House.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the effect on his Department's expenditure would be of increasing the employee contribution to each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible by 1 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [200694]
Dr. Howells: If the Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme were to raise the level of employee contributions to each of its schemes by 1 per cent. of salary, this would generate additional contributions equivalent to 4 per cent. of the total employer contributions made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the schemes. In theory therefore it might permit a 4 per cent. reduction in the Department's expenditure on pension contributions.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of the 10 highest paid members of staff in his Department and its executive agencies; and if he will make a statement. [200695]
Dr. Howells: The total cash equivalent transfer value of the public sector—Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme—pensions of the 10 staff with the highest salaries in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and its Executive Agencies, at 31 March 2008 was £11,795,588.
The FCO discloses the cash equivalent transfer value of the pensions of each executive member of the FCO Board of Management in the remuneration report contained in the Department's annual resource accounts.
Diego Garcia: Detainees
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1188W, on Diego Garcia: detainees, what steps he has taken in response to the allegations received by his Department concerning US ships; whether those allegations related to (a) the USS Bataan and (b) the USNS Stockholm; and what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on this matter. [201896]
Dr. Howells:
Our officials continue to work with their US counterparts on the details and implications of the new information passed to us on 15 February regarding two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary
wrote to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, further to his statement to the House of 21 February, to request clarification on a number of specific issues.
I can confirm that we are aware of non-governmental organisations' allegations relating to the USS Bataan and the USNS Stockholm.
Ethiopia: Qatar
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political implications of Ethiopia breaking off diplomatic relations with Qatar. [201918]
Dr. Howells: We do not assess there to be any significant political implications flowing from this action that will affect UK interests.
Gaza
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international status the Government ascribes to the Gaza Strip. [203698]
Dr. Howells: The Government continue to regard the Gaza Strip as occupied Palestinian territory.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to respond to the letter of 25 March 2008 from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding a constituent, Mr. Blackwood of Fraserburgh. [202219]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to the right hon. Member on 28 April.
Nuclear Disarmament
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken by the Government towards nuclear disarmament under the terms of Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [203958]
Dr. Howells: The UK is strongly committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and we are fulfilling all of our Treaty obligations, including those on disarmament under Article VI. We have reduced our nuclear platform to one delivery system, Trident, and have significantly reduced the operational status of that system. We have recently met our commitment to a further 20 per cent. reduction in the stockpile of operationally available warheads, contributing to a 75 per cent. reduction in the explosive power of the UK nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War.
In addition the UK is pursuing a programme to develop expertise in verifying the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons internationally. The aim of the study has been to examine and trial potential methodologies which could be used in a future multilateral nuclear disarmament regime. This work is continuing at the Atomic Weapons Establishment and will be presented to the 2008 NPT Preparatory Committee in Geneva.
Rendition
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the permissions system that operates on rendition flights through the UK; and if he will make a statement. [201951]
Dr. Howells: We would consider all the circumstances of a request for rendition through the UK or our overseas Territories and we would only grant permission if we were satisfied that it would accord with our domestic law and international obligations.
We continue to keep procedures under review to ensure that they meet the standards that we have set. Our officials are currently looking at the proposals of the all party parliamentary group on extraordinary rendition in light of the two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002. Once we have established more of the details and implications of these renditions we will take a decision on whether these proposals are necessary.
Somalia: Armed Conflict
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterparts on the recent violence in Mogadishu, Somalia. [202753]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his Ethiopian counterparts on the recent violence in Mogadishu.
However, our ambassador in Addis Ababa raised the recent violence in Somalia at senior levels of the Ethiopian Government. Our officials in London and at the UN have also raised this issue with their Ethiopian counterparts.
The Government maintains close contact with Ethiopia on Somalia and we continue to urge Ethiopian forces to show restraint, proportionality and respect for the local population in Somalia.
We are working with Ethiopia and our international partners to find a way for Ethiopia to withdraw as soon as possible, as Ethiopia has said is its intention, without allowing a security vacuum to emerge.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Ethiopian counterparts about the conduct of Ethiopian troops in Somalia; and what steps he is taking to support respect for human rights in Somalia. [202755]
Dr. Howells: My noble Friend the Lord Malloch-Brown raised the issue of human rights in Somalia with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in late January.
Our ambassador in Addis Ababa has raised respect for human rights in Somalia at senior levels of the Ethiopian government. Our officials in London and at the UN have also raised this issue with their Ethiopian counterparts.
The Government maintain close contact with Ethiopia on Somalia and we continue to urge Ethiopian forces to show restraint, proportionality and respect for the local population in Somalia.
The UK continually insists that human rights are fully respected by all parties in Somalia and has joined its international partners in clearly saying so in UN Security Council Resolutions, Communiqués of the Somalia International Contact Group and Resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council.
Insecurity in Somalia means that monitoring human rights and gathering reliable information is very difficult. However, if breaches of international human rights law are proved then we will condemn them unreservedly and expect those responsible to be held to account.
Somalia: Children
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to uphold the rights of children in captivity in Somalia. [202754]
Dr. Howells: The Government are committed to improving children's rights through access to education. In this respect, the Department for International Development (DFID) is already actively engaged in the education sector in Somalia.
The UK is committed to playing an active role in the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which includes a focus on children detained for alleged association with armed groups in violation of international standards. Somalia is one of the 18 situations of concern listed by the UN Secretary-General in his Seventh Report to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict. The work plans for this year include producing country reports and adopting conclusions on several countries including Somalia.
In recent years, the Government have funded the distribution of school textbooks through the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the establishment of an examination system in Somaliland with the Africa Educational Trust, as well as supporting basic primary education needs in the Hiraan region through Save the Children-UK. Last year DFID entered into a £6 million education partnership with the UN Children's Fund and UNESCO to strengthen access to basic education in Somalia.
South Africa: Chemical and Biological Warfare
Andrew Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2008, Official Report, columns 1707-8W, on South Africa: chemical and biological warfare, whether the investigation conducted into the allegations that UK Government officials and scientists had contact with or knowingly provided assistance to any South African chemical and biological weapons programme or persons involved in Project Coast considered the evidence to the Truth and Justice Commission that Wouter Basson used a house in the home counties of England to meet UK scientists and to circumvent the
sanctions regime against South Africa; and if he will make a statement. [192701]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 17 March 2008]: The investigation into allegations that the Government was involved in providing information to personnel connected to South Africa’s Chemical and Biological Weapons programme considered information from a variety of sources, including evidence given to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It was the policy of successive Governments from the mid 1970s to have no military cooperation with South Africa. There was no blanket ban on scientific contacts with South Africa during the apartheid period, though they were discouraged if they might contribute to the support or promotion of apartheid.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2008, Official Report, columns 1707-8W, on South Africa: chemical and biological warfare, between what dates the full investigations were held into the allegations of UK assistance to Project Coast or other South African chemical and biological weapons programme; and if he will make a statement. [192703]
Dr. Howells [ holding answer 17 March 2008]: UK investigations were initiated in 1998 and continued into 2001, following allegations made during hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the Government was involved in providing information to personnel connected to South Africa’s Project Coast. The investigations were thorough and included the relevant Government bodies. There was no evidence to suggest Government officials knowingly provided assistance to any South African Chemical and Biological Weapons programme.
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