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17 Nov 2008 : Column 196W—continued
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) governments of Arab states and (ii) the government of Israel to secure the release of the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by (A) Hamas and (B) Hezbollah in June and July 2006; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement. [214056]
Bill Rammell: We welcome the swift implementation of the agreement made on 1 July between the Israeli Government and Hezbollah, which ensured the return of the remains of Eldad Regev and Eldad Goldwasser who were kidnapped in July 2006.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East meet regularly with representatives from Arab states and Israel. We urge all parties to remain committed to the cease-fire and resolve all outstanding issues, including the return of Corporal Shalit.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the governments of Arab states and (b) the government of Israel on adherence by Hamas and Israel to the agreement on a six-month ceasefire; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement. [216198]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East regularly meet representatives from Arab States and Israel. We urge all parties to remain committed to the ceasefire, and to reinforce it by, on Israel's part, increasing the flow of goods through the crossings into Gaza, and for Arab states to press Hamas to reconcile with the Palestinian Authority and accept the Quartet principles. We have found broad support for the ceasefire and the relief it has brought to the people of Gaza and southern 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 on compliance by Hamas and Israel with the agreement for a six-month ceasefire; and if he will make a statement. [216200]
Gillian Merron:
During the last five months the Egyptian brokered ceasefire has brought relative calm for the
people of Gaza and southern Israel. The recent rocket attacks and Israeli incursions have fractured that calm. It is in both sides’ interests to seek to reinforce the ceasefire. We have not and do not intend to take measures at the UN on compliance, which is best discussed between Egypt and the parties.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written Ministerial Correction of 3 July 2008, Official Report, column 7MC, on the Middle East: peace negotiations, what the pay band is of the senior Civil Service equivalent who has been seconded to work in the right hon. Tony Blair’s office. [225096]
Gillian Merron: The pay band for the senior civil servant (pay band one) equivalent who is seconded to work in the right hon. Tony Blair’s office, ranges from £57,300 to £116,000. These figures are effective as of 1 April 2008.
Official Cars
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which make and model of car he has chosen as his Ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency. [217761]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July 2008, Official Report, column 414W.
Rackspace
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total value was of each contract awarded to Rackspace by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last nine years. [197505]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services have no record of any contracts being awarded to Rackspace since the introduction of PRISM, our financial and management information system in 2004-05.
Science: Manpower
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) scientists and (b) engineers are employed in scientific and engineering roles in his Department. [220331]
Gillian Merron:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) jointly fund the UK’s international Science and Innovation Network. The network has 94 staff (21 civil servants and 73 locally-recruited staff) and operates in 39 diplomatic missions in 24 countries overseas. Not everyone in the network is a professional scientist or engineer; but their remit is to help the Government achieve their aims in the field of science and innovation. It would incur disproportionate cost to
ascertain figures of how many staff in the network is a professional scientist or engineer.
FCO Services (a trading fund of the FCO) employs 319 engineers in engineering roles. In addition it currently employs 22 engineering apprentices.
Shares: Sales Methods
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on co-operation to tackle boiler room fraud with his counterparts in (a) the United States, (b) Ireland, (c) Hong Kong, (d) Singapore, (e) Gibraltar, (f) Canada, (g) Belize, (h) Nevis, (i) Cyprus, (j) Tanzania, (k) Lebanon, (l) Latvia and (m) Spain. [207271]
Gillian Merron: To date, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct discussions on boiler room fraud with the countries mentioned.
Somalia: International Assistance
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the effects of the Dutch government's withdrawal of military aid from Somalia. [222734]
Gillian Merron: We are not aware of any Dutch military aid programmes for Somalia but they are currently providing naval escorts for World Food Programme (WFP) shipments to Somalia. In September the EU established a small team to co-ordinate support to European shipping in the region. In addition plans are advanced for a wider EU operation that aims, with full co-operation and co-ordination with ongoing NATO and Combined Task Force 150 activity, to disrupt and deter pirate activity in the region: EU partners have accepted the UK's offer to lead this operation.
Somalia: Politics and Government
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's role was in negotiating the recent agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. [212288]
Gillian Merron: United Kingdom officials supported Ahmedou Ould Abdalla, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, who led the series of UN-sponsored talks in Djibouti. We welcome the peace agreement between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia on 9( )June. This is a positive step and we hope all parties will fulfil their 26 October commitment to implement a ceasefire from 5 November.
Special Representative on Climate Change
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities the Special Representative on Climate Change has undertaken since his appointment; what progress has been made towards meeting the objectives associated with the post; and if he will make a statement. [225007]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports the Government's goal of achieving an ambitious and equitable agreement in Copenhagen by building the necessary political conditions.
To do this, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has set the building of a high-growth, low-carbon global economy as a strategic priority for the FCO. The role of the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change is to help build the political conditions for the transition to a low-carbon economy. So far six targeted diplomatic campaigns have been established in support of this objective. My right hon. Friend The Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change is closely involved in the design and implementation of the campaigns and represents my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with key partners.
Progress has been made in building more favourable political conditions. For example, there is now much greater awareness among partner governments that a successful and rapid transition to low carbon is a requisite condition for security and prosperity; there is a stronger consensus in the EU that it should be an early mover in the transition; and momentum is building on the need for an the early deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage. In addition, progress is being made in building a conversation between the EU and China which looks at opportunities in the low carbon transition, and considers how the economic relationship between the two can help accelerate the transition. Building the necessary political conditions will be critical in ensuring a successful outcome at the UN conference in Copenhagen at the end of next year.
Syria: Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008, Official Report, column 1403W, on Syria: nuclear weapons, whether the government of Syria has provided full access to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to sites of concern in Syria; and when the IAEA Secretary General is expected to report the findings of his investigation. [207813]
David Miliband: The Deputy Director General of the IAEA, Olli Heinonen, visited Syria on 22-24 June to hold talks with the Syrian Government and investigate the Al Kibar site, where environmental samples were taken. The Syrian Government did not provide the IAEA with unfettered access to all the sites the Agency requested to inspect during that visit. We regret that a follow-up visit to Syria as requested by the IAEA has not taken place.
We understand that Dr. El Baradei, the IAEA Director General, intends to report formally on the matter at the next IAEA Board of Government from 27-28 November.
Taxis
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on taxis in the last financial year for which figures are available. [223032]
Gillian Merron: In the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO), and its agencies, have spent £547,094.40 on taxis in the last financial year. Taxi expenditure for the FCO's overseas posts is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Treaty of Lisbon
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty if another two EU countries announce their refusal to ratify. [218636]
Caroline Flint: Twenty-four member states have completed their parliamentary process to approve the Lisbon treaty. The UK ratified on 16 July, following Royal Assent to the EU (Amendment) Bill. The Irish Government have made clear to us their respect for the right of other countries to complete their ratification process. The Government do not comment on other member states’ ratification processes. We have made clear that ratification is going ahead because the Lisbon treaty represents a good deal for the UK and will make the EU operate in a more efficient and effective way.
USA: Internet
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the United States authorities to create a central list of internet service providers to assist arrangements for the speedy removal of websites containing images of child abuse. [189331]
Bill Rammell: The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) collates reports of child sexual abuse imagery, and works closely with US law enforcement and US internet service providers to close down sites in the US. The Government, and UK law enforcement agencies, work closely with their US counterparts to tackle online images of child sexual abuse. The UK and US also work together through the G8 and other fora to tackle this issue.
Zimbabwe: United Nations
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to secure agreement on the appointment of a UN envoy to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [204844]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister called for the UN Secretary General to appoint a formal UN envoy or mission to investigate the human rights situation in Zimbabwe in June when meeting President Bush. The UK also raised this at the UN Security Council on two occasions since 29 March and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed this with the UN Secretary General. We welcome the ongoing engagement of UN Assistant Secretary General Mekerios as the UN Secretary General's senior representative dealing with Zimbabwe.
Health
Arachnoiditis
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have arachnoiditis as a result of having previously undergone medical procedures involving Myodil. [235656]
Ann Keen: We have made no estimate.
Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts: Grants
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Association of Greater Manchester Primary Care Trusts has given to (a) the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisations, (b) Greater Manchester Voluntary Sector Support and (c) the Greater Manchester Voluntary Sector Learning Consortium in the last 24 months. [233235]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is the responsibility of local primary care trusts to determine how best to use the resources allocated to them to meet the health needs of their local populations.
Cancer: Health Services
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 900W, on cancer: health services, whether any areas are not covered by a cancer network. [235598]
Ann Keen: The whole of England is covered by one of 28 cancer networks. We cannot comment on behalf of the devolved Administrations for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Care Homes: Inspections
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) improvement plans, (b) warning letters, (c) statutory requirement notices, (d) changes to conditions of registration and (e) cancellations of registration were issued by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in each category of care in 2007-08. [232370]
Phil Hope: I am informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it is unable to provide information relating to warning letters or improvement plans, as these are held within individual service records and not specifically recorded in CSCI's central registration and inspection database.
CSCI is unable to specify the number of imposed changes to conditions of registration prior to 1 November 2007, as its previous database did not make the distinction between changes to registration made by the service provider and changes which had been imposed by CSCI. Between 1 November 2007 and 31 March 2008, there were six imposed changes to conditions of registration, all of which were related to care homes.
The following table shows numbers of statutory requirement notices issued and non-urgent and urgent cancellations of registration between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008.
| Type of service | Statutory requirement notices issued | Non-urgent cancellations of registration | Urgent cancellations of registration( 1) |
| (1) These are applications under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000, which provides a vehicle for making urgent or emergency applications in circumstances where CSCI staff consider that there is a serious risk to a person's life, health or well-being. There were 11 section 20 applications in 2007-08, of which nine resulted in a cancellation of registration. The remaining two relate to impositions of conditions. Source: CSCI registration and inspection database. | |||
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