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26 Nov 2008 : Column 1740W—continued
Tourism: Coastal Areas
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were employed in the tourism sector in each principal seaside town in (a) 1978, (b) 1988, (c) 1998 and (d) the latest year for which figures are available. [238298]
Barbara Follett: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not centrally held. The most recently available figure for the number of people employed in the tourism sector in the UK is 1.4 million people in 2007. This information is based on labour force and work force surveys.
V: Burston-Marsteller
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what monetary payments v (a) has made and (b) is contracted to make to Burston-Marsteller; and for what purposes. [238780]
Kevin Brennan: v is an independent charity funded by the Office of the Third Sector through its strategic grant programme. Details of individual payments are a matter between v and the commercial supplier.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he plans to answer Question 231272 tabled on 23 October 2008, on assistant regional Ministers; and what the reasons are for the time taken to respond. [235634]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 13 November 2008]: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 24 November 2008.
Young People: Suffolk
Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many 16 to 18-year-olds there were in Suffolk in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what proportion were (a) in full-time work and (b) not in education, employment or training. [240005]
Kevin Brennan: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Academic Technology Approval Scheme
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department’s employees are assigned to issue academic technology approval scheme certificates. [238128]
Gillian Merron: Three members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Counter Proliferation Department work in the academic technology approval scheme team and are able to issue certificates.
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to Baroness Williams of Crosby of 28 April 2003, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA58, on Afghanistan: witness protection, for what reasons the assurances from the US Administration referred to in the answer were not included in his Department's response to the Freedom of Information request from the hon. Member for Chichester of 25 September 2008. [236480]
Bill Rammell: The assurances from the US included in the response to the hon. Member's Freedom of Information request were identified during the searches undertaken in pursuance of that request, and in particular were drawn from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's extensive work since February on the details and implications of the two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002. Unfortunately the PQ answer from 28 April 2003 the hon. Member refers to was not discovered during that process. Had it been, it would certainly have been disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act as part of the extensive list of assurances included in our letter of 2 September.
Since the Intelligence and Security Committee Report on Rendition in 2007, we have implemented a more robust system of record keeping.
Afghanistan: Elections
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government (a) have provided and (b) plan to provide with preparations for the 2009 elections in Afghanistan. [237241]
Bill Rammell: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is already playing a key role in preparing for the elections. Through the United Nations Development Programme it is co-ordinating the international community’s efforts to support the Afghan Independent Electoral Commission, which has lead responsibility for conducting voter registration and the elections in 2009 and 2010.
We are working with international partners and the Afghan Government to support upcoming Afghan elections and are determined that they will be a success. We have already contributed £6 million, as an initial contribution, to support voter registration, which began on 6 October 2008 and will finish early February 2009. So far, voter registration is progressing well. We continue to lobby other countries to provide financial support for the elections.
The security situation will present a considerable challenge and we are working closely through the international security assistance force to support Afghan-led security for the electoral process.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 877W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the detailed periodic assessment due to be completed by the end of 2008 when it has been completed; [236133]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent periodic assessment; [236150]
(3) when the formal review mechanism was introduced; and how many detailed periodic assessments have been completed under it. [236151]
Bill Rammell:
The Government’s Afghanistan Strategy was set out by the Prime Minister in December 2007. A formal review mechanism was initiated this year; the first detailed periodic assessment covering the preceding 12 month period will be completed by the end of 2008.
The nature of the material it contains may preclude the full assessment from being made public but the House will be informed of the implications of the assessment.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 878W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what arrangements have been made to include formal consultations with the Government of Afghanistan within the review of strategy in the region. [236521]
Bill Rammell: The US-led Central Command (CENTCOM) Assessment Team (CAT) will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the CENTCOM area of operations, drawing on US interagency and international partner expertise. The US has invited the UK and other nations to participate. The assessment will include visits by members of the CAT, including UK team members, to Afghanistan for consultation with the Government of Afghanistan and its officials.
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many quick impact projects of each type have been (a) appraised, (b) authorised and (c) completed in Helmand Province in each month of the last five years. [237306]
Bill Rammell: Quick impact projects (QIPs) began in Helmand in 2006. QIPs provide a visible impact allowing the Government of Afghanistan and the Civilian Military Mission in Helmand (CMMH) to deliver on promises to the people of Afghanistan, and create the environment for stabilisation development to follow. The CMMH has a robust system in place to identify, authorise and conduct QIPs. Potential QIPs can be identified by a range of actors such as the Afghan Government and local community, through surveys conducted by local or international non-governmental organisations, or by the CMMH.
We do not hold records of QIPs broken down by month. But in financial year 2006-07 there were 128 QIPs projects. In financial year 2007-08 there were 102 QIPs projects. In financial year 2008-09 to date, there have been 38 completed projects and 87 are still underway. Records are not kept of projects considered but not undertaken.
Completed UK QIPs in Helmand include: humanitarian assistance to drought victims, permanent vehicle checkpoints constructed to improve security, uniforms and IDs for the Afghan National Police, the provision of vehicles, infrastructure and training for the Governor's office, the reinforcement of river bank walls and flood defences in Lashkar Gah, and a new 20-bed hostel for midwifery students. QIPS have also started and had a positive impact in Gereshk and Sangin.
Afghanistan: Reconstruction
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answer of 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 627 to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire, on Afghanistan, what (a) political, (b) economic and (c) other initiatives following on from military action the Government have engaged upon in Afghanistan. [237122]
Bill Rammell: The international community and the UK's strategy for Afghanistan is to support its Government to deliver security, political, social and economic development. This is in line with the strategy set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House of Commons on 12 December 2007. We currently have over 150 staff in our embassy in Kabul and over 70 civilian experts in Helmand working alongside our military and inpartnership with the Afghans. More information on UK political initiatives in Afghanistan is given on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website
The UK is the second largest bilateral donor in Afghanistan. Since 2001, the UK has committed £1.65 billion to support reconstruction and development. Our development approach is nationwide and Afghan-led, supporting the Afghan National Development Strategy which was launched at the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan in Paris on 12 June 2008. Programmes focus on building effective state institutions and better governance; improving economic management; and improving livelihoods (particularly in rural areas). More information on development and economic initiatives can be found on the Department for International Development website
The UK is working with the Afghans and international partners to help establish democratically controlled Afghan security institutions. In particular we have provided a number of UK training teams to support development of the Afghan National Army (7 Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams currently 1st Battalion The Rifles), supported Non Commissioned Officer training in Kabul, trained Afghan cadets at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, provided two Ministry Of Defence civil servants to work on building the capacity of the Afghan Ministry of Defence; and we are supporting an Officer Candidate School, providing junior officer training in Kabul (based on the Sandhurst model). More information on other initiatives can be found at
Airports: Official Hospitality
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's arrangements are for receiving visiting VIPs at UK airports; and if he will make a statement. [225600]
David Miliband: On State Visits VIPs are greeted by a representative of Her Majesty The Queen. VIPs coming to the UK on an official visit as a guest of Her Majesty's Government are greeted by a representative of the Foreign Secretary. The Government meet the costs of these visits, including transport and VIP suites.
Arrangements for the many VIPs visiting the UK in other circumstances are handled by the relevant Embassy or High Commission.
Al Qaeda
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will enter into political dialogue with Al Qaeda; and if he will make a statement. [236469]
Bill Rammell: The UK is willing in principle to support efforts to engage with groups who renounce violence. However, we have no intention of entering into political dialogue with Al Qaeda (AQ). They remain actively engaged in extreme violence. Any form of political dialogue would lend completely unwarranted credibility to their claims that they represent in any way the interests of the world's Muslims.
Austria: Embassies
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the running cost of the British embassy in Vienna was in each of the last five years. [239364]
Caroline Flint: The total cost of our embassy in Vienna for each of the last five years have been:
| £ | |
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on alcoholic drinks for receptions at the British embassy in Vienna in each of the last five years. [239365]
Caroline Flint: Our embassy in Vienna does not have records of how much was spent on alcoholic drinks for events before 1 April 2007. The embassy spent £5,760 on alcoholic drinks for events during 2007-08 and £1,750 in the current financial year to 31 October 2008.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current monetary value of the (a) wine and (b) other alcohol held in storage by the British embassy in Vienna is. [239366]
Caroline Flint: The current monetary value of the wine and other alcohol held in storage by our embassy in Vienna on 24 November is £3,605 and £499 respectively.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many receptions were held at the British embassy in Vienna in each of the last five years; and how many of these were organised and funded by (a) trades unions, (b) charities, (c) businesses and (d) other types of organisation; and what income the embassy received from charges for the use of facilities for receptions in each of the last five years. [239367]
Caroline Flint:
673 events (lunches, dinners, teas and receptions) were held at the British embassy in Vienna between 1 January 2003 and 31 October 2008. 71 of these were funded by businesses. None were funded by trade unions, charities or other organisations. The charges received from businesses for the use of facilities for receptions are recovered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in Vienna and by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in London. Neither the FCO nor UKTI hold
consolidated figures that show the total amounts recovered from businesses for their use of facilities for receptions over the past five years.
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the British embassy in Vienna spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last five years. [239368]
Caroline Flint: We do not have the figures specifically for our embassy in Vienna. The combined spend of our embassy, the UK Delegation to the OSCE and the UK Mission to the United Nations on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the last five years was:
| £ | |
| (1) To 31 October 2008 | |
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the British embassy in Vienna spent on stationery in each of the last five years. [239369]
Caroline Flint: Our embassy in Vienna spent the following amounts on stationery in each of the last five years:
| Amount (£) | |
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