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28 Jan 2009 : Column 599W—continued
C4 positions in Athens, Berlin (x2), Bratislava, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Kiev, Lisbon, Oslo, Prague, Sofia, The Hague, Warsaw.
C5 position in Berlin.
D6 positions in Berlin (x2), Bratislava, Budapest, Dublin, Ljubljana, Madrid, Paris (x4), Rome, Sarajevo, Vilnius.
D7 positions in Brussels and Bucharest.
SMS positions in Prague, Rome, The Hague and Warsaw.
SMS position in Canada.
D6 positions in the United States network (x2), Brasilia and Buenos Aires.
C5 positions in Antigua and the US network.
C4 positions in Brasilia, Mexico City, Guatemala and the US network.
B3 positions in Kingston and Canada.
A2 positions in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and the US network.
SMS, D6 (x2), C5, C4 (x4), B3 (x4), A2, Al positions in Sustainable Development and Business Group.
SMS, D7, C5, C4, B3, A2, Al positions in Science and Innovation Group.
B3 position in Climate Change and Energy Croup.
D6 (x4), C4, B3 (x2), Al positions in Drugs and International Crime Department.
D6 (x2), C4, A2 positions in Counter Terrorism Department.
B3 position in Counter Proliferation Department.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the planned allocative efficiencies for CSR07, set out in the Table of Value for Money Projects on page 26 of his Department’s Autumn 2008 Performance Report, will be achieved; and if he will provide a breakdown of the changes. [246265]
David Miliband: Allocative efficiencies in the comprehensive spending review value for money programme are generated when resources are reassigned from lower priority areas to release funding for reinvestment in higher priority areas.
We aim to provide a full breakdown, of all allocative efficiencies achieved in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2009 departmental report.
Departmental Travel
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years. [251877]
Gillian Merron: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) are responsible for providing ministerial transport in line with the ministerial code. The GCDA service is provided at a standard monthly charge during working hours and no additional cost would usually be incurred for transporting Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises.
Information on the expenditure incurred for ministerial transport by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each of the last five financial years were given in a written answer by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 30 June 2008, Official Report, columns 578-80W, and in a written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 22 July 2008, Official Report, columns 116-18WS.
Departmental Working Hours
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement. [252029]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office gives managers authority to allow their staff to take time off in lieu as an alternative to payment for overtime, by mutual agreement, when they are required to work outside contracted hours.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available. [252030]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not maintain a central record of the number of days taken off in lieu by its staff serving in either of these categories in the United Kingdom or overseas. Time off in lieu is authorised and managed locally by line managers.
Diplomatic Service: Education
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1272-3W, on ambassadors (education), where his Department's assessment development centres are located. [244248]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds its assessment centres at Wiston House, Wilton Park, Steyning, West Sussex.
Wilton Park is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office executive agency.
Diplomatic Services: Equality
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ambassadors and high commissioners are (a) male and (b) female and identify themselves as (i) white and (ii) from another ethnic group. [251312]
Gillian Merron: UK heads of mission overseas are designated high commissioner when accredited to a Commonwealth state, and ambassador when accredited to a foreign state. In dependent territories they serve as governors.
28 out of 193 staff currently serving as UK heads of mission overseas are female.
Five UK heads of mission have recorded that they are from a non-white British ethnic minority, and five opted not to declare their ethnicity.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to increasing the diversity of its work force at all levels, including its senior representatives. Our objective is both to reflect the diversity of modern Britain at home and overseas and to promote equality and harness different approaches and perspectives.
Faroe Islands: Whales
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to hold discussions with Faroese representatives on the recent slaughter of whales in the Faroe Islands; and if he will make a statement. [244053]
Gillian Merron: The UK recognises with deep concern that these actions still occur in Faroese waters and we regularly raise the matter with Denmark at the International Whaling Commission.
The UK will continue to be extremely critical of these small cetacean (dolphin and porpoise) hunts because of their limited regulation, cruelty and unsustainable numbers taken.
All cetaceans are protected in EU waters under the Habitats Directive and no EU country hunts small or large cetaceans. We would like to see the Faroese observe this and other EU conservation directives in their efforts to seek greater integration and co-operation with the EU.
Gaza: Overseas Visitors
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government are assisted in the repatriation of any UK citizens from Gaza during the conflict in the region. [248107]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 19 January 2009]: We are providing consular assistance to all British nationals in Gaza who require it. In view of the particular circumstances in Gaza, this includes those with dual UK/Palestinian nationality. So far 11 individuals have requested permission to leave, which we are arranging to facilitate.
As elsewhere in the world, we will provide consular assistance to EU and in certain circumstances to Commonwealth nationals whose countries do not have diplomatic representation. Currently three persons have requested assistance to leave, which we are facilitating.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals working for private military security companies registered in the UK have been killed on duty in Iraq since 2003. [243110]
Bill Rammell: The Government do not maintain figures detailing the number of fatalities or casualties of the employees working for private military security companies in Iraq, be they registered in the UK or elsewhere. We could find no collation of this information held by other bodies or organisations.
Iraq: Weapons
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 883W, on Iraq: weapons, what reports he has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency of its discussions with the orginators of the intelligence. [244151]
Bill Rammell:
As I said in my answer to my hon. Friend on 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 883W, we understand that the originators of the intelligence discussed the issue with the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), but have not received any further reports on this matter. Intelligence is exchanged on a
confidential basis and we would not expect the IAEA to discuss with us such information it had received from a third country.
Languages
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 9 July 2008, Official Report, column 1660W, on languages, how much has been paid in the current financial year to each of the 15 foreign language training providers who have a framework agreement with his Department. [240671]
David Miliband: The following table provides these details.
| Foreign language training provider | |
| £ | |
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budget allocation his Department has made for the services of foreign language training providers in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [240835]
David Miliband: The budget allocation for 2008-09 for provision of language training was £4.29 million. The budget for 2009-10 has not yet been allocated.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) the UK and (b) other countries through the UN (i) have organised and (ii) plan to organise medical aid to assist Israeli casualties following rocket attacks from Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [247983]
Bill Rammell: Israel has reported 13 casualties as a result of the current violence in Gaza only four of them civilians. The Israeli Government have made no request to the international community for medical aid as a result of rocket attacks from Gaza. The UK has been clear in its call for an immediate and durable ceasefire to bring the violence to an end.
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 discrimination against Jewish communities in Arab states; and if he will make a statement. [247986]
Bill Rammell: The UK condemns any discrimination against religious communities and minorities including Jewish communities. We consistently raise human rights in discussions at the UN and directly with Arab states, Israel and other states at all levels.
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) Arab states and (ii) the government of Israel on discrimination against Jewish communities in Arab states; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement. [247987]
Bill Rammell: The UK condemns any discrimination against religious communities and minorities including Jewish communities. We consistently raise human rights in discussions with Arab states, Israel and other states at all levels.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to allow the sale of arms to Israel; and if he will make a statement. [247988]
Bill Rammell: The policy is absolutely clear: where there is a clear risk of shipments of exports being used either for internal repression or for external aggression the export licence is not granted.
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 the rights of Jewish refugees from Arab states; and if he will make a statement. [247989]
Bill Rammell: We have taken no such steps and have no plans do to so.
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