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9 Mar 2009 : Column 40W—continued
Pension Credit
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pension credit claimants have been (a) overpaid and (b) underpaid (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times and (iv) four times or more since their claims began. [257204]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Published information on fraud and error in the benefit system is available for download from:
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to inform pensioners about the Government support to which they are entitled. [260801]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We are making every effort to ensure that people are aware of and claim their entitlement. The Pension, Disability and Carers Service will continue to promote take-up of benefits by those entitled through: data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, a simple claim process, targeted regional marketing and media campaigns and ever closer working with partner organisations.
Winter Fuel Payments: Kingston Upon Thames
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames (a) who reached the age of 80 in 2008 and (b) in total have not qualified for winter fuel payments because their birthday was later than 15 September 2008. [260684]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments of £250 are available to individuals who are aged 60 or over by the set qualifying week (15-21 September for winter 2008-09). Where an individual is aged 80 or over in this qualifying week, they may be eligible to receive an amount of £400 for 2008-09.
Information regarding the number of people in the boroughs of Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames who have not qualified for the higher
payment of £400 due to their 80th birthday being later than the week commencing 15 September, is not available. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 25 February 2009, Official Report, column 790W. This answer gives information about the position in Great Britain.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations from the Government of Pakistan on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles flying out of Afghanistan into Pakistani airspace to fire missiles at targets within Pakistan in the last 12 months. [259986]
Bill Rammell: The Government of Pakistan has raised the issue with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that allegations over US unmanned aerial vehicles flying in Pakistani airspace is a matter that should be discussed between the US and Pakistani Governments.
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who attended the London conference on combating anti-Semitism; if he will place in the Library the report produced by the conference; and if he will make a statement. [259055]
Gillian Merron: More than 200 overseas parliamentarians and experts attended the London Conference on combating anti-Semitism, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA) and co-hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We have asked the ICCA to place a copy of the final declaration in the House of Commons Library. The FCO was pleased to co-host the second day of this successful conference and looks forward to working with participants to take forward strategies to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what records his Department holds on reports of anti-Semitism in other countries; and if he will make a statement. [259057]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posts report on anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination overseas. Details of these are published in the FCO Annual Report on Human Rights. We condemn anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it occurs and are working with the International Coalition Combating Anti-Semitism to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism in the UK and overseas.
BBC World Service
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria were used to determine the specification of countries where there is an absence of free and independent media for the purposes of the 2007 Operational Agreement with the BBC World Service. [258926]
Caroline Flint: The Operating Agreement, which came into effect for the first time in 2007 following the establishment of the BBC Trust, is between the BBC World Service and the BBC Trust. It is not the document governing the relationship between the BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO was therefore not involved in deciding on criteria used to determine the specification of countries within this document.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the management of the BBC World Service on its features programming in its broadcasts across its vernacular services. [259752]
Caroline Flint: The content of programming is a decision for the BBC World Service as it has complete editorial independence. The BBC World Service updates the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on any significant changes to its features programming in the regular review meetings between the BBC World Service and the FCO.
British Overseas Territories: Conservation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to investigate the funding requirements for conservation and ecosystem management in the British Overseas Territories. [260708]
Gillian Merron: The Inter Departmental Ministerial Group on Biodiversity, attended by Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department for International Development Ministers, with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) observing, recently tasked the JNCC to produce a strategy paper for the Government's engagement on biodiversity issues in the overseas territories. The strategy paper will address funding requirements for conservation and ecosystem management in the overseas territories and will include a recommended multi-year programme of expenditure.
British Virgin Islands: Nature Conservation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what endangered flora and fauna are indigenous to the British Virgin Islands. [260714]
Gillian Merron: The International Union for Conservation of Nature red-list identifies the indigenous flora and fauna of the British Virgin Islands, listed in the following table, to be endangered.
| Scientific name | Common name |
|
Anegada Ground Iguana, Anegada Island Iguana, Anegada Rock Iguana | |
Burma: Ethnic Groups
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Burmese authorities on the treatment of the Karen people. [257095]
Bill Rammell: The regular reports of human rights abuses in Karen state, in particular in areas where conflict causes continuous fear and suffering, are deplorable and highlight the need for a comprehensive and just settlement of Burma’s ethnic conflicts that will support an enduring peace.
Our ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises with the Burmese regime the need for the full and fair participation of ethnic nationalities in the political process and for a fair peace settlement that would bring an end to the conflict. Our ambassador calls on the Burmese regime to work with the UN, including the International Labour Organisation and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, to investigate abuses. We also use every opportunity to raise the issue in the international arena, including the UN General Assembly.
A just and inclusive political settlement lies at the core of a prosperous and peaceful future for all the peoples of Burma and there can be little prospect of national reconciliation without genuine recognition of political, economic and social rights of ethnic minority groups, including the Karen.
Cayman Islands: Crimes of Violence
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what incidents of violent crime took place on the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years. [260709]
Gillian Merron: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has provided the following statistics on incidents of violent crime for the period 2005-08 (the RCIPS keeps statistics for four years only):
| Number | |
Cayman Islands: Drugs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to combat drug trafficking in the Cayman Islands. [260679]
Gillian Merron: There is a continued state of vigilance in the Cayman Islands, with increased co-operation and intelligence-sharing with regional police forces and security agencies in the US. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has enhanced its maritime assets with the procurement of a 65 foot all-purpose Defender patrol boat and two 38 foot fast interceptor vessels. A further 65 foot all-purpose vessel is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Cayman Islands: National Income
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Cayman Islands gross domestic product per capita was in each of the last five years. [260710]
Gillian Merron: The Cayman Islands Economics and Statistics Office has provided the following statistics on gross domestic product per capita for the period 2003-07, which are the most recent figures available:
| CI$ | |
The current £/CI$ exchange rate is 0.86.
Cayman Islands: Nature Conservation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what endangered species there are in the Cayman Islands; and what steps are being taken to promote conservation and preserve levels of biodiversity there. [260713]
Gillian Merron:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has identified the species listed in the following table, which are found in the Cayman Islands, as endangered species. The management and protection of the environment has been devolved to the individual Overseas Territories. However, we recognise that there are capacity limitations in the Overseas Territories and that they need help to address conservation issues. The Government support the Overseas Territories by
providing funding through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development funded programme, and through the Darwin Initiative, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs funded programme, to encourage the conservation and preservation of biodiversity in the Cayman Islands.
| Scientific names | Common names |
|
Cayman Island ground iguana, Grand Cayman blue iguana, Grand Cayman iguana | |
|
American mahogany, Cuban mahogany, small-leaved mahogany, West Indian mahogany |
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