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9 Mar 2009 : Column 45W—continued
China: Press Freedom
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he gave to designating (a) China and (b) Russia as countries where there is an absence of free and independent media for the purposes of his Department's 2007 operational agreement with the BBC World Service. [259367]
Caroline Flint: In the operating agreement, signed between the BBC World Service and BBC Trust (not an agreement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office), China and Russia are included as
‘developing markets in which the BBC World Service should provide international and regional news, complementing local broadcasters, targeting opinion formers and decision makers in English and local languages'.
The extent to which free and independent media exist in a country is always taken into consideration.
Departmental Absenteeism
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on (a) 2 February 2009 and (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days. [260581]
Gillian Merron: The number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff recorded as absent due to non-medical reasons on 2 and 3 February 2009 is as follows:
2 February 200—157 officers
3 February 2009—116 officers
These figures are for UK civil servants only and include staff on pre-approved annual leave, administrative leave and special paid leave. The figures exclude any
officers who were absent on the dates specified due to certified or uncertified sick leave, special unpaid leave or maternity leave.
In the event of adverse weather and disruption to transport, we expect staff to make every effort to attend their normal place of work where it is safe to do so (taking account of advice from the emergency services). When severe weather prevents staff travelling to work, we expect them to discuss the following options with their line managers:
working at another FCO site
working from home
if working flexi-time, recording some or all of the time as flexi leave
if not working flexi-time, making up the hours (e.g. staggered hours)
taking annual leave for the period of non-attendance.
Departmental Finance
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget for his Department's Tactical Delivery Fund is for 2008-09; what the proposed budget is for 2009-10; how many projects were supported by the fund in 2008-09; what type of projects may be financed through the fund; and which projects in the USA have been supported by the fund in 2008-09, broken down by (a) subject matter, (b) location and (c) cost. [259215]
Gillian Merron: The 2008-2009 budget for the Tactical Delivery Fund is £350,000. The budget for 2009-2010 has not yet been finalised. At the end of February 2009 23 projects have been supported by the fund in 2008-2009.
The Tactical Delivery Fund supports the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Strategic Objective “promoting a low carbon, high growth global economy.” Projects included funding or part funding visits by UK experts overseas and by overseas policy makers to the UK, reports, seminars and other small scale public diplomacy.
The Tactical Delivery Fund has not been used to fund projects in the US in 2008-09.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) from January to July 2008. [255497]
Gillian Merron: The available statistical information regarding freedom of information requests received by Departments can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to (a) the Royal Mail and (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [259961]
Gillian Merron: Of the 159,791 letters sent by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the last 12 months, 158,591 (99.25 per cent.) were given to the Royal Mail and 1,200 (0.75 per cent.) were given to another postal service supplier.
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East, (James Duddridge) of 6 October 2008, Official Report, columns 219-20W, on departmental public relations, in what area of work the external public relations firms were engaged; and for what reasons in-house communications staff were not used in each instance. [249382]
Gillian Merron: Public relations firms were engaged in providing professional services such as project implementation, engaging with local media contacts and providing local market expertise. These services are used to enhance existing resources.
Hill and Knowlton provide such services to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) across the Asia-Pacific region to promote the UK as an inward investment location. In the financial year 2007-08, UKTI calculated that for every £1 spent £8 in PR value was generated for the British economy.
Lexis Public Relations were used in the United States. These projects supported British business overseas in the US and established the UK as a high value destination for direct foreign investment.
Trimedia are a local Moroccan newspaper used to advertise a local job at our embassy in Rabat in 2006.
Departmental Travel Information
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how frequently his Department (a) reviews and (b) updates its travel advice to British citizens. [258495]
Gillian Merron: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice is reviewed on a monthly basis and is updated following any incident that might affect British nationals travelling or living in the affected area.
It is revised and re-issued at least every three months (or monthly for countries with travel warnings) and can be updated as often as necessary in a developing crisis.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the most recent version of his Department's euro changeover plan. [250596]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's euro conversion plan is dated November 2004. The most recent review was in April 2007.
The plan has been made available to members of the public in response to specific requests. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Foreign Policy
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009, Official Report, column 1527W, on international relations, for what reasons he did not provide the information requested in the question; and if he will now do so. [256447]
David Miliband: We are constantly expanding our dialogue on international institutions with a range of countries, not least because of the London summit. The original list of countries has been overtaken as part of our expanding dialogue.
Freedom of Information
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests to his Department have been refused on the ground of cost; and how many such refusals have subsequently been reversed following agreement that the person making the request meet those costs in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) up to July 2008. [256526]
Gillian Merron: Quarterly and annual statistics on Freedom of Information (FOI) are published by the Ministry of Justice on their website:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformation quarterly.htm.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) applied Section 12 of the FOI Act to 119 requests in 2006, 215 requests in 2007 and 93 requests between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2008 on grounds of cost.
No requests have been processed upon receipt of a payment for the costs. However, where a request is refused on grounds of cost, the FCO encourages requesters to refine their request so that a response could be provided within the cost limit.
Group of Twenty: London Summit
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has budgeted for hospitality to be provided to (a) Secretaries of State and Ministers, (b) civil servants, (c) special advisers, ( d) foreign heads of state and government and (e) ministers of foreign Governments at the G20 summit in London in April 2009. [259364]
Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to use stocks of (a) champagne, (b) white wine, (c) red wine, (d) beer and (e) spirits from the Government Wine Cellar for the G20 summit in London in April 2009. [259369]
Gillian Merron: Stocks from the Government Hospitality wine cellar will be used as part of the hospitality offered to visiting participants during the London Summit in April 2009. No decisions have yet been taken as to which items might be served.
Group of Twenty: London Summit
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which external consultancies his Department has engaged to advise on the G20 Summit in London in April 2009; and what the value of the contract is in each case. [258929]
Gillian Merron: External consultancies engaged to advise on the G20 in April 2009 are as follows:
Feltech/MRG, an event production company, has been hired to help stage the Summit. The contract is worth £5,941,597, excluding VAT.
Start Creative, an external design agency was procured via the Central Office of Information (COI). The contract is worth £40,550 excluding VAT but includes COI fees.
A Project Co-ordinator and two events delivery co-ordinators have been hired from PA Consulting. The predicted cost to 2 April 2009 is £194,750.
A content developer/writer has also been engaged via COI GovGap. The predicted cost to 2 April 2009 is £27,168.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on designing the logo for the G20 Summit in London in April 2009. [258930]
Gillian Merron: The development of the London Summit logo and the creation of the original globe image to overcome copyright issues cost £6,000.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the cost of (a) establishing and (b) operating the website www.londonsummit.gov.uk. [258932]
Gillian Merron: There was no additional cost establishing the London Summit website as it was built on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s existing web platform using existing staff resources.
The London Summit website is updated using existing staff resources seconded from other projects at no additional cost.
We have employed two moderating editors with a background in economics and journalism to assist us with generating and moderating content for the London Summit website. The cost of employing them until 2 April 2009 will be £51,318.75.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which foreign heads of state are expected to visit locations in Britain other than those of the G20 Summit in London in April 2009. [258935]
Gillian Merron: Heads of State have been invited primarily to attend the London Summit on 2 April 2009. President Calderon of Mexico will attend the London Summit during the Mexican State Visit. He is also due to visit Scotland as part of this visit. We are not aware of any other bilateral programmes being undertaken by London Summit participants outside of the Summit programme.
Mr. Hands:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of hospitality for the G20 Summit for (a) the Prime Minister, (b) Secretaries of State and
Ministers, (c) civil servants, (d) special advisers, (e) foreign heads of state and (f) ministers of foreign Governments. [258942]
Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what types of alcoholic drinks will be made available at the G20 Summit in London in April 2009; and what the budget is for each type of alcoholic drink. [259074]
Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of dinners for heads of state and government at the G20 summit in London in April 2009. [259141]
Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.
Guantanamo Bay: Detainees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has (a) received representations from and (b) held discussions with the Government of Ethiopia on the Guantanamo detainee Mr Binyam Mohamed; and if he will make a statement. [256953]
David Miliband: We have not received any representations from the Government of Ethiopia on Mr. Binyam Mohamed’s case. We informed the Government of Ethiopia in August 2007 of our decision to seek Mr. Mohamed’s release and return to the UK. We have sought to keep the Government of Ethiopia informed on developments in his case.
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