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12 Jun 2009 : Column 1016W—continued
Both the FCO and FCO Services recognise the importance of paying suppliers promptly, and ensure that valid invoices are paid as soon as possible.
Departmental Marketing
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in weekly and regional newspapers in each of the last five years. [277156]
Chris Bryant: Consular communications in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advertised in weekly and regional newspapers as part of its ongoing travel safety campaign for British nationals between April 2005 and March 2009.
These advertorials were placed as part of a targeted and multimedia campaign. Where possible the campaign concentrated on editorial coverage; where advertorial space was bought it was part of a negotiated package and was usually below the standard cost.
Prior to 2007-08 no funds were spent on advertising in weekly and regional newspapers (in this area).
| Total spend (£) | |
Human resources directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advertises in weekly and regional newspapers for recruitment purposes.
| Total spend (£) | |
| Note: Figures are not available for the financial year 2005-06. | |
The large reduction in advertising costs over the period for which figures are available is due to a large increase in the use of internet advertising, together with a large reduction in the number of recruitment campaigns from 2006-07 to the present financial year.
Diplomatic Service
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many consular staff his Department employs in each of its embassies in Africa. [279035]
Chris Bryant: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff carrying out consular activities in Africa is 114. About 80 per cent. of these staff are locally hired, the remainder being diplomatic service officers. The following list provides the details by post within Africa.
| Post name | Consular FTE |
Election Observers
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to send election observers to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation missions in (a) Bulgaria and (b) Kyrgyzstan. [278796]
Chris Bryant: We plan to send election observers to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation missions in Kyrgyzstan on 23 July 2009.
We do not usually send OSCE observers to elections in EU countries.
European Court of Justice
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of changes in Government policy or practice necessitated by judgments made in the European Court of Justice since 2005. [277112]
Chris Bryant: Any change to Government policy or practice, resulting from judgments made in the European Courts, would be the responsibility of the Government Department concerned. No estimate has been made as to the total cost across Government of amending policy or practice due to European Court judgments.
North Korea
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which luxury goods may not be exported to North Korea under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006). [278631]
David Miliband: UN Security Council Resolution 1718 decided that all UN Member States shall prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of luxury goods. The Resolution did not specify which items were defined as luxury goods. Council Regulation 329/2007 defined those goods for the purposes of EU implementation. The list is available in Annex III of Council Regulation (EC) No. 329/2007.
Poland: Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on anti-Semitism in Poland; and if he will make a statement. [278236]
Chris Bryant: Our embassy in Warsaw is in touch with non-governmental organisations and relevant Polish Government representatives that deal with and monitor anti-Semitism. A lot of work has been done since 1988 to improve understanding and bring about reconciliation. The Polish Government have recently highlighted some of their initiatives in their interim report, responding to a 2007 memorandum, to the Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights. This can be found on the Commissioner’s website:
http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/News/2009/090420 PolandReport_en.asp.
The Polish Government are also very supportive of the Museum of the History of the Polish Jews which is due to open in 2011 and of which President Kaczynski is patron.
South America: Embassies
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many consular staff his Department employs in other of its embassies in South America. [279732]
Chris Bryant: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff carrying out consular activities in South America is 29.2. About 80 per cent. of these staff are locally hired, the remainder being diplomatic service officers. The following list provides the details by post within South America.
| Post name | Consular FTE |
Health
Arthritis: Health Services
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to provide patients with rheumatoid arthritis with (a) an effective treatment pathway and (b) an individual care management plan. [278930]
Ann Keen: The Department has developed in partnership with a wide group of stakeholders an 18 weeks commissioning pathway for inflammatory arthritis. The pathway describes an ideal treatment pathway meeting all best practice guidance and recommends the use of individual care management plans for patients with this condition. The pathway will be published on 12 June 2009 on the 18 week website. The Department has also made a commitment in “High Quality Care for All”, the final report of the NHS Next Stage Review that everyone with a long term condition will be offered a personalised care plan by 2010.
Burns: Liverpool
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the recommendation put forward by the National Burns Network Board for the treatment of (a) adult and (b) paediatric burns patients in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement; [279637]
(2) what his latest assessment is of the standards of care for (a) adult and (b) paediatric burns patients in Liverpool. [279638]
Ann Keen: The Northern Burns Care Network has developed proposals for the future configuration of supra-regional burns care adult and paediatric centres, for the treatment of the most serious and highly complex patients. This included an extensive process of engagement and involvement of users/carers, clinicians, and overview and scrutiny committee representatives across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber and North Wales.
The recommendations from these proposals will be considered over the next six weeks by the strategic health authority assurance review team, a workshop of Overview and Scrutiny Committees, the National Burns Care Group and the National Specialised Commissioning Group. In the light of advice from these fora, local commissioners will then take decisions about this phase of the response to the National Burn Care Review.
For the whole of the northern network, the total number of very severe burns patients is estimated to be 11-22 children and 45-55 adults per annum. Based on the recommended configuration being considered for supra-regional centres, the potential number of such patients requiring transfer from Liverpool hospitals
would be approximately three children and eight adults per annum. Any patients treated within these services will be transferred back to their local ‘regional burn care’ centres once they are well enough to continue their rehabilitation and long-term care.
The National Burn Care Group has developed clinically-led standards for specialised burn care based on the National Burn Care Review. Currently, no hospitals in the northern network meet the new burns care standards for Supra-Regional Centres. The new proposals are an initial step towards achieving these standards. In addition, support from the Northern Burn Care Network will continue to be given to upgrade the facilities of Regional Burn Care Centres across the network and also to strengthen the Regional Centres to enable them to give improved support to patients currently treated for more minor burn injuries in primary care and district general hospitals.
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