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27 Oct 2009 : Column 251W—continued
The table below also includes the projected number of live births in each strategic health authority in the year to mid-2009 and mid-2010. These data are taken from the 2006-based Subnational Population Projections published on 12 June 2008, and are the most recent subnational projections available. These are demographic trend-based projections that indicate what the number of births is likely to be if recently observed trends in fertility, mortality and migration were to continue.
| Live births, England and strategic health authorities | |||
| Number | |||
| Live births( 1) in 2008 | Live births Year to mid-2009 | Live births Year to mid-2010 | |
| (1) Live births by area of usual residence of mother. | |||
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) which companies are under contract to her Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires; [296179]
(2) which companies are under contract to No. 10 Downing Street to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires. [296095]
Angela E. Smith: The Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The vast majority of mail services for the Cabinet Office (including the Prime Minister's Office and the Emergency Planning College (EPC) in York) are provided by Royal Mail.
Lone Parents: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate she has made of the number of single parent families in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London Borough of Bexley and (c) Greater London. [295561]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question, what recent estimate has made of the number of single parent families in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London Borough of Bexley and (c) Greater London. (295561)
The number and type of families in the UK has been estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). The table below shows 2008 estimates from the APS for the geographical areas requested. Estimates are for all lone parent families, and these families may contain children of any age, including adult children.
| Geographical area | Number of lone parent families (thousand) |
| Source: APS January to December 2008, not seasonally adjusted | |
Sarah Brown
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what arrangements are in place to provide civil service support to Mrs. Gordon Brown. [294789]
Angela E. Smith [holding answer 22 October 2009]: In line with established practice, the Prime Minister's spouse is provided with administrative support as necessary when carrying out public duties.
Teenage Pregnancy
Anne Milton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) number and (b) rate of under-18 year old conceptions was in (a) England and (b) each local authority ward in England for the period (i) 2003 to 2005 and (ii) 2004 to 2006. [295890]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question what the (a) number and (b) rate of under-18 year old conceptions was in (a) England and (b) each local authority ward in England for the period (i) 2003 to 2005 and (ii) 2004 to 2006. (295890)
Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
The table below provides the (a) numbers and (b) rates of conceptions to women aged under 18, for England from 2003 to 2006.
Figures on conceptions of women aged under 18 are not published for local authority wards in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
| Table 1: Conceptions to women aged under 18( 1) , England 2003 - 06 | ||
| Conceptions | ||
| (a) Number | (b) Rate per 1,000( 2) | |
| (1) Under 18 years at estimated date of conception. (2) Number of conceptions to women under 18 per 1,000 female population aged 15 to 17. | ||
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Council: Manpower
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people the British Council employs in (a) the UK and (b) overseas. [296014]
Chris Bryant: As published in the Annual Report for the British Council (2008-09) the numbers of permanent staff employed are as follows:
(a) In the UK-1,094
(b) Overseas-6,390 (including 1,815 teachers)
Burma: Human Rights
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports his Department has received on the human rights situation in Burma; and whether he plans to impose sanctions against the Burmese authorities. [295185]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 26 October 2009]: The UK remains deeply concerned at the human rights situation in Burma. It is evident from the latest Report to the General Assembly by the UN Rapporteur, Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, that systematic and appalling abuses remain unchecked and that arbitrary arrests and the sentencing of opposition figures to long prison terms continues.
The most prominent example is that of Aung San Suu Kyi, but his report also draws attention to the plight of the more than 2,100 other political prisoners who remain in detention. EU sanctions have been in place against Burma since 1996, but following the sentence imposed on Aung San Suu Kyi on 11 August this year, the EU agreed to a further set of sanctions intended specifically to target the Burmese regime's economic interests, including a travel ban on those members of the judiciary responsible for the verdict.
These measures came into force on 14 August 2009 and can leave the regime in no doubt about our determination to see real democracy established and human rights respected in Burma. Their objective is to target those individuals and entities that are most closely linked to the regime's misrule, rather than punishing the Burmese population as a whole.
China: Official Engagements
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place on his Department's website the minutes of his discussions on Tibet during his recent visit to China. [295486]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to publish these minutes. However I made a public statement about my visit to Tibet which can be found at the following website address:
In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published an article on Tibet on the Guardian website which can be found at
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to The Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement. [295724]
Chris Bryant:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have any plans at present to secure accreditation of the Department's telephone information lines to The Helplines Association's quality standard. However, we
are continually seeking to improve the levels of service we provide to the public, and will investigate the benefits of such accreditation.
EU: Young People
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on involvement of young people in the UK in EU activities. [293807]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with EU counterparts on this issue.
However, other Secretaries of State have had such discussions, for example on the involvement of young people in EU education and training programmes. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have also discussed the involvement of young people in EU activities in the commission working group on EU communications.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps his Department has taken against human trafficking since the entry into force in the UK of the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings in April 2009. [294037]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 19 October 2009]: I have been asked to reply.
We continue to make good progress in our efforts to combat human trafficking. On 19 October we published the 2009 Update to the United Kingdom Action Plan on tackling human trafficking in which we introduced 10 new action points including one focused on the development of intelligence-led prevention strategies in relation to the 2012 Olympics.
We are also in the process of negotiating a revised European Framework Decision on human trafficking and will continue to work with international partners to further develop a collaborative response across the European Union.
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have received requests to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry; and if he will make a statement; [293569]
(2) whether he has received a request to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry. [293570]
David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1210W.
Israel: Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to (a) the Government of Israel, (b) other countries and (c) international agencies regarding Israel's nuclear weapons. [295256]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are clear in our call, both privately and publicly, on Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. We also call on Israel to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Permanent Under Secretary, Peter Ricketts, emphasised our commitment to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction in meetings during his visit to Israel earlier this month.
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