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7 Jan 2010 : Column 571W—continued
Tony Blair
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) civil servants and (b) others are available on a (i) full-time and (ii) part-time basis to support Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy; what criteria were used to select them; by whom they were appointed; what their salary band is in each case; and if he will make a statement. [309244]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There are four members of the Office of the Quartet Representative who are directly linked to the Government.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides the following full time secondees to the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR): one higher executive officer equivalent (salary range £23,157 to £31, 495); and one senior civil servant (salary range £57,300 to £116,000). Standard FCO procedure was followed for advertising, recruiting and appointing to these posts. Mr. Blair held final interviews.
The Department for International Development (DfID) also funds a secondee to provide expert governance analysis (Grade 6 equivalent, salary range £55,814 to £66,873).
A locally engaged secondee to the OQR in Jerusalem was also funded through the Conflict Prevention Pool from October 2007 to August 2008 at a cost of £30,874. After that, this position has been funded by the UN Development Programme Trust Fund.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will itemise how the £400,000 funding allocated by his Department to the United Nations Development Trust Fund in support of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy is broken down by (a) salaries, (b) expenses and (c) other costs in the current financial year. [309245]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development made a contribution to the Office of the Quartet Representative of £400,000 in financial year 2008-09. This was disbursed between security, accommodation, project management, support staff and general support (IT, office equipment, insurance, etc).
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are presently seconded to
support Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy; what procedure is in place for those officials to report formally to their home Department; and whether they remain subject to the Civil Service Code. [309246]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides two secondees to the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR). Officials from the OQR and FCO meet regularly. The secondees remain subject to the Civil Service Code.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department last met Tony Blair in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy. [309248]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary meets with Mr. Blair in his capacity as the Quartet Representative and regularly speaks to him on the telephone. Their last meeting was on 14 October 2009. Other Foreign Office Ministers have not met Mr. Blair recently in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what checks are in place to ensure that monies made available to the United Nations Development Trust Fund to support the work of the Middle East peace envoy are not used for unauthorised or unconnected purposes. [309250]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The work of the Office of the Quartet Representative is set within the context of a UN Development Programme (UNDP) programme and is managed by the UNDP office based in Jerusalem according to UN procedures.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Nations Development Trust Fund's budget to fund the office of the Quartet Representative was used to meet the office costs of Tony Blair in the current financial year. [309251]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the UN Development Programme and the Office of the Quartet Representative to answer.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives Tony Blair has set in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy; and what the role of his Department was in setting those objectives. [309253]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Quartet Representative's following aims were set out in a statement from the Quartet:
Mobilise international assistance to the Palestinians, working closely with donors and existing co-ordination bodies;
Help to identify, and secure appropriate international support in addressing, the institutional governance needs of the Palestinian state, focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law;
Develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development, including private sector partnerships, building on previously agreed frameworks, especially concerning access and movement; and
Liaise with other countries as appropriate in support of the agreed Quartet objectives.
While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had no formal role in setting these aims, it has continued to be closely involved in the middle east peace process and supports these aims.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has authorised the registration of any company in connection with the work of Tony Blair has set in his role as Middle East peace envoy. [309254]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Government funding to the Office of the Quartet Representative is handled by UN Development Programme not by a company.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not authorised the registration of a company in connection with the work of the Quartet Representative, which is a matter for the Office of the Quartet Representative not the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy. [309255]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK supports the aims of the Quartet, which are aligned with UK interests. Mr. Blair has made a significant contribution to these aims through his work as Quartet Representative. I refer the hon. Member to my answer to parliamentary question 309256.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the achievements of Tony Blair in his role as Middle East peace envoy. [309256]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We fully support the efforts of the Quartet Representative. He has brought important focus on efforts to create economic development.
We have seen some real progress on the ground. There has been an estimated 5 per cent. real growth in gross domestic product in 2008. This increase is due to a combination of factors especially a strong lead from the Palestinian Authority and strong donor support, but we judge that the Quartet Representative has made a valuable contribution.
The Quartet Representative has also played a strong role on a number of specific projects including the recent launch of Wataniya, the second telephony operator in the Palestinian Territories.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions Tony Blair has provided a written briefing to his Department pursuant to his role as Middle East peace envoy since 1 January 2009. [309257]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Office of the Quartet Representative regularly reports to Quartet members and donors. The Quartet Representative is also in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, as are his officials with our officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Western Sahara: Fisheries
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Polisario Front was consulted on the 2006 EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement prior to the making of that agreement. [309517]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The 2006 EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement was negotiated by the European Commission as a bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco-the de facto administering power in Western Sahara-and there was, therefore, no requirement to consult the Polisario Front.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on the negotiation of the proposed international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. [308967]
Mr. Lammy: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is a draft multilateral agreement which aims to provide a high-level international framework that strengthens global enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs). To combat the counterfeiting and piracy that threatens IPR owners, lawful businesses and the development of the world economy, ACTA concentrates on three areas; (i) better co-ordinated international co-operation, (ii) establishing best practice in enforcement methods and (iii) providing a more coherent legal framework.
The UK's policy on the negotiation of ACTA is to create an international standard to fight the growing problem of large-scale counterfeiting and piracy more efficiently, without introducing new UK intellectual property legislation.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on the proposed international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [308968]
Mr. Lammy: I have regularly met officials of the Intellectual Property Office to keep abreast of the progress of the ACTA negotiations and to ensure that the UK position remains within the scope of existing UK legislation. I have also instructed officials to press for greater transparency in the ACTA negotiations.
Core Storage
Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what independent valuation has been made of his Department's core store site at Gilmerton; and (a) by whom and (b) when this valuation was made. [308670]
Mr. Lammy: An independent valuation was carried out for the Department by the Valuation Office Agency in March 2009.
Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) constructing and (b) operating the proposed new core storage facility in Nottinghamshire. [308672]
Mr. Lammy: These are issues for the Natural Environment Research Council. The cores will be located in an extension to the existing National Geological Data Centre in Nottinghamshire. I am advised that construction of the extension and relocation of the samples will be more than offset by the capital gain on the Gilmerton store, and that operating costs will be reduced by about £200,000 year.
Departmental Conferences
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title of each such conference was. [308819]
Mr. McFadden: This Department does not hold this information centrally and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to you.
Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 6 January 2010:
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on conferences they organised which were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years; and what the title was of each such conference.
In the last three years, The Insolvency Service has organised one conference which it subsequently had to cancel. The conference which was entitled 'Encouraging Company Rescue' was due to be held in September 2009, and the costs incurred by cancelling this event were approximately £200.
Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 6 January 2010:
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, UIN 308819, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Companies House has not spent any money in the last three years on conferences which were subsequently cancelled.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 5 January 2010:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The National Measurement Office has not spent anything on conferences they organized which were subsequently cancelled in the last three years.
Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 22 December 2009:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 15 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
There is a Nil Response from The Intellectual Property Office.
Departmental Procurement
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there has been any nugatory cost to (a) his
Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years. [303711]
Mr. McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is unable to provide nugatory costs relating to cancelled tenders because such costs are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to hon. Member directly.
The Minister of State, for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2009/289) whether there has been any nugatory cost to (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years.
The Insolvency Service has not cancelled any tenders prior to award of contract in the last five years.
Letter from Peter Mason, dated 3 December 2009:
I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 30 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
There have been no nugatory costs to the Agency in the last five years relating to tendered procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract.
Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 4 December 2009:
I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 30 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
There has been no nugatory direct cost to the Intellectual Property Office arising from procurement where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years. However, there was in 2006/07 and 2007/08 nugatory staff effort estimated at approximately £100 each year.
I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 30 November 2009, UIN 303711, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
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