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22 Feb 2010 : Column 214W—continued
Departmental Recruitment
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department and its agencies spent on external recruitment consultants in the last year for which figures are available. [315502]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to recruiting a talented and diverse work force, ensuring that the most qualified candidates from the widest range of backgrounds apply. The FCO sometimes uses external recruitment agencies to manage recruitment campaigns for new entrants, and where specialist knowledge of a specific job market is required; for instance Overseas Security Managers and procurement specialists. Outsourced recruitment is more cost-effective than running all recruitment campaigns through a larger in-house recruitment team and is a model used extensively across central Government. In 2008-09 FCO Recruitment spent £1,115,890 and FCO Services £839,790 on external recruitment agencies in order to help meet these aims. These figures include advertising and other costs involved in the recruitment campaigns and reflect an increase on 2007-08 spend due to a greater number of campaigns, many of them in specialist areas.
Diplomatic Service Appeal Board
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Diplomatic Service Appeal Board has met in each of the last three years. [317080]
Chris Bryant: The Diplomatic Service Appeal Board (DSAB) has met four times since 2007 to consider the appeals of members of the Diplomatic Service dismissed from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In addition, DSAB members have met each year since 2007 for an Annual General Meeting with the FCO's Director General for Change and Delivery and a senior manager from Human Resources.
Falkland Islands: Expenditure
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much Government funding for non-military purposes has been allocated to the Falkland Islands since 1982. [317590]
Chris Bryant: Between 1982 and 1998 the Falkland Islands received £55.6 million in funding from the UK to help with the development of the islands. However, since 1998 the Falkland Islands have been self-sufficient in all areas except for defence.
Falkland Islands: Oil
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of (a) profits and (b) royalties from oil reserves from the South Atlantic he expects to be allocated to (i) the Falkland Islands, (ii) other Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic and (iii) the UK. [317593]
Chris Bryant: The natural resources of the Falkland Islands belong to the Falkland Islands However, the Falkland Islands Government have previously offered to share some of any future hydrocarbons related revenues with the UK Government.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with Ministerial colleagues the merits of sharing by all overseas territories in the South Atlantic the anticipated financial revenues generated from oil reserves in that region; and if he will make a statement. [317594]
Chris Bryant: The South Atlantic Overseas Territories have the right to freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources. Should there be commercially viable hydrocarbons finds in the region, any sharing of revenues would be a matter for the Government of the overseas territory concerned
Falkland Islands: Population
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the number of residents of the Falkland Islands, excluding military personnel, who are (a) permanent residents, (b) UK citizens from the Island of St. Helena, (c) other UK citizens and (d) not UK citizens. [317596]
Chris Bryant: Responsibility for non-military population statistics rests with the Government of the Falkland Islands who hold the requested information.
Government Hospitality: Wines
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the events where wine from the Government wine cellar was served between 25 December 2009 and 25 January 2010. [313986]
Chris Bryant [holding answer 28 January 2010]: The following table shows the events at which wine from the Government Hospitality cellar was served between 25 December 2009 and 25 January 2010.
| 2010 | Event title | Host Department |
|
Dinner: Learning and Technology World Forum British Council Dinner | ||
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) documents and (b) other items of information in electronic format provided by his Department to the Iraq Inquiry that Inquiry has sought to publish under the procedure set out in the protocol on documents and other written and electronic information; and if he will make a statement. [314546]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon, Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 9 February 2010, Official Report, column 894W.
Libya and Egypt: Land Mines
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide assistance to the Libyan and Egyptian Governments to help clear land mines between Tobruk and El Alamein left over from the Second World War. [317331]
Chris Bryant: The Government are fully committed to ending the suffering caused by anti-personnel landmines. We continue to encourage Libya and Egypt to sign the Ottawa convention, which would give them greater access to international and UK demining assistance and victim support. In May 2009, we provided the Egyptian Government with all Ministry of Defence-held information, including maps, relating to landmines in North West Egypt. We have also provided the Libyan Government with similar information. In 2007, the Department for International Development, which has lead responsibility for international demining assistance, contributed £250,000 to a UN Development Programme mine clearance project in Egypt.
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission employs; and what the Commission's salary cost was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [317020]
Mauritius: Foreign Relations
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of relations between the UK and Mauritius. [317119]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There is no regular formalised process for assessing the state of relations between the UK and allies such as Mauritius, although annual informal assessments are made as part of every UK mission's business planning process. UK relations with Mauritius are broad and wide, with regular contacts at all levels. Later this year, we will be marking the 200th anniversary of UK involvement in Mauritius. More immediately, the Privy Council will hold their second sitting in Mauritius this April.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Ministers and officials in his Department last met the Mauritian Government to discuss bilateral issues. [317120]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian Foreign Minister, Dr. Arvin Boolell, on 28 November 2009 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. Officials met representatives of the Mauritian Government on 14 January 2009 and 21 July 2009 for bilateral talks on the British Indian Ocean Territory. And our high commissioner to Mauritius maintains regular contact with his host Government and meets Mauritian Government Ministers and officials on a weekly basis.
Somalia: Human Trafficking
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2009, Official Report, columns 165W, on Somalia: human trafficking, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence he has had with the Somalian government on human trafficking in that country and within the region. [316929]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held discussions or had correspondence with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) on human trafficking that occurs in Somalia or the wider region. We have held detailed discussions at ministerial and official level with the TFG on peace and security efforts and how we can best support progress and development in Somalia, in line with the UN-led Djibouti Peace Agreement. Establishing peace and stability for the Somali people will be fundamental to addressing the underlying causes of human trafficking in Somalia in the longer-term.
The UK is very concerned at the high levels of organised immigration crime in the region and will raise the issue with East African Community member states at a migration seminar later this month. Moreover, the UK has established various projects in the region to address migration issues, including organised immigration crime.
Ukraine: Famine
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bolton South East of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 234W, on Ukraine: human rights, what the policy of the Government is on the recognition as genocide of events which led to the Holodomor famine in Ukraine in 1932-33; and if he will make a statement. [317564]
Chris Bryant: The Holodomor was an appalling, man-made human tragedy and the UK fully recognises its importance in Ukraine's history. The UK has co-operated with Ukraine to promote remembrance and increase public awareness of the Holodomor. We have supported statements at the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe honouring the memory of those who perished in the Holodomor and encouraging the promotion of its remembrance. In 2008, His Royal Highness The Duke of York, Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint), the then Minister for Europe all paid their respects to those who suffered so terribly in 1932-33 by laying wreaths at the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister was represented at the events to commemorate the 75(th) anniversary of the Holodomor held in Kyiv on 22 November 2008, and the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary sent written messages of condolence to mark this important occasion. The UK was also represented at the 75(th) anniversary memorial event in London.
With regard to the question of whether the events of 1932-33 should be recognised as genocide, the UK does not judge that the evidence is sufficiently unequivocal to categorise the Holodomor as genocide as defined by the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide. However, we do recognise that there is a division of opinion among academics on this matter and we will continue to follow the debate closely, particularly in the light of any further emerging evidence.
Treasury
Banks: Africa
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures his Department has in place to ensure that (a) illegal and (b) illegally-acquired funds from African countries are not deposited with UK banks; whether his Department has undertaken any recent investigations into such practices; and if he will make a statement. [318067]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 require banks and other regulated businesses to identify 'Politically Exposed Persons' (PEPs) and assess whether and to what extent they present a heightened risk before undertaking business with them, including opening new accounts or policies. Such transactions are subject to enhanced forms of scrutiny, including measures to establish the source of wealth and funds involved.
PEPs include individuals entrusted by an overseas Government with prominent public functions, such as Heads of State or Heads of Government, senior officials, and their immediate family and close associates.
HM Treasury chairs the cross-Government 'PEPs Strategic Group' which co-ordinates action to address the threats posed by corrupt PEPs.
The police are responsible for investigating such practices and have specific units responsible for doing so.
Council Tax
Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new (a) homes and (b) affordable homes in each (i) local authority and (ii) region were placed in council tax band (A) A, (B) B, (C) C, (D) D, (E) E, (F) F, (G) G and (H) H in each of the last three years. [317632]
Ian Pearson: The information requested on the number of new homes has been placed in the Library. The Valuation Office Agency does not hold information to identify new affordable homes separately.
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