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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 4 March 2010

Wales

Departmental Correspondence

Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) emails and (b) letters from members of the public to which his Department has responded since May 2007. [318933]

Mr. Hain: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Energy

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department plans to take to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. [319103]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office obtains its corporate and estates services from the Ministry of Justice, and falls within its sustainability targets and strategic programmes.

However, the Wales Office is very much entering into the spirit of the Earth Hour event (and the other Government estate sustainability targets) and doing what we ourselves can to reduce our carbon emissions.

Departmental ICT

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information technology projects initiated by his Department were cancelled prior to completion in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse. [320436]

Mr. David: The Wales Office is provided with its information technology services by the Ministry of Justice, and consequently does not initiate projects.

Departmental Internet

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005. [318640]

Mr. David: The Wales Office commissioned one redesign of its website as part of general improvements and modernisation of the website in 2007.

Departmental Paper

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what (a) suppliers and (b) brands of (i) paper and (ii) paper products his Department uses; and what his Department's policy is on the procurement of those materials. [320024]


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Mr. Hain: The Wales Office procures the majority of its paper from Banner, under a contract secured through the Ministry of Justice, and this paper is 80g/m2. The paper used in our publications has been at least 75 per cent. recycled.

The Ministry of Justice is working with Banner to procure a paper that is 100 per cent. recycled, which the Wales Office will use.

Media and Communications Team: Manpower

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff are employed in his Department's media and communications team; and how many were employed in 2009. [319584]

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office's Press Office consists of three full-time members of staff.

Prime Minister

Building Resilience

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the paper prepared for the Government in 2001 by Dr. Jamie MacIntosh and Mike Granatt CB, entitled, Building Resilience. [319930]

The Prime Minister: The findings informed the Government's response to Sir Iain Anderson's review into the lessons of the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak which was published and placed in the Libraries of the House.

Culture, Media and Sport

Departmental Languages

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided. [320414]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not provided coaching in foreign languages to Ministers or civil servants in the Department within the last 12 months.

Departmental Paper

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) suppliers and (b) brands of (i) paper and (ii) paper products his Department uses; and what his Department's policy is on the procurement of those materials. [320032]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department buys its paper through an outsourced stationery supplier, Office Depot, and its paper products through its Facilities Management provider Carillion. For paper the Department uses Evolve, which is 100 per cent. recycled; and for paper products it uses Kimberley-Clark and SCA Hygiene products.

The Department's procurement policy requires it to use products that are sustainable and which meet current public sector requirements, as specified by the Office of Government Commerce.


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Departmental Public Relations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which public relations companies have had contracts with (a) his Department and (b) each of its (i) non-departmental public bodies and (ii) executive agencies since 2004. [319809]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture Media and Sport has had contracts with Harrison Cowley and Edelman public relations companies since 2004. Our executive agency, The Royal Parks, has had contracts with six companies: Bellenden, Brunswick, Cavendish, Chelgate, Colman Getty and London Communities Agency (LCA).

The Department does not centrally maintain records on public relations companies in respect of its non-departmental bodies. It would incur disproportionate cost to obtain and collate this information.

Digital Broadcasting: Northern Ireland

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with the Government of the Republic of Ireland on plans for the digitisation of radio. [319475]

Mr. Bradshaw: No discussions have taken place with the Government of the Republic of Ireland regarding switchover to digital radio.

National Lottery: Sports

Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of athletes supported through lottery funding distributed by UK Sport attended fee-paying schools. [320009]

Mr. Sutcliffe: UK Sport has advised that as part of their 2009 Athlete Insights survey, all athletes on their World Class Programme were asked for details of their school careers. Of the 75 per cent. that responded to the survey, 22 per cent. stated that they were either at, or had attended an independent school at some point during their education.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of corruption in the Afghan Government; and what steps his Department is taking to seek to reduce levels of such corruption. [318929]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Corruption is endemic throughout society and state. Pervasive corruption within the Government and the security forces undermines the legitimacy of the Government and corrodes consent. Nearly one-fifth of the Afghan population believe corruption is the country's biggest problem and Afghanistan ranks second to last on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. President Karzai made a
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commitment to tackling corruption in his inauguration speech and again at the London Conference. We expect him to demonstrate this commitment by creating independent institutions that can prevent, detect and take action against corrupt practices in government.

The UK is a key partner for the Government of Afghanistan on tackling corruption across a range of areas, including on accountability bodies, support to law enforcement and public financial management. We are one of the biggest donors to the Afghan Government's anti-corruption oversight body, High Office of Oversight. We will continue to offer experts from across the Government to support the Afghan Government to tackle corruption.

Broadcasting: Iran

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which the outputs of (a) BBC Persian TV and (b) other international broadcasters are jammed by the Iranian Government; what assessment he has made of the compatibility of such actions with international agreements; what steps he has taken to bring such jamming to an end; and if he will make a statement. [320170]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are aware that BBC Persian TV and other international broadcasters have been severely disrupted by jamming signals originating from inside Iran. We support the European Parliament's resolution of 10 February which condemned the Iranian authorities' efforts to disrupt media services in breach of their International Telecommunications Union (ITU) obligations. We are continuing to liaise closely with international partners, the ITU and the BBC World Service to seek a resolution to the issue.

Cyprus

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the policy of the Turkish Government on the migration of Turkish nationals from Anatolia to Northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [319947]

Chris Bryant: We are aware of reports of the migration of Turkish nationals from Anatolia to northern Cyprus. We have no information about a Turkish Government migration policy to Northern Cyprus.

Departmental Assets

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 53WS, on Foreign and Commonwealth Office finances, which assets he plans to sell in order to raise the £25 million. [318473]

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 213W.


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Departmental Lost Property

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what equipment owned by his Department has been (a) stolen and (b) otherwise unaccounted for in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and what the cost of such equipment was. [317970]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows:

Iraq

The following equipment owned by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been stolen, or is otherwise unaccounted for, during the last three years from our posts in Iraq:

Afghanistan

The following equipment owned by FCO has been stolen, or is otherwise unaccounted for, during the last three years from our posts in Afghanistan:

Departmental Manpower

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's civil servants work in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland. [319582]

Chris Bryant: As at 1 February 2010, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office employed 3,588 civil servants based in UK locations. All of these officers are based in England.


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Departmental Public Expenditure

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 February 2010, Official Report, columns 34-5WS, on departmental expenditure limits, for what legal services resources were requested. [319676]

David Miliband: Government departments make a contribution to the costs of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) according to a formula which was introduced in 2004 following a Cabinet decision. Under the formula, departments contribute to the cost of the OPC in proportion to their share of the total volume of enacted legislation in the last five years. The £11,000 is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's share of £8.8 million held on the Cabinet Office's baseline for OPC. The Cabinet Office also invoices departments for their share of the OPC's costs.

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 February 2010, Official Report, columns 34-5WS, on departmental expenditure limits, to what activities the administration costs for modernisation of his Department relate; and under what budget headings those costs were incurred. [319677]

David Miliband: This year, Treasury has made available administration budget funds to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Corporate Services programme from the modernisation fund in order to make working practices more efficient in future. In particular, money has been invested in two restructuring initiatives: in the UK, an early retirement scheme was run for the delegated grades; and overseas, posts have bid for funds to make efficiency gains in their local workforce engaged in corporate services activity. Funds were also used for the FCO Comprehensive Spending Review Value for Money programme. £400,000 was also passed on to UKTI to be spent on their modernisation programme.

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 February 2010, Official Report, columns 34-5WS, on departmental expenditure limits, to what programmes the restructuring costs referred to relate; and under what budget headings those costs were incurred. [319678]

David Miliband: This year, Treasury has made available administration budget funds to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in respect of our Comprehensive Spending Review Value for Money programme. Money has been invested in early departure schemes for both the Senior Civil Service and delegated grades.

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 54WS, on Foreign and Commonwealth Office finances, what cost savings he plans to implement in relation to his Department's back-office operations; and whether he expects staff redundancies to form part of the cost savings process. [319679]


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