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16 Mar 2010 : Column 783W—continued
We do not hold central records of how much time on average was taken to complete the (b1) performance improvement and/or (b2) sickness absence procedures in each such year; to collate this information would incur disproportionate costs.
The number of staff who were subject to the (b1) performance improvement procedures and (b2) sickness absence procedures in each such year and the proportion this represents is:
| FCO Main | FCO Services | ||||
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | ||
| (1 )No central records held. | |||||
As there are fewer than five dismissals in each of the five years, details are not provided to avoid revealing the identities of individuals and on grounds of confidentiality.
These figures are for UK-based staff only. We do not hold central records for staff employed locally overseas and to obtain them would incur disproportionate costs.
The figures do not include those who resigned before the procedures were concluded.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2010, Official Report, column 840W, on departmental internet, what the cost was of the website redesign. [321930]
Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 December 2009, namely, it is not possible to break down the costs for the 2008 redesign because the redesign costs were part of the wider Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) web platform project, which was delivered by Logica. Logica subcontracted elements of the project out (for example, to XM for design, to Alterian for the content management system, to Verizon for hosting). The amount Logica paid subcontractors for the design work is commercially protected and not known to the FCO.
In October 2009, the FCO redesigned the FCO corporate site:
The work was completed using in-house resources at no additional cost. The in-house resources cannot be disaggregated from the ongoing cost of maintaining the FCO web platform.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many designs for its (a) internal website and (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design. [321988]
Chris Bryant:
FCONet, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office intranet, has had two redesigns since 2005. The first design was commissioned to an external company at a cost of £28,680 and released in February 2008. The second design is being carried out now for release by
31 March 2010 and involves minor changes to refresh some aspects of the design. The design was provided by an internal designer as part of our ongoing commitment to seek value for money and is being applied to the intranet by our standing development team at no additional cost.
FCONet is the FCO's core internal communications and information tool and recently won an 'Award of Excellence' from Communicators in Business who described the intranet as "a definite beacon of best practice."
Departmental Legal Costs
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent in (a) legal fees and (b) compensation on legal cases concerning remuneration of its employees in each of the last 10 years. [322060]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) only retains employment litigation records from 2003 onwards. Records show that legal fees on cases concerning remuneration of FCO employees in each year from 2003 to date, were as follows:
| £ | |
There are fewer than five legal cases concerning remuneration of FCO employees in each year from 2003 to date, and any compensation paid is subject to a legally binding compromise agreement containing a confidentiality clause. Therefore, in line with Cabinet Office guidance details are not provided to avoid revealing the identity of individuals and on grounds of confidentiality.
Departmental Paper
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [320030]
Chris Bryant: Since October 2007, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) uses a collaborative government framework agreement put in place by the Ministry of Defence for its supplies of paper in the UK. The supplier of the Framework is Office Depot. All A4 photocopy and printer paper purchased by the FCO is made from 100 per cent. recycled materials. A number of more specialised paper products are made from 75 per cent. recycled materials.
The FCO purchases hygiene paper products by Andrex, Scotts, Wypall and Tork (manufactured by Kimberley Clark and FCA) for its bathrooms, toilets and kitchen facilities in its offices in the UK.
80 per cent. of the FCO's bespoke print paper products from its in-house print facility are made from 100 per cent. recycled materials.
FCO Services, an Executive Agency of the FCO that has been operating independently as a Trading Fund since 1 April 2008, also has a framework agreement with Woodway Packaging for the supply of packing materials such as flatpack boxes and corrugated cardboard.
Information about the suppliers and brands of paper and paper products purchased by our missions overseas is not held centrally and would only be available at disproportionate cost.
The FCO is committed to operating in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. All staff in the UK and working in its missions overseas are informed that it is policy to purchase 100 per cent. recycled paper. They are also informed that all paper and paper products should be purchased in line with Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affair's "Buy Sustainable-Quick Wins" guidance.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) Ministers and (b) staff of each grade in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months. [320400]
Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Sheffield Heeley (Meg Munn), on 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1188w, namely, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes travel arrangements in the most efficient and cost effective way. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the code of management. As the information requested by the hon. Member is not held centrally it would incur disproportionate cost to collate.
Falkland Islands
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement. [321835]
Chris Bryant: None. We have no doubt about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas. The principle of self determination underlies our position. We are, of course, in regular touch with the US at official level on this and many other issues. The US continues to recognise the UK's administration of the Falkland Islands. Positions are long standing, unchanged and well known.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in each of the last five years with his Argentine counterpart on sovereignty over the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement. [321836]
Iran: Religious Freedom
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation of Jewish people in Iran since October 2009; and if he will make a statement. [321839]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Jews are one of three religious minorities, alongside Christians and Zoroastrians, which are constitutionally permitted to practise their religious faith in Iran. In reality however, they cannot hold positions in the judiciary, police and security forces, limiting the role they are permitted to play in public life. Although Jews have enjoyed a relative degree of freedom to practise their religion, including the use of Hebrew for religious instruction, they face various limitations on their rights to travel and to communicate with Jewish communities outside Iran, especially in Israel.
Iran's anti-Israel policy continues to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among Iran's Jews, and this fear has been propagated by President Ahmadinejad's repeated denial of the Holocaust and anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda in the media. The Government have raised concerns over the treatment of Iran's religious minorities on many occasions with the Iranian authorities, calling on the Iranian authorities to uphold their international legal undertakings to safeguard religious freedom and to stop discrimination and persecution on the grounds of religion.
Iraq: Iran
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iraq on the situation in Camp Ashraf; and if he will take steps to ensure that residents of Camp Ashraf are not driven from Iraq. [322053]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have discussed the situation at Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Human Rights Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Iraqi Government's Ashraf Committee. I met the Iraqi Foreign Minister in Baghdad in December 2009 and underlined the need for the Iraqi authorities to deal with the residents of Camp Ashraf in a way that meets international humanitarian standards. In addition we discuss the issue with the UN, US, and EU.
The Iraqi authorities have told the residents that they can no longer stay at Camp Ashraf but have given assurances that no residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution, or where substantial grounds exist to believe they would be tortured. The Iraqi Human Rights Minister confirmed to our ambassador on 27 January 2010 that the Government of Iraq would deal with the residents of the camp with respect for their human rights in co-operation with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We believe it is in the interests of the residents to respect and accept the decision made by the Government of Iraq, and to cooperate peacefully with the Iraqi authorities.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 20 January 2010 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton regarding Mr. M Kirkham. [322723]
David Miliband: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) on 14 March 2010.
Morocco: International Assistance
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many volunteer workers at the Village of Hope/Village de l'Espérance at Ain Leuh ordered to leave by the government of Morocco are (a) United Kingdom and (b) European Union citizens; and if he will make a statement. [321851]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: 10 UK citizens and seven other European Union citizens have been expelled from Morocco.
Foreign Office officials in London met with the Moroccan Chargé d'Affaires on 10 March to express the UK's concerns. Foreign Office officials in Rabat have asked the Moroccan authorities for a full briefing on the matter.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for future EU-Morocco relations of the decision of the government of Morocco to expel volunteer workers from the Village of Hope/Village de l'Espérance at Ain Leuh on the charge of proselytizing the Kafala community and orphaned children in the province of Ifrant; and if he will make a statement. [321852]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: No assessment has yet been made of the implications for future EU-Morocco relations. Respect for human rights principles, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an essential element of the EU's association agreement with Morocco.
Foreign Office officials in London met with the Moroccan chargé d'affaires on 10 March to express the UK's concerns. Foreign Office officials in Rabat have asked the Moroccan authorities for a full briefing on the matter.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Morocco on its decision to expel all foreign volunteers, including EU citizens, from the Village of Hope/Village de l'Espérance at Ain Leuh; and if he will make a statement. [321853]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this with his Moroccan counterparts.
Foreign Office officials in London met with the Moroccan chargé d'affaires on 10 March to express the UK's concerns. Foreign Office officials in Rabat have asked the Moroccan authorities for a full briefing on the matter.
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