Armed Forces: Animals
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animal mascots there are in the armed forces; and what their cost is. [67369]
Mr Robathan: There are a number of mascots in the armed forces, some of which are official, and thus attract a certain level of official funding to cover accommodation, movement, quarantine, veterinary services, bedding and rations. Other, unofficial mascots are maintained through private unit funds.
Neither the Royal Navy nor the Royal Air Force has any official mascots. The Army has a total of 10 official mascots.
Information related to the cost of maintaining these animals is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Children
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) name and (b) budget is of each scheme under which his Department mentors service children; [66297]
(2) what the (a) name and (b) budget is of each scheme under which his Department makes provision for service children. [66298]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 14 July 2011]: The Ministry of Defence provides support networks and other related funding for support to families such as Hives, nursery provision, access to sports facilities, welfare, pastoral and other support services. It is not possible however to break down further the families funding that is specific to service children.
The following table identifies specific provision for service children:
| Provision | Cost (£) |
| (1) Operating cost for financial year 2009-10 (2) Financial year 2010-11. (3) Academic year 2010-11. (4 )Information is not held in the format requested. | |
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average payment of continuity education allowance was in respect of children of personnel at each service rank in the latest period for which figures are available. [66299]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 14 July 2011]: The average amount of children's education allowance (CEA) paid to each rank, irrespective of the number of children, for financial year 2010-11 can be found in the following table:
| Army rank or equivalent | Average CEA claimed by personnel in financial year 2010-11 (£000) |
Rounding has been applied to all figures. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
The averages shown do not include the tax and national insurance payable by the Ministry of Defence to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs against CEA as these cannot be attributed to individual claims.
Armed Forces: Housing
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service family accommodation properties have been assessed at the EcoHomes06 standard of (a) pass, (b) good, (c) very good and (d) excellent. [65824]
Mr Robathan: An EcoHomes06 assessment for recently completed service family accommodation upgrade projects at Putney and Chicksands has been undertaken. All 180 properties achieved a ‘pass’ rating.
The EcoHomes06 assessment uses environmental factors outside the control of this Department, and there will be locations where the highest rating is impractical to achieve.
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the disused service married quarters in and around St Nicholas Avenue, Gosport. [66893]
Mr Robathan: There are 87 service homes on the Shackleton road and St Nicholas Avenue estate which are surplus to future Defence requirements. These properties are due to be returned to Annington Homes Ltd in November 2011.
The future use of these properties will then become a matter for the company.
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Armed Forces: Injuries
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 45W, on armed forces: injuries, what proportion of Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research has been published in scientific peer-reviewed journals in each of the last five years; and what the name is of each project that has resulted in the publication of research in such journals. [66961]
Peter Luff [holding answer 18 July 2011]: Wherever possible, the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), publishes the results of its research programme in open scientific peer reviewed journals.
We do not hold data which shows what proportion of DSTL’s research has been published in scientific peer reviewed journals in each of the last five years; however, the following table shows the number of items published in the years in question, all of which have arisen from the combat casualty care project.
|
|
Number |
These 25 items consist of publications, conference papers and theses.
Armed Forces: Offenders
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former offenders have enlisted in the armed forces in each year since 2001. [67081]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 18 July 2011]: This information is not held. The armed forces adhere to the requirements of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that if a certain period of time has passed since the date on which the individual was convicted, the conviction becomes ‘spent’ and there is no requirement for this offence to be declared or recorded.
Armed Forces: Royal Household
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are attached to the Royal Household; and at what cost. [67368]
Mr Robathan: In order to provide service knowledge and assistance to six members of the royal family in their service appointments, 13 members of the armed forces are permanently attached to the royal household at a total cost of approximately £960,000 per annum.
Armed Forces: Training
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of recruits enlisting in the armed forces below the age of 18 years attended the Army Foundation College Harrogate in the latest period for which figures are available. [66214]
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Mr Robathan [holding answer 14 July 2011]: The percentage of recruits below the age of 18 years attending the Army Foundation College, Harrogate for the last seven years are shown in the following table:
| Recruits | |
|
|
Percentage |
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the range of recognised, transferable civilian academic and vocational qualifications studied by recruits at the Army Foundation College Harrogate in the latest period for which figures are available. [66215]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 14 July 2011]: The Army Foundation College, Harrogate (AFC(H)) provides vocational apprenticeship training for recruits under the age of 18, to prepare them for their future military careers.
All recruits at the AFC(H) enrol on a level 2 apprenticeship for IT users which provides a level 2 iTQ diploma for IT users. They also undertake functional skills in English and maths at level 1. Recruits may also undertake the European Computer Driving Licence, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the St John's First Aid Award.
At the end of the 50-week course, recruits will have acquired a number of vocational skills which will furnish them to progress in their military careers.
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of 16-year-old recruits training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate gained five or more GCSEs during training in each of the last 10 years; in which subjects such qualifications were awarded in each such year; and how many such qualifications were awarded at grade C or above in each such year. [66216]
Mr Robathan: The Army Foundation College, Harrogate (AFC(H)) provides a non-academic, vocational apprenticeship. GCSEs are not undertaken at the AFC(H).
Recruits who do not already have GCSEs are provided with functional skills in English and maths to a sufficient standard to enable them to progress through their military careers.
Armed Forces: Young People
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the legal advice his Department has received on the minimum terms of service (a) for recruits who enlist in the Army below the age of 18 years (b) for adult recruits in the Army and (c) for minors in the RAF and Royal Navy. [66183]
Mr Robathan:
Internal legal advice on this issue constitutes part of normal policy development work
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within the Department, which is an ongoing process, and is not generally released. The provisions are longstanding and I can confirm that no legal advice on the development of the provisions has been given in recent years. However, we are satisfied that there is no legal difficulty with any disparity between differing terms of service in the three services or between different age groups. Individuals join a single service of their choosing, not the armed forces generally, and each service has different operational requirements. Depending upon which service a recruit has chosen they must abide by its requirements in relation to terms of engagement.
Defence: Procurement
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent with (a) EDS Defence and (b) Aegis Defence Services in each year from 1997 to 2010. [66642]
Peter Luff: Payments made by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to EDS Defence Ltd and Aegis Defence Services since 1998-99 are shown in the following tables (information for 1997-98 is no longer available):
| Financial year | Payments to EDS Defence Ltd (£ million) |
| Financial year | Payments to Aegis Defence Services (£) |
Figures are at current prices and exclude VAT.
The payments reported have been extracted from the MOD's central contracts database on which is recorded the majority (about 95%) of all MOD payments. Payments not processed centrally are not included and may have been made on behalf of other Government Departments, by the MOD's Trading Funds and Executive Non-Departmental Bodies (which lie outside the MOD's accounting boundary), locally by the Department, through third parties such as prime contractors or other Government Departments and in relation to collaborative, projects where the payments are made through international procurement agencies or overseas Governments.
From 2004-05, the individual subsidiaries and joint ventures relating to EDS Defence Ltd have been reproduced from the corporate structures published in Table 1.17a of UK Defence Statistics. We have used the Hewlett Packard corporate structure for 2008-09 onwards following
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their take over of EDS. When this occurs during the financial year, annual payments are recorded against the company taking ownership of the contract.
Figures before 2004-05 may not reflect the full holding company structure for EDS Defence Ltd owing to data limitations.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what (a) equipment and (b) supplies have been procured through urgent operational requirements since the conclusion of the Strategic Defence and Security Review; [66682]
(2) which (a) manufacturers and (b) suppliers have fulfilled an urgent operational requirement since the conclusion of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. [66683]
Peter Luff: Since October 2010, a range of equipments have been procured as urgent operational requirements (UORs). These UORs cover a broad spectrum of capabilities including: military working dogs complete with their specialist requirements (health, welfare, protection and veterinary needs); improved service recovery vehicle (protected mobility); increased aero medical capacity; improved helicopter engines; counter-improvised explosive device task force uplift; improved digital mapping and aircraft protection systems. The contracts have been placed with a number of companies, including BAES, Agusta Westland, MP Aerospace, Guartel, SELEX, WA Products, Rolls Royce, Honeywell and Thales Air Defence Ltd.
Specific details of the UORs are being withheld, as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what urgent operational requirements are currently outstanding; and when he expects them to be delivered. [66703]
Peter Luff: As at 15 July 2011, there were 213 urgent operational requirement (UOR) projects that have been approved, and have yet to be delivered to theatre. They mainly fall into four broad categories: counter improvised explosive device systems (detection and defeating the device); improved protected mobility (for example, the foxhound vehicles); information management and information exploitation systems; and base protection intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems. The Ministry of Defence undertakes to deliver all UORs to theatre as quickly as possible, usually within 12-18 months, however, some procurements take only a matter of weeks.
Specific details of the UORs and delivery time scales are being withheld as their disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from his Department in (a) June 2010 and (b) June 2011. [66760]
Mr Robathan:
Between 14 May 2010 and 13 May 2011, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) delivered a reduction
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of 14.8% in carbon dioxide emissions from its office estate. Under the Green Government Commitments, we are now committed to deliver a 25% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2014-15.
It is estimated that from the office estate for June 2010, MOD's non-weather corrected emissions amounted to some 4,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The MOD is still collating and validating its emission data for June 2011. This will include emissions from its operational estate as well as its office estate.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been (a) recruited and (b) made redundant from (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible since May 2010. [66324]
Mr Robathan: In the period May 2010 to May 2011 (inclusive), a total of 1,560 new staff were recruited by the Department while a total of 520 staff left, either voluntarily or compulsorily, on grounds of early release or redundancy. It should be noted that this recruitment figure excludes inward transfers or loans from other Departments which totalled some 430. Similarly, the figure provided above for early releases and redundancies ignores the 5,610 staff who left for other reasons during the same period.
During this period 13 staff have been recruited by the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs)—six by the National Museum of the Royal Navy and seven by the National Army Museum. There have been no redundancies among the NDPBs since May 2010.
Departmental Redundancy
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period. [61728]
Mr Robathan: The Oil and Pipelines Agency estimates that it may incur redundancy costs in the order of £40,000 to £55,000 in 2011-12. This results from management restructuring to improve the agency's operational effectiveness. The agency has no further plans, at present, for further redundancies across the comprehensive spending review period.
There are otherwise no estimates of redundancy costs for the Ministry of Defence's non-departmental bodies as decisions on the level of staff support to be provided to them in the future have yet to be made. The current voluntary early release scheme for civilians, where applicable to non-departmental bodies, is intended to avoid the need for redundancies, the required staff reductions being achieved through early release schemes and natural wastage as far as possible.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental body for which he is responsible has spent on redundancies since May 2010. [66337]
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Mr Robathan: The costs of exit packages, which include both voluntary and compulsory paid releases, appear in the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Annual Report and Accounts (ARA), and in the separate ARAs for the Department's Trading Funds. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a statement to the House on 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 70WS, publishing the MOD's ARAs for 2011.
There have been no redundancies among the Department's non-departmental public bodies since May 2010.
Departmental Responsibilities
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67170]
Dr Fox: I meet regularly with Members of both Houses.
Departmental Statistics
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statistical data his Department has ceased to collect in the last year; and what the (a) reasons for and (b) savings arising from each such cessation were. [63668]
Mr Robathan: In the 12 months to 30 June 2011 the Ministry of Defence has not ceased to collect any data used in the production of national or official statistics publications.
Future Rapid Effect System
Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse of the Future Rapid Effect System project has been to date; what estimate he has made of the final cost; and what assessment he has made of the operational capability of vehicles fitted with such a system. [66687]
Peter Luff: The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) programme has been recast from a single programme into a set of constituent programmes: the specialist vehicle programme (including the scout vehicle), the utility vehicle programme, and the manoeuvre support vehicle programme.
Expenditure to 31 March 2011, the most recent date for which figures are available, for the specialist vehicles and utility vehicles programmes totals £320 million. There has been no expenditure on the manoeuvre support vehicles programme.
The total estimated programme costs cannot be confirmed until their respective main investment decisions have been made.
The purpose of the specialist vehicles and utility vehicles programmes is to deliver a fleet of armoured vehicles as opposed to being programmes that deliver vehicle sub-systems.
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Global Combat Ship
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) India, (b) Brazil, (c) New Zealand and (d) Australia on the development of the Global Combat Ship; and if he will make a statement. [67063]
Peter Luff: Government officials are discussing the Global Combat Ship concept with a number of potential international partners in order to explore opportunities for partnership to improve interoperability, provide benefits of technology transfer, economies of scale and reduce through-life costs.
Malaysia: Military Decorations
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse has been of investigations conducted by his Department on the wearing of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal since 2006; and if he will make a statement. [66205]
Mr Robathan: This information is not held.
However, my officials, and indeed officials within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who are the Government lead on foreign awards, have carried out a considerable amount of work on this matter since 2006, including as part of the current military medal review.
Military Decoration
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) name and (b) position is of each member of the committee of the Hydrographic Department of his Department which makes recommendations for the award of the Polar Medal. [65899]
Mr Robathan: The Polar Medal Assessment Committee consists of a Chairman, Rear Admiral Nicholas Richard Lambert, UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive (Hydrography), and a Secretary, Captain Stuart Lawrence MBE RD RND.
Met Office
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of the Met Office in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many people the Met Office employed (a) on the most recent date for which figures are available and (b) 10 years prior to that date. [66838]
Mr Robathan: The Met Office is a trading fund and provides weather and climate services under contract to a range of Government and commercial customers. In 2010-11, revenue from these services, including maintenance of the underpinning infrastructure, amounted to £196.1 million, of which £157.4 million was from Government customers. The Met Office returned a dividend of £8.2 million to the Ministry of Defence in relation to this period.
There were 1,859 staff employed at the Met Office at 31 March 2011 compared with 2,114 at 31 March 2001; both figures are expressed as full-time equivalents.
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Military Police
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) military personnel of each rank and (b) non-military personnel of each grade serve in the (i) Royal Military Police, (ii) Royal Air Force Police, (iii) Royal Navy Police and (iv) Service Police Crime Bureau. [65071]
Mr Robathan: I will write to the hon. Member.
Substantive answer from Andrew Robathan to Bridget Phillipson:
I undertook to write to you in response to your Parliamentary Questions on 14 July 2011 (Official Report, column 431W), about numbers of military personnel and civilian staff serving in support of the Royal Military Police, Royal Air Force Police and Service Police Crime Bureau.
I have placed details of the established strength and their associated location in the Library of the House.
National Security Adviser
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings he has had with the National Security Adviser since the creation of the National Security Council. [67354]
Dr Fox [holding answer 18 July 2011]: I meet regularly with the National Security Adviser including at weekly meetings of the National Security Council and at Cabinet.
A complete list of all such occasions is not held.
Nimrod Aircraft
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Nimrod Airworthiness Review Team report published in 1998. [63717]
Dr Fox: A copy of the report will be placed in the Library of the House once the necessary redactions have been made in accordance with usual Data Protection Act 1998 and other legislative obligations.
Old Drill Hall Weymouth
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received legal advice on his Department's title to the Old Drill Hall, Weymouth prior to its sale by his Department. [66853]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 18 July 2011]: The sale of the Old Drill Hall Weymouth took place in 1994, at which time the Ministry of Defence took legal advice from the in-house team known as the Government Property Lawyers.
Departmental Redundancy
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of (a) the costs of and (b) savings from his Department's redundancy programme over the next five years. [66949]
Mr Robathan
[holding answer 18 July 2011]: The final costs and savings from redundancies will depend on a number of factors, including the level of natural
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wastage, salary, rank/grade and length of service of personnel selected. Estimates of the levels of savings can only be provided for the next four years, as planning data beyond those years do not give the sufficient level of detail.
The current assessment is that around 11,000 service personnel will be made redundant, from the total drawdown of around 17,000, at a cost of around £600-700 million. The service redundancy programme will take place over four years, although the majority will leave the service in 2012 and 2013. The estimated savings from service personnel pay costs from as a result of all reductions (including natural wastage) is £2.4 billion over financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15, though there will be enduring savings thereafter.
The current estimate of the cost of reducing the number of civil servants is around £580 million over three years to achieve a proportion of the 25,000 civil service personnel reductions detailed in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The estimated savings from civilian pay costs as a result of these reductions (including early release and natural wastage) is £0.9 billion over financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15, with enduring savings thereafter.
Sri Lanka
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his recent visit to Sri Lanka (a) started and (b) ended; [66474]
(2) whether any (a) Government officials and (b) special advisers were involved in the preparation or delivery of his recent visit to Sri Lanka; [66475]
(3) what official engagements he undertook during his visit to Sri Lanka; [66476]
(4) whether any of his officials accompanied him on his recent visit to Sri Lanka. [66477]
Dr Fox [holding answer 18 July 2011]: I made an official visit to Sri Lanka between 8-10 July 2011 and met with the President, the Foreign Minister, and the Minister for Economic Development; other Government of Sri Lanka Ministers and officials were present during these meetings. I also met with the Tamil National Alliance and the leader of the United National Party. Members of civil society and the international community based in Colombo attended a high commission hosted dinner, and I spoke at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Lecture.
I was accompanied by a Private Secretary, a Special Adviser, and a representative of the Defence Media and Communications Staff. As is standard practice for such a visit, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence officials including Special Advisers provided support and advice.
Nuclear Deterrent
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 50WS, on nuclear deterrent, whether any multilateral verification provisions have been put in place in relation to the warhead reduction programme on Vanguard class submarines. [65179]
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Dr Fox: No. However, as a responsible nuclear weapon state party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the UK continues to pursue multilateral progress towards mutual, balanced, and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons worldwide.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Colombia
12. Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department provides for UK businesses operating in Colombia. [66871]
Mr Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’s Canning House lecture set out the case for doing more to encourage British trade and investment in Latin America. Colombia is a key emerging economy and we are strengthening our embassy in Bogota. This includes hands-on support from UK Trade & Investment for British companies looking to do business in Colombia. Our human rights officials provide advice on how to ensure that British companies can operate to the highest standards.
Pakistan
13. Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on Pakistan. [66872]
Alistair Burt: A strong US-Pakistan relationship is in all of our interest. I speak regularly to both my US and Pakistani colleagues about our common objectives in the region whether it is fighting terrorism, pursuing an Afghan-led political settlement, or increasing access to education in Pakistan. Only yesterday I spoke to Mark Grossman, the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan.
Libya
16. Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Libya. [66875]
Alistair Burt: It is clear that Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and must relinquish power immediately. The pressure on him continues to intensify. We and international partners are now supporting the National Transitional Council in developing plans for a post-conflict Libya based on inclusive and democratic principles.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the co-ordination of Government policy on Libya. [66876]
Alistair Burt: I am in constant contact with ministerial colleagues on Libya, and hold regular discussions with International Development, Defence and Treasury colleagues in particular, to ensure a comprehensive response to the key issues. Policy on Libya is also discussed formally with all relevant departments at meetings of the National Security Council.
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China
18. Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the state of bilateral relations with China; and if he will make a statement. [66877]
Mr Jeremy Browne: This Government have prioritised deepening our relationship with China. The recent UK/China Summit was the third high-level exchange between our countries in the last eight months. Our trade relationship is expanding and on course to reach our target of US$100 billion by 2015, and we have established a range of dialogues with the Chinese leadership to take forward our relationship.
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve investment relations with China. [67058]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The development of strong bilateral trade and investment links with China is a key priority for the UK Government. Currently the UK attracts the second highest flow of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in the EU. By the end of December 2010, the estimated stock of Chinese investment into the UK was $1.2 billion. The UK ranks second to Germany as the largest European investor in China (in cumulative terms), with at least 25% of the EU total.
During the UK-China summit on 27 June, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation on Investment Promotion was signed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on behalf of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), with the Ministry of Commerce of China. This will ensure that both parties will cooperate more closely to support Chinese enterprises establish and expand sustainable commercial investments in the UK, including in UK infrastructure and regeneration projects. Following the Prime Minister discussions with Premier Wen, UKTI are also looking into establishing a taskforce to take this agenda forward.
Greece
19. Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the economic situation in Greece; and if he will make a statement. [66878]
Mr Lidington: The Government receives a very wide range of advice on a number of matters concerning Greece including of course the economic situation and outlook.
Diplomatic Network
20. Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote trade links through the diplomatic network. [66879]
Mr Hague: We are expanding our diplomatic network in emerging economies and increasing the importance of commercial diplomacy.
We have recently published the FCO Charter for business.
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Afghanistan: Criminal Proceedings
Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Criminal Justice Taskforce Programme in Afghanistan during the last 12 months. [66256]
Alistair Burt: The Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) is a multi-departmental Afghan detention, investigation, prosecution and judicial team which targets the narcotics trade.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funding for counter-narcotics and rule of law work in Afghanistan currently comes from two sources: Conflict Pool (tri-departmentally funded by FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence); and the Strategic Programme Fund.
Spend on the CJTF from both these sources for the financial year 2010-11 was £1,502,102. This expenditure covers the running costs of the CJTF, including wages of staff, transport and administration. It also covers additional training and development of infrastructure to put the CJTF on a sustainable footing.
Bahrain: Politics and Government
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects on human rights of the sentence of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja; and if he will make a statement. [65183]
Alistair Burt: We are deeply concerned by the nature of the charges brought against Mr Al Khawaja and the 20 other political figures. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made a statement to the House of Commons on 29 June, Official Report, columns 959-60, expressing the UK's concerns about the suspension and investigation of political parties, the imprisonment of leading moderate politicians, the alleged mistreatment of detainees and the trial of members of the medical profession before tribunals containing a military judge.
Our outgoing ambassador to Bahrain has raised the reports of abuse in detention, lack of access, to legal counsel, coerced confessions and that civilians were being tried before a military judge.
We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain, at the highest level, to take forward their commitment to investigate the claims of abuse. In this context, we welcome the establishment on 30 June, by His Majesty the King of an independent commission, composed of international figures, to look into the events of recent months and into allegations of abuses of human rights.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the statement by the Minister for the Middle East on 22 June 2011, if he made representations to the Bahraini authorities in the case of Mr Al Khawaja. [65385]
Alistair Burt:
I have not made specific representations to the Government of Bahrain in the case of Mr Al Khawaja. However, we have raised our concerns about the conduct of the national safety trials with the Bahraini authorities. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the
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Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised UK concerns about the arrests of protestors and medical staff when he met the Crown Prince of Bahrain on 25 May 2011. Our outgoing ambassador to Bahrain has been raising our concerns with the Government of Bahrain, at the highest level.
BBC World Service: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of the BBC World Service Hindi shortwave service in 2010. [63055]
Mr Jeremy Browne: BBC Hindi provides services via shortwave, FM, online and to mobile devices. The cost of BBC Hindi, excluding the costs of transmission and UK-based accommodation, technology and studio operations, was £1.7 million in 2010-11. It is not possible to give figures, for the excluded costs as they are used by more than one BBC World Service and an accurate break down of the cost to BBC Hindi is not available. However, according to the BBC World Service's evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee, savings associated with changes to BBC Hindi announced in January would be about £680,000 in production costs. Additionally, there would be £190,000 savings in distribution costs.
Belarus: Politics and Government
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Belarus about standards of governance in that country. [66864]
Mr Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have consistently called upon the Belarusian authorities to recognise the rule of law and democratic freedoms, free political prisoners and end human rights abuses. I have also condemned the Belarusian authorities’ disproportionate response to the recent ‘silent’ protests.
BRIC Countries
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit (a) Brazil, (b) India and (c) China in an official capacity in the next 12 months. [67255]
Mr Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not finalised his travel plans, but hopes to visit all three countries in the next 12 months.
As Minister of State, I have visited China three times, Brazil twice and India once. I also hope to visit all three countries again in the next 12 months.
British Nationals Abroad: Death
Bridget Phillipson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on (a) the Memorandum of
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Understanding on dealing with deaths of UK citizens abroad and
(b)
Greek non-participation in the compensation scheme. [64231]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The information requested is as follows:
(a) Consular officials have held discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Coroners Society of England and Wales, stakeholder groups and partners across Government about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). These discussions have taken place under the auspices of the Death Abroad Working Group, which includes representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), ACPO, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), European RoadPeace, Coroners Society of England and Wales and Support After Murder and Manslaughter Abroad.
(b) Consular officials in Greece raised the compensation scheme with the Greek Ministry of Justice in the summer of 2010. The Greek Ministry of Justice, in line with European Union (EU) Council Directive 2004/80/EC, has created The Hellenic Authority of Compensation. This authority considers compensation claims of victims of violent crimes committed in Greece.
British Nationals Abroad: Detainees
Mr Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1118W, on prisoners, how many cases of UK citizens detained without trial in other EU member states for more than 12 months have been referred to his Department for (a) consular assistance and (b) ministerial intervention in the last two years. [67139]
Mr Lidington: We are aware of 554 British nationals who are currently being detained at various stages of legal process in EU member states other than the UK. However, our recording system does not break down this figure further and to obtain the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.
Burma: Politics and Government
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of China regarding the conflict in Kachin state, Burma. [66264]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government are deeply concerned at the breakdown of the ceasefire agreement in Kachin state which has led to renewed conflict and the displacement of up to 20,000 people. We have raised our concern at official level with the Chinese authorities. The Government are clear that countries in the region need to maintain pressure on the Burmese Government to begin a process of genuine inclusive dialogue that addresses the concerns and longstanding grievances of ethnic groups.
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Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the UK contributed to the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in the latest year for which figures are available; and what proportion of total expenditure on MONUSCO by UN member states this represented. [66866]
Mr Hague: In UK financial year 2010-11 the UK contributed £69.1 million for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The UK's share of UN peacekeeping costs is currently set at 8.15%.
Departmental Air Travel
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months. [67908]
Mr Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 November 2010, Official Report, column 508W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt).
Apprentices
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has a policy on requirements for the provision of (a) apprenticeships and (b) other training by (i) his Department's prime contractors and (ii) suppliers in the supply chain of such contractors. [66524]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports the use of procurement for this purpose, but, as the majority of our expenditure is overseas, we have limited potential to develop skills and apprenticeships in the UK through contractors and their suppliers.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010. [67459]
Mr Lidington: This information is not held in the form requested, and is available only at disproportionate cost. Staff attend events which support FCO objectives—for example, meetings with senior political and military figures from host countries and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UK Trade and Industry). Hospitality is undertaken for business reasons, and any expenditure on business hospitality is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
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Departmental Photographs
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on photoshoots and videos involving Ministers since May 2010. [67458]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Two Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officers have been trained in photography and cover FCO events attended by Ministers at no additional cost. This was reduced to one FCO officer since December 2010.
The FCO has also contracted through the Central Office of Information two professional video journalists since May 2010, but the costs of this are not split between ministerial and other events.
Departmental Procurement
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many procurement contracts his Department has awarded to small businesses since May 2010. [67237]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold centrally information on contracts awarded to small businesses. Procurement responsibility is devolved to directorates in London and over 260 posts overseas. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of procurement contracts offered by his Department have been advertised on the Contracts Finder website since the website’s inception. [67238]
Mr Lidington: The Department operates both in the UK and across a network of over 260 overseas posts. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has devolved procurement authorities and therefore to gather the total number of contracts could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since the introduction of Contracts Finder in December 2010, the FCO has published two contracts with a number of others undertaking assurance checks.
Departmental Property
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many properties his Department owns or rents (a) in the UK and (b) overseas; and what the location of each is. [66803]
Mr Lidington: In the UK the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) owns three properties: two buildings in London and one site near Milton Keynes. The FCO rents another three properties in London, and two in central Milton Keynes. The FCO's arm’s length bodies rent their own accommodation.
Overseas, the FCO has 5,047 properties. This includes compounds and the properties within those compounds. A more detailed breakdown of location of the properties will be deposited with the Library of the House.
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Business: Regulation
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations his Department has introduced (a) in the six months prior to 1 September 2010 and (b) in the six months after 1 September 2010 which it has determined do not impose costs on businesses. [65316]
Mr Lidington: The information requested is as follows:
(a)My Department introduced no regulations in the six months prior to 1 September 2010. It introduced, however, four statutory instruments (please see list contained in UIN 65350, reply to (a)). They did not impose costs on businesses.
(b) My Department has not introduced any regulatory measures in the six months after 1 September 2010 but it did introduce the following, seven statutory instruments which imposed no costs on businesses:
The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2010
The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) (Amendment) Order 2010
The Geneva Conventions (Overseas Territories) Order 2010
The Iran (United Nations Sanctions) (Amendment) Order 2010
The Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2010
The Legislative Reform (Civil Partnership) Order 2010.
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2010 and the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2010 have a minor impact on business in the case of the first Order and a minimal impact (largely minor changes in procedure) on businesses in the case of the second Order.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations that impose costs on businesses his Department has (a) introduced and (b) removed since 1 September 2010; what the net effect on the costs on businesses of such introductions and removals was; and what regulations have been excluded from the one-in one-out system because they address (i) emergencies and (ii) systemic financial risks since 1 September 2010. [65333]
Mr Lidington: The information is as follows:
(a) My Department has introduced no regulations since 1 September 2010, but it did introduce the following 18 statutory instruments, none of which imposed costs on businesses, in addition to the seven listed in the reply to UIN 65316 (b):
The Consular Fees Order 2011
The Tunisia (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2011
The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Partnership and Co-operation Agreement) (Republic of Indonesia) Order 2011
The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) (Republic of Serbia) Order 2011
The Libya (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2011
The Treaty of Lisbon (Changes on Terminology) Order 2011
The Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust Act (Dissolution) Order 2011
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The Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Conventions) (Amendment) (No 2) Order 2011
The Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc Act 2010 (Overseas Territories) Order 2011
The Overseas Territories (Change of Name) Order 2011
The Overseas Territories (Change of Name) (No 2) Order 2011
The Overseas Territories (Change of Name) (No 3) Order 2011
The Overseas Territories (Change of Name) (No 4) Order 2011
The Overseas Territories (Change of Name) (No 5) Order 2011
The Egypt (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2011
The Syria (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2011
The International Criminal Court (Libya) Order 2011
The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011
(b) No regulations imposing costs on businesses have been removed in this period by my Department.
The following statutory instruments were, however, removed:
The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2010 (please see reply to PQ 65316)
The Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Conventions) (Amendment) Order 2011
There was no net effect on the costs of businesses of such introductions and removals and no regulations have been excluded from the One-in, One-out regulatory management system.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations that impose costs on businesses his Department (a) introduced and (b) removed in the six months prior to 1 September 2010; and what the net effect on the costs on businesses of such introductions and removals was. [65350]
Mr Lidington: The information is as follows:
(a) No regulations imposing costs on businesses were introduced by my Department in the six months prior to 1 September 2010. For information, my Department introduced no regulations in this period but it made the following, four statutory instruments, none of which imposed costs on businesses:
The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Order 2010
The Uzbekistan (Restrictive Measures) (Overseas Territories) (Revocation) Order 2010
The International Criminal Court Act 2001 (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2010
The Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Act 2009 (Commencement No 2) Order 2010
(b) In the six months prior to 1 September 2010, my Department did not remove any regulations.
There was no net effect on the costs of businesses as a result of statutory instruments introduced or removed in this period.
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what process his Department follows for the production of regulatory guidance; and how many officials of his Department were involved in the production of such guidance on the last date for which figures are available. [67205]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not normally introduce regulations or regulatory guidance.
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Departmental Responsibilities
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to change his Department's administrative structure. [66802]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Yes. In line with the Ministerial Code and the new Code of Corporate Governance, we are in the process of setting up a new Supervisory Board, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will chair.
This new board will sit above our existing Management Board, which is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary. Its primary role will be to monitor the performance and capability of the Department in achieving the objectives in our Business Plan. It will have roughly equal membership of Ministers, officials and non executives. We anticipate that this Board will hold its first meeting after the summer, once we confirm the appointment of a lead non executive board member.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings he has had with hon. Members of each political party since May 2010. [67166]
Mr Lidington: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs meets members of all parties on a regular basis.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member of each political party. [67189]
Mr Lidington: Ministers and officials receive a large number of invitations from all sources, and we do not consider that a system to record reasons for declining invitations to meet would be value for money or worthwhile.
Departmental Training
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what the purpose of the training was in each case. [67457]
Mr Bellingham: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers attended the Ministerial Induction course run by the National School of Government at no cost to the office. Training is available to Ministers in order to carry out their duties effectively under the Ministerial Code. Details of training made available to Government Ministers by the National School of Government can be found at:
www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/MinisterialProgramme/Offer.asp
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Embassies: Operating Costs
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what proportion of the running costs of British embassies and high commissions was attributable to (a) rental or housing allowance and (b) maintenance of properties in the latest period for which figures are available; [54582]
(2) how much his Department has spent on the running costs of British embassies and High Commissions in the last two years. [54598]
Mr Lidington: The net cost of running our network of over 260 British embassies and high commissions are as follows:
2009-10: £783,557,669
2008-09: £777,099,364.
Running costs consists of salaries, central overheads other direct costs, and programme spend.
The FCO is committed to reducing costs across the network and has committed to removing bureaucracy.
European Parliament
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on ending sittings of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. [67874]
Mr Lidington: The UK Government's position on the site of the European Parliament is well known from the coalition programme for Government. We raise this issue with EU colleagues as appropriate.
Members of the European Parliament are also considering this issue. On 9 March 2011, they voted in favour of an amendment to the 2012-13 Strasbourg calendar seeking to reduce the number of sessions by one, through combining two autumn sessions. France and Luxembourg have challenged this decision at the European Court of Justice.
Falkland Islands: Shipping
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his Argentinian counterpart to discuss shipping links between the Falklands and South America. [67375]
Mr Jeremy Browne: There are no direct shipping links between Argentina and the Falkland Islands. The Government have not discussed with Argentina the shipping links that exist between the Falkland Islands and other South American ports.
In early 2010, Argentina introduced a presidential decree that aimed to restrict maritime movements to and from the Falkland Islands through Argentine waters. The Government have firmly protested and rejected the decree as not compliant with international law.
Ilois: Resettlement
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the outcome of Al-Skeini v UK at the European Court of Human Rights, what consideration he is giving to
19 July 2011 : Column 881W
withdrawing from the Chagos Islanders v UK case; what consideration he has given to an out-of-court settlement; and if he will make a statement. [67100]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We will continue to contest the case brought by a group of Chagos Islanders before the European Court of Human Rights. The Government believe the arguments against allowing resettlement on the grounds of feasibility and defence security are clear and compelling. We do not consider there to be a case for paying further compensation to the applicants as part of a settlement.
India: Commonwealth Games
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any request from Satellite Information Services for assistance in the recovery from the Indian Government of any sums owing to that company following its broadcast of the 2010 Commonwealth Games; and if he will make a statement. [67644]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Government are aware of the difficulties that Satellite Information Services and other British companies have had in receiving payment for services provided during the Commonwealth Games. We have raised our concerns with the Indian Government at ministerial level and officials in our high commission in Delhi are in regular touch with senior officials across the many different Ministries involved to try and seek a resolution.
Indonesia: Religious Freedom
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on religious freedom in Indonesia. [67379]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Our embassy in Jakarta monitors the situation on freedom of religion closely.
At the UK’s request, freedom of religion was included as a substantive item during the two EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogues which have taken place so far. The EU noted Indonesia’s efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue and raised concerns over—in particular—the persecution of the Ahmadiyya community and recent attacks on Christians.
Latin America: Embassies
Mr Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had on the future operations of UK embassies and consulates in (a) Latin America, (b) Central America and (c) the Caribbean. [67308]
Mr Jeremy Browne:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced details of the Network Shift to the House on 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 1165. We are increasing our overall diplomatic presence; maintaining all our embassies and high commissions in Latin America and
19 July 2011 : Column 882W
the Caribbean; and opening a new embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador and a new consulate in Recife and Brazil.
The UK’s operations in the Americas will be developed further by a new network of prosperity officers who are currently being recruited. These new officers will operate from our missions in Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Panama City, Rio, Santiago and Sao Paulo.
Montserrat: Volcanoes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential threat from volcanoes in Montserrat. [66644]
Mr Jeremy Browne: The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) continuously monitors the Soufrière Hills Volcano to provide timely advice to the authorities in order to reduce the impact of volcanic activity on the population of Montserrat. The MVO currently reports that volcanic activity is at a low level (hazard level 3). Weekly assessments are published on the MVO website:
www.mvo.ms
The MVO works closely with a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to monitor the threat posed by the volcano. The SAC last visited Montserrat from 15 to 17 November 2010. It reported the volcano was in a paused state and that the general level of expected risk to the people of Montserrat for the next 12 months had fallen compared to March 2010. The SAC's full report is also available on the MVO website.
National Security Council
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings he has had with the National Security Adviser since his appointment. [67355]
Mr Lidington: Ministers meet the National Security Adviser frequently during the normal course of business.
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role and responsibilities he has in relation to the National Security Council; and what recent contribution he has made to its work. [67417]
Mr Hague: I am a member of the National Security Council and I take an active role in all its discussions and decision-making. As Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, I am responsible for all the papers which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office submits for consideration by the National Security Council, and take a close interest in their preparation.
Pakistan: Politics and Government
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of (a) levels of corruption and (b) political stability in Pakistan. [67039]
19 July 2011 : Column 883W
Alistair Burt: The Government routinely monitor reporting on the nature and extent of corruption in Pakistan and works with the Government of Pakistan, International Partners and civil society organisations to promote accountability and transparency.
Pakistan is currently dealing with major domestic challenges, including how to: tackle a large militant insurgency in its border regions; achieve democratic and economic reform; and recover from the aftermath of last year's devastating floods as well as dealing with the repercussions of the death of Osama bin Laden. We offer Pakistan our full support in facing these challenges.
A stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan, at ease with its regional neighbours and equipped with the will and capacity to tackle violent extremism, is of direct and critical importance to the security of the UK and its interests. Ministers and senior officials engage regularly at a senior level with Pakistani interlocutors from all parties to highlight the importance of democratic and economic stability for Pakistan.
I and my colleagues continue to seek progress on these issues from the Pakistani Government.
Peru: Mining
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Peruvian counterpart on corporate social responsibility in the extractive sector. [67117]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Discussions on this issue are a regular feature of our official level dialogue with Peru. I intend to discuss issues relating to the extractive sector when I attend the presidential inauguration in Peru on 28 July.
The UK Government are committed to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and to the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights. We encourage all British companies wherever they operate, to observe these international standards, as since responsible businesses contribute to respect and support for human rights.
Our embassy in Lima is actively engaged in the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights Implementation Group. The group is assisting and encouraging the Peruvian Government to join the Voluntary Principles. The Voluntary Principles guide extractive industry companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensures, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Republic of Ireland: Commonwealth
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his Irish counterpart on the Republic of Ireland joining the Commonwealth. [66846]
Mr Lidington: The Republic of Ireland's interest in rejoining the Commonwealth is a matter for the Irish Government and the wider Commonwealth membership. The UK Government have had no discussions with the Irish Government on this issue.
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Sri Lanka
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he was informed in advance of the plans of the Secretary of State for Defence to visit Sri Lanka. [67619]
Alistair Burt: The visit undertaken by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence was official. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs fully supported the visit.
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects any changes to UK policy towards Sri Lanka to arise from the Secretary of State for Defence's recent visit to that country. [67643]
Alistair Burt: The visit to Sri Lanka by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence supported UK policy on Sri Lanka. He was able to deliver the Government's views to the Sri Lankan Government on the need for accountability for alleged war crimes and build on the visit I undertook to Sri Lanka in February 2011.
Third Sector
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which charities and voluntary organisations Ministers in his Department have visited since 12 May 2010. [67455]
Mr Lidington: Ministers carry out their duties in accordance with the Ministerial Code. Any charitable activities in a personal capacity are a private matter for them. Relevant interests are published by the Cabinet Office in the List of Ministers’ Interests at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/list-ministers-interests
Tibet: Human Rights
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on the subject of human rights in Tibet. [65944]
Mr Jeremy Browne: I raised our concerns about human rights in China, during my visit in June. I also raised our specific concerns about human rights in Tibet with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Special Representative on Human Rights at the 19(th) Round of the UK-China human rights dialogue in January 2011.
The UK-China human rights dialogue also included an expert workshop on minority rights and languages, an area of particular relevance to Tibet. British embassy officials in China have recently made visits to Tibetan areas and continue to monitor the situation.
We are also deeply concerned by reports of violence at the Kirti Monastery in a Tibetan area of Sichuan Province. I wrote to the Chinese Ambassador on 3 May raising our concerns at recent human rights developments in China, including the situation at Kirti Monastery.
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Officials have also raised these concerns with both the Chinese embassy in London and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, asking for information and calling for restraint.
Visits Abroad
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister concerning private visits made by Government Ministers to meet representatives of foreign Governments. [67620]
Mr Lidington: We do not comment on internal conversations between members of the Government.
West Papua
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on the situation in West Papua. [67380]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We regularly raise UK public and parliamentary concern at the situation in Papua with the Indonesian Government at ministerial and official level. In addition, our officials regularly visit the region—the next visit is scheduled for 2 August—and we voice our concerns when appropriate. The UK has also participated fully in the EU-Indonesia Human Rights dialogues. At the most recent dialogue which took place on 9 March 2011 in Brussels, the EU raised continuing concerns at the situation in the Papuan provinces and underscored the need for accountability.
The UK encourages dialogue between all parties, and remains committed to encouraging all levels of government to work with the Papuans towards solving their regional governance disputes peacefully. We welcome the organisation of a Papuan Peace Conference in Jayapura from 5 to 7 July and have long encouraged all parties to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve their differences. Our priority for the provinces of Papua and West Papua is to encourage full implementation of special autonomy for these provinces and to press for increased focus on meaningful economic and social development to address the widespread poverty in the region.
While concerns remain we welcome progress that has been made in respect for both human rights and governance in the region.
Cabinet Office
Apprentices
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has a policy on requirements for the provision of (a) apprenticeships and (b) other training by (i) his Department's prime contractors and (ii) suppliers in the supply chain of such contractors. [66594]
Mr Maude:
The Cabinet Office expects its suppliers and supply chain partners to deploy capable staff on contracts servicing our needs. Our procurement processes
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include relevant checks on supplier capability. It is for suppliers themselves to decide their training and apprenticeship requirements.
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many apprenticeships have been created directly by contracts with his Department in each of the last three years. [66596]
Mr Maude: Among the Cabinet Office's major contractors, the number of apprenticeships created were two in 2008-09, two in 2009-10 and three in 2010-11.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from (a) his Department and (b) 10 Downing Street in (i) June 2010 and (ii) June 2011. [66763]
Mr Maude: The estimated carbon emissions from the Cabinet Office as a whole and 10 Downing street in June 2010 and June 2011 are shown in the following table. These figures have not been weather-corrected.
| Carbon emissions | ||
| Tonnes | ||
|
|
June 2010 | June 2011 |
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, column 1018W, on departmental carbon emissions, if he will assess the feasibility of low-carbon energy generation on his Department's estate. [67930]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office is presently undergoing an estate rationalisation programme which will result in its concentration into two buildings: 70 Whitehall/Downing street and 1 Horseguards road.
A low-carbon energy generation feasibility study was undertaken at the Department's building at 70 Whitehall in September 2008. The study considered options for renewable energy generation such as wind turbines, photovoltaic panels and the installation of biomass heating. Financial considerations as well as restrictions arising due to the building's grade 1 listed status meant that none of the proposals presented were feasible.
The Cabinet Office will seek to work with the other occupiers at 1 Horseguards road to assess possible future low-carbon energy generation options.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held. [66595]
Mr Maude: Spend is only categorised by sector on a retrospective basis at the end of each financial year and is not available in real time. The information is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
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Departmental Redundancy
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [67450]
Mr Maude: I refer the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) on 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 667W.
Regulation: Guidance
Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what process his Department follows for the production of regulatory guidance; and how many officials of his Department were involved in the production of such guidance on the last date for which figures are available. [67210]
Mr Maude: Cabinet Office has not introduced any new regulation in the last 12 months. No officials are dedicated to the production of guidance, any guidance required is drafted alongside the preparation of the regulations to which it relates and, as such, it is not possible to distinguish the resource used in preparing guidance from the resource used to prepare the regulation.
Cabinet Office prepares its guidance in accordance with the BIS Code of Practice "Code of Practice on Guidance on Regulation":
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/better-regulation/code-of-practice-on-guidance-on-regulation
and with reference to the Better Regulation website:
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/laver?r.l1=1079717544&r.lc=en&r.l2=1079840861&topicld =1084828139&furlname=betterregulation&furlparam=betterr egulation&ref=http%3A//www.bis.gov.uk/policies/better-regulation/code-of-practice-on-guidance-on-regulation&domain=businesslink.gov.uk
Departmental Training
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on training for Ministers since May 2010; and what the purpose of the training was in each case. [67449]
Mr Maude: Since May 2010 Cabinet Office Ministers have not received any training at a cost to the Department.
Employment: Visual Impairment
Jonathan Edwards:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of working age (a) blind and (b) partially-sighted people in each nation of
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the UK are (i) employed, (ii) unemployed and seeking work and (iii) unemployed and inactive. [67128]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of working age (a) blind and (b) partially-sighted people in each nation of the UK are (i) employed, (ii) unemployed and seeking work and (ii) unemployed and inactive. 67128
The available information is provided in the attached table. The estimates are derived from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and are for all those who reported that they had difficulty in seeing (including while wearing spectacles or contact lenses). Separate estimates for blind and partially-sighted are not available.
Estimates for Northern Ireland have not been provided because the relatively small sample size there means the estimates are too unreliable and, also, rules on confidentiality would have been breached.
The official, internationally agreed definitions of labour market status have been applied in this answer. Consequently, “unemployed and seeking work” is treated as “unemployed” and “unemployed and inactive” is treated as “economically inactive”.
Statistics published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin previously described as working age (men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59) have now been replaced with statistics based on those aged 16-64 for both men and women. Consequently, the estimates provided are on this basis.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who have difficulty in seeing, by labour market status, average for January to December 2010 | |||
| Percentage | |||
|
|
In employment | Unemployed | Economically inactive |
| Source: Annual Population Survey. | |||
Government Departments: Advertising
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government spent on advertising in (a) The Sun, (b) The Times, (c) the News of the World and (d) The Sunday Times (i) in each financial year since 2005-06 and (ii) 2011-12 to date. [65512]
Mr Maude: Information on Government spend on advertising in News International titles through the Central Office of Information (COI) for the financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 is listed in the following tables:
| The Sun and News of the World | |||||
| £ | |||||
|
|
April 2005 – March 2006 | April 2006 – March 2007 | April 2007 – March 2008 | April 2008 – March 2009 | April 2009 – March 2010 |
19 July 2011 : Column 889W
19 July 2011 : Column 890W
| The Times and The Sunday Times | |||||
| £ | |||||
|
|
April 2005 – March 2006 | April 2006 – March 2007 | April 2007 – March 2008 | April 2008 – March 2009 | April 2009 – March 2010 |
These figures detailed as follows show Government spend on advertising in News International titles through COI for the financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12. These figures have not yet been fully audited.
| £ | |
| Title | April 2010 – March 2011 |
| £ | |
| Title | April 2010 – March 2011 |
| £ | |
| Title | April 2011 – March 2012 |
Thomas Docherty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government and their Executive agencies spent on advertising in each News International newspaper title in the period between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011. [65579]
Mr Maude: The total amount spent on advertising campaigns with News International newspaper titles by Government and their Executive agencies is not held centrally.
The figures detailed in the table show Government spend on advertising in News International titles made through the central Office of Information (COI) between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011. These figures have not yet been fully audited.
|
|
£ |
Government Departments: Electric Vehicles
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what consideration he has given to proposing the installation of charging points for electric vehicles across the central Government estate. [66740]
Mr Maude: Departments have adopted a range of energy efficient vehicles to improve efficiency and achieve their carbon reduction commitments. It is for each Department to decide on a cost effective basis the development of any infrastructure upon their estate to support the operation of their fleet.
Lord Macdonald of River Glaven
Helen Goodman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether Lord Macdonald of River Glaven required clearance from the Business Appointments Committee for his work at News International. [67641]
Mr Maude: As I made clear in my answer of 12 July 2011, Official Report, column 262W, civil servants employed by the Crown Prosecution Service are subject to the requirements of the business appointment rules for two years after leaving office.
Lord MacDonald left the post of Director of Public Prosecutions on 31 October 2008. I understand his work for News International commenced in May 2011 and was therefore outside the scope of the rules’ two-year period.