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Written Answers
Thursday, 22nd May 1997.
Landmines
Baroness Serota asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their policy on the import, export, transfer, manufacture and use of anti-personnel landmines.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): As announced earlier today in another place by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary, we shall implement our manifesto commitment to ban the import, export, transfer and manufacture of all forms of anti-personnel landmines.
We will accelerate the phasing out of our stocks of anti-personnel landmines, and complete it by 2005 or when an effective international agreement to ban their use enters into force, whichever comes first. In the meantime, we have introduced a complete moratorium on their operational use while we participate constructively in the Ottawa Process and push in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva for a wider ban.
That moratorium will only be suspended if we judge that for a specific operation the security of our Armed Forces would be jeopardised without the possibility of the use of anti-personnel landmines. In such an exceptional case we would report to Parliament the decision, and the circumstances which led to it.
We shall also examine how we can make more progress in removing mines already laid across the world.
Childcare Facilities in the House of Lords
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- Whether the Administration and Works Sub-Committee will recommend the provision of creche facilities within the Palace of Westminster for staff of the House.
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): The Administration and Works Sub-Committee have not considered this question. There is very limited accommodation available to the House of Lords, and the Clerk of the Parliaments has introduced a system of childcare vouchers to provide help for staff with children.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- What is the amount currently given to staff of the House for childcare purposes; and whether they will now make this a non-tax deductible allowance.
Lord Boston of Faversham: The value of the childcare voucher was raised from £6 to £7 on 1 April. One voucher is payable per family per day in respect of childcare for children of pre-school age (and for children of school age during school holidays) where both parents are in work.
The allowance is subject to tax and any alteration of this status is a matter for the Board of Inland Revenue.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- Further to his Written Answer of 11 November 1996 (WA 87), what evidence he has that the childcare voucher scheme is "very popular in its existing form" with staff of the House; how many staff were consulted; and whether any such questionnaire included an option of creche facilities within the Palace of Westminster.
Lord Boston of Faversham: No formal survey has been conducted inviting recipients of childcare vouchers to comment on the scheme. Recipients are, however, all known individually to the Establishment Office and are known to be grateful for the assistance provided.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- Whether the Administration and Works Sub-Committee will undertake a study to establish the need for creche facilities within the Palace of Westminster; and, if not, why not.
Lord Boston of Faversham: No, in view of the limited accommodation within the Palace and the success of the childcare voucher scheme.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- What information he has about the provision of childcare facilities in private industry and whether he will compare this to facilities in the House of Lords.
Lord Boston of Faversham: Because of the different circumstances, a comparison with childcare facilities in private industry would not be useful. In setting the value of the childcare voucher, regard is had to the level of similar provision made in both the private and the public sector.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked the Chairman of Committees:
- What information he has about the provision of childcare facilities in the United States Congress and whether he will compare this to facilities in the House of Lords.
Lord Boston of Faversham: I have no information on the provision of childcare facilities in the US Congress.
British Nationality (Hong Kong)Act 1997: Fees
Baroness David asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What provision they intend to make in respect of fees for applications for British citizenship made under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The British Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 are being laid before Parliament today. They amend the British Nationality (Fees) Regulations 1996 so as to prescribe a fee of £250 for an application for registration as a British citizen under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997, and apply to the 1997 Act the fee of £20 for supplying a certified copy of a certificate, etc.
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