| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, pending the establishment of an all-party executive in Prishtine, the Serbian authorities in Kosovo have agreed to stop destroying civilian property and displacing non-combatants from their homes; and whether the Government will develop contingency plans with NATO allies for military action to stop further attacks on villages and towns, and promote a Security Council Resolution authorising the use of force if necessary to prevent harm and loss of life to civilians.[HL3225]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The FRY Authorities continue to insist that they are not targeting civilians and their homes in Kosovo, but that their forces are only responding to attacks by the Kosovo Liberation Army. We do not accept this explanation and have repeatedly urged the Belgrade Authorities to end the wanton destruction of civilian property in Kosovo which has resulted in the displacement of many citizens. NATO military planning is at an advanced stage. The legal base for any military action against the FRY will need to be decided upon taking full account of the circumstances at the time.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Sponsorship Money
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer to Question HL2916 by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on
30 July (WA 224), which United Kingdom-based organisations and companies have contributed sponsorship money to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during the recent United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union; and how much was donated and what support was provided in kind in each case.[HL 3268]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: During the six months of the United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union, sponsorship activity will have been undertaken not only in the United Kingdom but also at posts overseas and my Written Answer of 30 July (WA 224) applies.
Information relating specifically to events held under the UK Presidency of the European Union and managed centrally by the FCO is provided as follows: Cash Sponsorship Eurostar Goldman Sachs Paribas ABN Ambro UBS British Telecom
- Total: £188,333
In-Kind Sponsorship
Canon: Photocopies & Facsimile machines
Dell: Information Technology
Group 4: Security Personnel & Equipment
Rover: Cars
Eurostar: Tickets for prize winners
- Total: £367,727
- Total: £265,000
In-Kind Sponsorship
Sony: Sound & Visual Equipment
British Telecom: Telecommunications Equip
- Total: £70,191
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer to Question HL2917 by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 30 July (WA 224), on what terms and conditions sponsorship money from United Kingdom-based organisations and companies was received by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during the recent United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union; whether written sponsorship agreements were signed in all cases; if not, in which cases agreements were not signed; and whether they will place copies of such agreements in the Library of the House.[HL3269]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: All sponsorship was subject, as a minimum, to an exchange of letters setting out the sponsorship in cash or in-kind to be provided, the benefits allotted to the sponsor by the FCO in return for the sponsorship and the values attributed to these benefits. The details of these letters are subject to commercial confidentiality and cannot be placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer to Question HL2918 by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 30 July (WA 224), how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office tailored the process of selection of United Kingdom-based sponsors to individual projects in the United Kingdom during the recent United Kingdom presidency of the European Union; whether any sector of British industry was prevented from offering its services as a sponsor; and, if so, whether that resulted in any company or companies that expressed an interest in being a sponsor being refused.[HL3270]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: During the six months of the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union, sponsorship activity will have been undertaken not only in the United Kingdom but also at posts overseas and my Written Answer of 30 July (WA 224) applies.
The selection of United Kingdom-based sponsors for events held under the UK Presidency of the European Union and managed centrally by the FCO was undertaken by Integrated Communication Projects Ltd. under Contract to the FCO. Approaches were made to over 400 companies seeking sponsorship for the presidency events. Sponsorship was only sought to offset the cost of supplying goods and services that were essential to the running of events during the presidency and only where the demands of potential sponsors could be met without impacting on the dignity of the occasion and of the UK as hosts. For the UK presidency events no sponsor was refused other than where exclusive agreements for particular goods and/or services had already been reached.
G8 Birmingham Summit: Sponsorship
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 14 July (WA 10), which companies provided the £500,000 sponsorship of the G8 summit in Birmingham referred to in that Answer.[HL3271]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The following companies provided sponsorship valued at £500,000 towards the arrangements made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the G8 Summit in Birmingham: British Petroleum, British Telecommunications, Canon, Dell Computers, Group 4 and Rover Group.
International Meetings: Costs Breakdown
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will provide a detailed breakdown of the costs of (a) the Asia-Europe meeting, (b) the European Conference and (c) the Cardiff European Council showing the sponsorship monies donated and the support provided in kind in each case.[HL3272]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: (a) The latest forecast cost of the arrangements made by the FCO for the Asia-Europe meeting is £5.4 million (excluding VAT). This breaks down as follows:
| £ | |
| Summit venue costs | 2.9m |
| Hotel Accommodation | 0.1m |
| Security Staff and equipment | 0.03m |
| Transport | 0.4m |
| Media Facilities | 1.3m |
| Administrative and other costs | 0.67m |
| Total | 5.4m |
| Cash sponsorship | 158,000 |
| In-kind sponsorship | 276,000 |
| Total | 434,000 |
| Total ASEM Cost less sponsorship | 4.97m |
(b) Expenditure on the European Conference was £1.2 million (excluding VAT) and was not sponsored in cash or in-kind. A breakdown of this figure can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(c) The latest forecast cost of the arrangements made by the FCO for the European Council in Cardiff is £6.5 million (excluding VAT). Cash sponsorship for the European Council was £33,333. In-kind sponsorship for the European Council was £239,428. A breakdown of the costs for the European Council can, at present, only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Magistrates' Courts: Derbyshire
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 22 July (Official Report, cols, 876-878) on centralising magistrates' courts in Derbyshire
a) how many additional passenger miles will be made by staff and others attending court as a result of this proposal;
b) whether the availability or otherwise of public transport was taken into account in deciding to centralise the courts;
c) whether the centralised proposals comply with the Government's White Paper on Transport (CM 3950) which seeks to reduce the need for travel and, in paragraph 1.49 states "Government
- departments (should) take the lead in introducing 'green transport plans' which cut down on car use", and
whether the Lord Chancellor's Department plans to provide financial support for public transport to mitigate the effect of the cost and inconvenience of these proposals.HL3078
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): Six appeals are outstanding against the local proposals but have yet to be fully considered:
a) no data have been collated about additional passenger miles for court users; there will be considerably reduced travel for court staff and for the Crown Prosecution Service as there will be fewer locations between which they must commute;
b) public transport was taken into account; both distance and travel time were considered; in addition a detailed survey of non-professional users was conducted to ascertain their travel arrangements;
c) in light of the user survey, the Courts' Committee do not believe its proposals will have a significant impact on "green issues": For my part, I am asked to decide appeals lodged against a given determination in accordance with Section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997; I have the power to ask a courts' committee to review its determination in light of any new information; that courts' committee may then decide to rescind its earlier decision; if not the appeal continues; I do not have the power to rehear the entire case to take account of new information or policies.
My department does not plan to provide additional financial support as suggested; magistrates' courts are a locally managed service.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page