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Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
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.
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
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
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
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:
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.
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
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.
Lord Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:
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.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
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.
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