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Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I am not aware that participation in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) projects by SMEs in the North West of England compares unfavourably with other regions.
The North West Action for Competitiveness plan, prepared in partnership with key public and private sector agencies across the region, was the basis for the use of the ERDF in Structural Funds programmes. These programmes were substantially fully committed, and aggregated outputs suggest that the expected level of SME support will be realised.
New Structural Funds programmes for 2000-06 are now being prepared by regional partnerships and support for SMEs will be a priority.
Lord Cuckney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainbury of Turville: The independent inspectors appointed to investigate the flotation of Mirror Group Newspapers are still carrying out their work. Consequently they have yet to report to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
Lord Cuckney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The inspectors appointed under Companies Act powers to investigate and report on the flotation of Mirror Group Newspapers are independent of DTI.
Lord Cuckney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The cost of the inspection to date (excluding Value Added Tax) is £7,639,765.
Lord Cuckney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The inspectors have not completed their enquiries. No interim report has been prepared by them. It is important for the inspection to be completed as quickly as is possible and for a final report to be submitted. The preparation of an interim report could delay the preparation of a final report.
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The cost of the advertisement was £6,175.80. We were seeking to fill a number of vacancies in three areas of work (Messengers, Paperkeepers and Reprographics) and not just three individual posts. We also hope the advertisement will create a reserve list of suitable applicants to fill similar vacancies over the next 12 months.
We chose this recruitment route as it has proved successful in the past in attracting a wide range of suitable applicants.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: UN proximity talks began in New York on 3 December to prepare the ground for comprehensive negotiations on a settlement in Cyprus. The content of the discussions remain privy to the UN, but the Secretary General has confirmed that both parties engaged constructively on core settlement issues. The proximity talks will continue in Geneva on 31 January. We continue to give the UN Secretary General strong support in his efforts.
Baroness Lockwood asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman): Interim results on glyphosate residues, taken from the Government's ongoing monitoring programme for pesticides, are being pusblished today. A summary of the results from the first six months of a year-long survey of residues in soya products appears in MAFF's Food Safety Information Bulletin. The results show that none of the samples tested contained residues of glyphosate above the reporting level. Copies of the Food Safety Information Bulletin and a more detailed information paper have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Advertising is used by departments when they judge it is the most cost effective way of delivering the publicity necessary to support a policy or proposal. The total amount spent on advertising in 1996-97 was £69 million. The sum total spent by departments and agencies on a wide range of advertising campaigns so far this year (from April to December 1999) is £67 million.
These figures represent the advertising commissioned on behalf of departments and agencies by the Central Office of Information.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the statement of the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 13 December (H.L. Deb., col. 5): ". . . as the Labour Party made clear before coming into office that it would have a strong centre, which it has", where in the party's general election manifesto reference to this policy development can be found.[HL434]
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): This Government are committed to delivering the programme of change set out in the Labour Party's general election manifesto. That commitment to delivery was itself set out clearly in the manifesto. Strengthening the centre of government to co-ordinate and oversee the delivery of policy is quite different from the Government's programme of devolution and local government reform in order to move away from "over-centralisation of government and lack of accountability".
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The cost of running the Strategic Communications Unit for 1998-99 was £545,865 and the projected running costs for 1999-2000 are £737,866.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The duties and responsibilities of civil servants, including special
advisers, are set out in the Civil Service Code, in the Model Contract for Special Advisers and in the guidance on the work of the Government Information Service.Copies of these documents are available from the Library of the House.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Members of the GICS are permanent civil servants and are governed by the rules laid out in the Civil Service Code. In addition they work to the guidance on the work of the GIS. The guidance was reissued with the authority of the Prime Minister in July 1997. The Strategic Communication Unit is made up of six permanent Civil Servants and two special advisers, all of whom work to the Civil Service Code. In addition, the special advisers are governed by the model contract for special advisers.
Copies of all the papers mentioned have been placed in the Library.
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