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Written Answers
Wednesday, 6th February 2002.
Gibraltar
Lord Hoyle asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the complaints that Spain has made against Gibraltar; what evidence the Spanish Government have supplied in relation to these allegations; and on which dates these allegations were made. [HL2318]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): We have made clear to the Spanish authorities that they should provide us with evidence of legitimate complaints against Gibraltar and that, together with the Government of Gibraltar, we will investigate such evidence.
Afghanistan: British Detainees
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How they intend to protect the interests, such as humane treatment and access to defence counsel, of British citizens arrested in Afghanistan, whether they remain in that country or are transferred to American bases in Cuba or elsewhere. [HL2322]
Baroness Amos: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer the Minister of State, Lady Symons, gave the noble Lord on 29 January (Official Report, cols. 74–96).
Zimbabwe: Food Programmes
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What emergency food has been sent in the last two months to Zimbabwe; from which countries; and to whom.[HL2478]
Baroness Amos: NGOs are operating supplementary feeding programmes for poor and vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe, having procured food in the region as long ago as September 2001. DfID has provided £4 million for programmes run by NGOs. The USA has also funded NGO feeding programmes.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also begun a food aid operation in Zimbabwe as a part of the UN Humanitarian Assistance and Recovery Programme. WFP has procured 6,400 tonnes of food in South Africa and has re-routed an 8,200 tonne shipment of maize meal from Tanzania. Grain is just beginning to arrive in country. Currently WFP is using its own funds and pledges from the USA and UK. WFP's programme will also work through NGOs in poor communities in 19 districts.
Israel: Occupied Territories
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations have been made by the European Union to Israel concerning the recent destruction of European Union-funded premises and installations in the Occupied Territories; and, if none, what action Her Majesty's Government will propose to the European Union.[HL2491]
Baroness Amos: The General Affairs Council discussed this issue on 28 January 2002. It issued the following statement as part of its conclusions: "The European Union is seriously concerned at the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and other facilities which help Palestinians in their economic, social and humanitarian development and which are financed by the European Union and other donors. The European Union urges the Government of Israel to put an end to this practice and reserves the right to claim reparation in the appropriate fora".
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations they have made to Israel following the recent destruction of the television and radio station and other Palestinian institutions in Ramallah, Tulkarm and elsewhere in the Occupied Territories; what response they have received; and what exchanges they have held with the United States Government.[HL2520]
Baroness Amos: Together with our European Union partners we raised our concerns about Israeli attacks on the Palestinian infrastructure at the General Affairs Council on 28 January. We reserved the right to claim reparation for the damage to European Union funded infrastructure in the appropriate fora. We remain in close contact with the US and our EU partners in efforts to unblock the peace process. The Foreign Secretary discussed the Middle East Peace Process with Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington on 31 January. We will continue to work closely with the US and our EU partners to help unblock the peace process.
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have calculated the cost of the destruction of Palestinian institutions, including both air and sea ports, by Israel since September 2000 (a) to the Palestinian Authority, (b) to the European Union and (c) to the United Kingdom Government.[HL2521]
Baroness Amos: We do not have figures for the cost to the Palestinian Authority of the destruction of its institutions. We are not aware of any damage to infrastructure funded bilaterally by the UK. Damage to infrastructure funded by the EU and its member states is estimated at E17.254 million. The General Affairs Council of the European Union raised concerns about destruction of Palestinian infrastructure on 28 January and reserved the right to claim reparation in the appropriate fora.
Kuwaiti Prisoners of War
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have had reports on any progress concerning the 605 prisoners of war from Kuwait, missing in Iraq, following the appeal made by the United Nations Human Rights Commission at its January session and the efforts of Ambassador Vorontsov, the Secretary-General's special representative.[HL2590]
Baroness Amos: No. Iraq has only provided information sufficient to close three Kuwaiti missing files so far. The UK continues to take an active role in the Tripartite Commission to establish the whereabouts of 605 Kuwaiti and other nationals still missing since the occupation of Kuwait. Despite efforts to urge Iraq to recognise the humanitarian nature of this issue, the Government of Iraq still refuses to co-operate with the process.
Zimbabwe: British Citizens
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many British passport holders are currently under arrest in Zimbabwe; what offences they are charged with; and whether Her Majesty's Government have expressed concern to the Government of Zimbabwe with regard to any particular case.[HL2619]
Baroness Amos: We are not aware of any British citizens currently under arrest in Zimbabwe.
Employment and Recruitment Industry
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made in the drafting of the conduct of employment agencies and employment businesses regulations; and when they intend to publish a final draft.[HL2536]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): We expect to issue the revised draft regulations shortly; there will then be a brief consultation exercise on certain aspects of those regulations.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What percentage of the United Kingdom's recruitment sector is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises; and[HL2537]
Whether they have made an assessment of the impact that the draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations will have on small and medium-sized enterprises within the recruitment industry in the United Kingdom; and, if so, whether they will publish their assessment.[HL2538]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: While the private recruitment industry is made up overwhelmingly of small firms, we have no details of the percentage of establishments in the industry which would be classified as small and medium-sized enterprises.
The regulatory impact assessment (RIA), which was issued with the draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations, showed that the proposed changes would affect small and large firms equally. The RIA estimates one-off administrative costs for agencies and employment businesses at £3.5 million and provides an illustrative range of the recurring costs to employment businesses of lost temp-to-perm transfer fees of £4.5 million to £9 million, or 0.04–0.08 per cent of the industry turnover.
Agricultural and Horticultural Census
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In light of the reported figure of 10 million animals slaughtered during the recent foot and mouth outbreak, whether they will amend livestock numbers published in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Agricultural and Horticultural Census of 1 June 2001.[HL2514]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The estimates of livestock numbers from the Agricultural and Horticultural Census of 1 June already take account of slaughterings up to that date and do not need amending.
The figure for animals slaughtered during the foot and mouth outbreak is approximately 6.5 million. This figure is made up of some 4 million slaughtered for disease control purposes and a further 2.5 million slaughtered as a result of eligible applications received under the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme and the Light Lambs Disposal Scheme.
The figure of 4 million was taken from Defra's Disease Control System Database (DCS) on 24 January 2002 and may be subject to revision as more information becomes available. In particular, for the earlier part of the period accurate records of very young animals were not always taken and hence this figure could rise a little. A quality assurance exercise on the data within DCS is currently being carried out.
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