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Written Answers
Thursday, 7th February 2002.
Mileage Allowances
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the mileage allowances agreed for—
(a) Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords;
(b) Members of the Scottish Parliament;
(c) Members of the Welsh Assembly;
(d) staff in the Lord Chancellor's Department;
(e) staff in the Home Office;
(f) staff in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; and
(g) staff in the Department of Trade and Industry.[HL2425]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): Mileage allowances are agreed separately by each body. They are currently as follows:
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): The extraordinary European Council on 21 September 2001 agreed a plan of action in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September. The Presidency's report to the European Council on action following the attacks (document 14919/01) and a Council document updating the "road map" of the measures and initiatives implemented under this action plan
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: We have carefully reviewed the reservation in respect of Article 22 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in the light of recent requests that it should be withdrawn. However, we are convinced that it remains necessary in order to maintain an effective immigration control and in no way inhibits the discharge of our obligations under the convention.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: The United Kingdom ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. The reservation in respect of Article 22 in no way inhibits the discharge of our obligations under the convention. There exists comprehensive provision in United Kingdom law for the care and protection of children, which applies in full to children who have been recognised as refugees in this country and to those who have sought asylum here but whose claim has not yet been determined.
The reservation was entered to safeguard the right of the United Kingdom to determine its own immigration and nationality laws.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): As I reported to noble Lords during the Second Reading of the Export Control Bill on 8 January (Official Report, col. 515) a study involving two leading independent academic economists into the economic costs and benefits of defence exports was published on 11 December 2001. It found that the benefits to government (for example, in reducing our defence equipment costs) outweigh the costs by a significant margin. The Government broadly agree with its findings, which concluded that, rather than being subsidised, defence exports represented a significant net benefit to the UK economy.
It reported that defence export sales averaged about £6 billion in 1998 and 1999 and supported almost 100,000 jobs, many of them high quality jobs in cutting-edge industry. It estimated that the ending of defence exports from the UK would involve a one-off adjustment cost of between £4 billion and £5 billion, equivalent to about 0.5 per cent of one year's GDP. In addition there would be a continuous net cost to government of between £90 million and £200 million.
As I made clear on 8 January, the Government's policy of supporting the legitimate efforts made by UK industry to win export orders are primarily based on their contribution to our defence and international security interests. Defence exports help support a strong UK defence industry and contribute to the security of our friends and allies.
I am not aware of any recent official seminar that discussed the Oxford Research Group and Saferworld report The Subsidy Trap.
Lord Vivian asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: It is too early to be certain which country will take over command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), although Turkey has
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: The Government have not had any contacts with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on this issue since the matter was discussed in the House on 21 January (Official Report, cols. 1328–31). Officials do however keep in regular touch with commission staff.
We anticipate that both the Belgian and French Governments will continue to honour our war dead as they have in the past, and we would not expect to be officially involved until either project has reached the stage of full consultation with interested parties.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We will be even-handed in our treatment of Ilisu and Yusufeli.
We shall require the same level of satisfaction about the impacts of the Yusufeli dam as we do for all other applications for ECGD support. This means that support will be considered against ECGD's published business principles (which appear on ECGD's website: http://www.ecgd.gov.uk. The criteria for assessing the project impacts arising from cases on which ECGD is approached for cover can also be found on the website, in the "Introduction to ECGD's Impact Screening and Analysis Procedures" in the "Impact Questionnaire".
The government reponses to the Trade and Industry Select Committee's 12th report specifically addressed the committee's recommendations as set out in the summary of conclusions and recommendations.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: More than 500 copies of the conclusions of the Laeken European Council were sent to Parliament, including to the House of Lords Printed Paper Office, on the first working day following the European Council meeting. In addition, the conclusions were made available in full on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The contents of the conclusions have since been scrutinised and debated at length in both Houses of Parliament.
The next White Paper on developments in the European Union, which is currently being produced and will be available shortly, will not contain the European Council conclusions or its annexes. These are lengthy documents and have already been made available as set out.
(a) Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords STANDARD RATE: CARS
Up to 20,000 miles Further Mileage
Regardless of engine size 53.7p 24.8p
PEDAL CYCLE
6.9p
(b) Members of the Scottish Parliament STANDARD RATE: CARS
All mileage Regardless of engine size 49.3p
STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
All mileage Regardless of engine size 24 PEDAL CYCLE
12p
(c) Members of the Welsh Assembly STANDARD RATE: CARS
Up to 20,000 miles Further Mileage
Regardless of engine size 45p 25p
STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
Up to 20,000 miles Further Mileage
Regardless of engine size
22.1p 9p
PEDAL CYCLE
6.7p
(d) staff in the Lord Chancellor's Department STANDARD RATE: CARS
Up to 4,000 miles Over 4,000 miles
Up to 1,000cc 40p 25p
1,001 to 1,500cc 40p 25p
1,501 to 2,000cc 45p 25p
Over 2,000cc 63p 36p
PUBLIC TRANSPORT RATE: CARS
All mileage Regardless of engine size 25p STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
All mileage Regardless of engine size 24p PEDAL CYCLE
12p
(e) staff in the Home Office STANDARD RATE: CARS Non-Immigration and Naturalisation Directorate Staff Up to 5,000 miles Over 5,000 miles Regardless of engine size
42.5p 25p Immigration and Naturalisation Directorate Staff
Up to 5,000 miles Over 5,000 miles
Up to 1,500cc 40p 25p
1,501 to 2,000cc 43p 25p
Over 2,000cc 46p 31p
PUBLIC TRANSPORT RATE: CARS
All mileage Regardless of engine size 23.8p STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
Up to 4,000 miles Over 4,000 miles
Up to 125cc 16.2p 6.2p
Over 125cc 26p 9p
PUBLIC TRANSPORT RATE: MOTORCYCLES
All mileage Up to 125cc 12.9p Over 125cc 23.8p PEDAL CYCLE
6.2p
(f) staff in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions STANDARD RATE: CARS
Up to 400 miles Over 4,000 miles
Regardless of engine size 40p 24p PUBLIC TRANSPORT RATE: CARS
All mileage Regardless of engine size 24 STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
Up to 4,000 miles Over 4,000 miles
Up to 125cc 18p 18p
Over 125cc 27p 24p
PEDAL CYCLE
12p
and
(g) staff in the Department of Trade and Industry STANDARD RATE: CARS
Up to 4,000 miles Over 4,000 miles
Up to 1500cc 40p 25p
1501 to 2000cc 45p 25p
Over 2000cc 48p 34p
STANDARD RATE: MOTORCYCLES
Up to 4,000 miles Over 4,000 miles
Up to 125cc 16.2p 6.1p
Over 125cc 25.3p 9.0p
PEDAL CYCLE
12p Whether agreement has been reached, informally, politically or formally by members of the European Council of the European Union and Community, or their Permanent Representatives, to introduce measures to combat terrorism, additional to those now publicised and under consideration under the title of the European Arrest Warrant; where they have been published; and what they comprise.[HL2585]
Whether they will give effect to the recommendation by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and reconsider the reservation made on behalf of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.[HL2588]
Whether they agree with the United Nation's Committee on the Rights of the Child that the reservation made on behalf of the United Kingdom is incompatible with the object and purposes of that convention.[HL2589]
Whether they agree with the Oxford Research Group and Saferworld that the annual cost of subsidising British arms exports is approximately £420 million (or £4,600 per person employed); whether The Subsidy Trap was discussed at an official seminar in December 2001; and, if so, what conclusions were reached.[HL2201]
Which country will take over the command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF); and what is the date when all British troops will be withdrawn.[HL2594]
What further contacts they have had with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the issue of disturbance to British war graves in France and Belgium; and at what stage Ministers will be prepared to make direct interventions.[HL2658]
What consideration they have given to the recommendations by the Trade and Industry Select Committee of the House of Commons, in paragraph 22 of their 12th report of Session 2000–01 that Ministers must not only be even handed as between the Ilisu and Yusufeli projects, but must be seen to be even-handed; and why the government response to the report makes no reference to this recommendation.[HL2489]
What arrangements were made in the United Kingdom for publicising and distributing the Presidential Conclusions and Appendices of the Laeken European Council; whether they will ensure that the whole text of these conclusions is reproduced in the forthcoming six-monthly report on events in the European Union and Community July-December 2001; and when they expect it to be available.[HL2582]
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