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Written Answers
Thursday, 24th October 2002.
Sudan
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to assist the delivery of life-saving food and supplies in the western Upper Nile in Sudan.[HL5948]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): The UK is currently supporting primary healthcare services (£158,000) and Kala Azar treatment (£180,000) through Medicins Sans Frontieres in western Upper Nile. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and remain ready to respond to further urgent requests. We are also working to improve humanitarian access generally in Sudan and hope that recent positive developments in the peace process will lead to progress.
China: Population Growth
Baroness Masham of Ilton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What leads them to believe that China's population growth rate needs to be stabilised; and what assistance they are giving the Chinese Ministry of Health and other bodies in China in order to achieve this.[HL5968]
Baroness Amos: We do not provide assistance to the Chinese authorities to stabilise population growth. All UK assistance throughout the world for reproductive health programmes is provided in support of the principles of free and informed choice, as set out at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. We support the work of the United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation to promote these principles in China.
Population Growth Rates
Baroness Masham of Ilton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they use population density as an indicator to determine which countries require assistance in stabilising population growth rates.[HL5969]
Baroness Amos: We do not provide assistance to stabilise population growth.
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans there are to review the working of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.[HL5910]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): As part of its statutory functions, the Electoral Commission is required to keep under review, and report to the Government on, certain matters, including the provisions of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). The commission began a review in August 2002 of the following parts of the PPERA:
- Part II—Registration of political parties
- Part III—Accounting requirements for registered parties
- Part IV—Control of donations to registered parties and their members
- Part V—Control of campaign expenditure
- Part VI—Controls relating to third party national election campaigns
- Part VIII—Election campaigns and proceedings.
Nuclear Veterans
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will now name 3 October as Nuclear Veterans Day to honour those who participated in nuclear tests.[HL5871]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The Government have no plans to do so. The existing initiatives and programmes were agreed following a period of full and open consultation with our partners from the veterans community and aim to acknowledge and celebrate the special contribution made by Britain's Armed Forces veterans.
Destroyers and Frigates
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the number of destroyers and frigates required has apparently changed since the Strategic Defence Review was published.[HL5883]
Lord Bach: The 1998 Strategic Defence Review stated the capabilities required for the UK Armed Forces to conduct their defence tasks and reached
conclusions on the number of destroyers and frigates required for those purposes at that time. Changes to the Type 23 frigates' operating patterns, and a more efficient maintenance regime, enable the Royal Navy to provide the required capability with fewer ships than was necessary in 1998.Ministry of Defence: Race Equality
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What actions have been proposed by different parts of the Ministry of Defence to meet effectively the requirements of the new duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.[HL5991]
Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence's Race Equality Scheme sets out its plans for complying with the general and specific duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to promote race relations in the Armed Forces, the MoD Police and the MoD Civil Service. Copies of the scheme are being placed in the Library.
Northern Ireland: Use of Baton Rounds
Lord Morgan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the guidelines on the use of baton rounds by the Armed Forces in Northern Ireland.[HL6089]
Lord Bach: Rules of engagement are classified and are not therefore usually published for reasons of operational security. However, we have decided in this case, as an exceptional measure aimed at building confidence in Northern Ireland, that an extract from the relevant document should be published in the Library of the House. The extract is drawn from a more general guidance card and includes all the relevant guidance on the rules of engagement for the use of baton rounds by the Armed Forces in Northern Ireland.
Far East Prisoners of War: Ex Gratia Payment Scheme
Lord Graham of Edmonton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether membership of the Indian National Liberation Army disqualifies former Far East prisoners of war from eligibility under the ex gratia payment scheme announced on 7 November 2000.[HL6133]
Lord Bach: During the Second World War, the Japanese recruited a considerable number of servicemen from Far Eastern countries whom they had taken prisoner of war to serve alongside them in the Indian National Liberation Army.
The ex gratia payment scheme was established to recognise the circumstances of the captivity of those
taken prisoner by the Japanese. Anyone who would otherwise be eligible under the ex gratia payment scheme but who joined the Indian National Liberation Army had removed themselves from that captivity which the ex gratia payment scheme recognises. Their inclusion in the scheme would not be compatible with its purpose and therefore those prisoners of war who joined the Indian National Liberation Army are not entitled to any payment under the scheme.Recovered Assets Fund
Lord Smith of Leigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What revenue has been received from the proceeds of crime; and whether there are any plans to invest this money into crime reduction projects.[HL6013]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The receipts remitted to the Secretary of State from confiscation orders made under the Drug Trafficking Acts 1986 and 1994 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 unamended and as amended by the Proceeds of Crime Act 1995; from drug cash seizures under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994; and from asset sharing receipts, for each year from 1996, were: £10,858,000 for 1996–97; £14,932,000 for 1997–98; £19,310,000 for 1998–99; £29,523,000 for 1999–2000; and £23,520,000 for 2000–01. The figure for the year 2001–02 is not yet available.
Between April 1999 and March 2002 a total of £12 million was recycled through the Confiscated Assets Fund (CAF) and allocated to anti-drug programmes. The amounts allocated each year were £3 million in 1999–2000, £5 million in 2000–01 and £4 million in 2001–02.
The Recovered Assets Fund replaced the Confiscated Assets Fund in 2001. In 2002–03, £3 million was allocated to the first round of successful bids to the fund. I will shortly be announcing the allocation of a much greater sum to a second round of successful bids. The funds will be allocated to a wide range of crime reduction projects, including anti-drug programmes. The future use and operation of the fund is currently under review.
Passport Fees
Baroness David asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to make any changes to passport fees.[HL6180]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Privy Council has made an Order in Council, the Consular Fees (No.2) Order 2002, which gives authority for a revision in passport fees. The revision will take effect on 21 November 2002. The fee for a standard 32-page passport will increase from £30 to £33, while the fee for a 48-page passport will remain at £40. The fee for amending an existing passport will increase from £18
to £22.50. The cost of a passport for a child will increase from £16 to £19. The additional charges for those making use of the guaranteed fast track and premium services available from the United Kingdom Passport Service (UKPS) counters remain unchanged at £30 and £45 respectively. The fee for a collective passport, for organised trips for schools and youth groups, will decrease from £42 to £39. The order also increases fees for passport applications made overseas to British consular posts. There will be an increase from £49 to £54.40 for a standard 32-page passport, an increase from £60 to £65.20 for a 48-page passport, an increase from £29 to £34.70 for a child passport and an increase from £30 to £33.90 for an emergency passport.
Passport fees are set at the level needed to cover the costs of passport issuing, including, in this case, the recovery of certain deficits accrued before 1999 and the costs of providing overseas consular protection services which are not covered by other fees. The changes set out in the order follow a careful review of costs to ensure that the fee for each type of passport service closely reflects the production costs and past deficits accrued by that service and bears its share of the cost of consular protection services. In relation to the cost of travel abroad, the new fees still represent very good value for money.
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