| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Russia: Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Materials
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- To what extent they are satisfied with the level of security surrounding former Soviet Union nuclear, chemical and biological legacies; what schemes for increasing security are planned; and what contribution from Western and Asian governments is promised.[HL646]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Ensuring the security of sensitive materials is an integral part of many projects currently being carried out as part of the G8 Global Partnership. Work is also being carried out specifically on physical protection. The UK recognises the importance of helping Russia ensure that its stocks of proliferation-sensitive materials are protected to international standards from the risk of sabotage and theft. We will be identifying a portfolio of high priority projects in collaboration with the Russian authorities and other G8 Global Partnership donor countries, which will enhance nuclear security at key buildings and infrastructure. Once identified we expect to spend at least £1 million per annum on these projects as part of our commitment to the Global Partnership. Some pilot projects have already been completed including a physical protection system for a nuclear-propelled cargo ship in north-west Russia in collaboration with Sweden, and physical protection systems for two nuclear powered ice-breakers in collaboration with Sweden and Norway.
During the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in 2002 the UK pledged £500,000 to its nuclear security fund. The fund contributes to meeting the UK's objective of improving the security of nuclear and radioactive material and nuclear facilities in the former Soviet Union.
A number of other countries have provided, or plan to provide, assistance with improving the security of nuclear, chemical and biological facilities and materials. For example, during the last financial year, the US spent 39.8 million dollars on nuclear weapons storage security, 19.6 million dollars on nuclear weapons transportation security, and 199.5 million dollars on nuclear material protection, controls and accounting, and some 20 million dollars on security at the Kizner and Shchuch'ye chemical weapons storage sites. Canada has committed 65 million dollars to strengthen nuclear and radiological security. Germany has committed 170 million euros by 2009 for the physical protection of storage sites for fissile material. France has committed up to 5 million euros in 2003–04 towards security and safety in Russian biological facilities.
Copies of the UK's first annual report on the G8 Global Partnership published in December 2003 have been placed in the Library of the House.
Morocco: UN Peace Plan
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What additional measures they and the European Union will take, before the expiry of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) on 31 January, to persuade Morocco to accept the United Nations peace plan.[HL651]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The United Kingdom will continue to urge Morocco to engage positively with the United Nations Secretary-General and his personal envoy, James Baker III, to find a solution to the Western Sahara dispute that is acceptable to the parties and provides for self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Armenia: Human Rights
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many cases have been lodged with the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Armenia since 2001; and how many of these arise from the parliamentary and presidential elections of 2003.[HL656]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: One hundred and fourteen cases have been lodged with the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Armenia, of which 86 are pending. The remainder have been dismissed. Fifteen of the 86 cases pending relate either directly or indirectly to the parliamentary and presidential elections of 2003.
Syria: Human Rights
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will make representations to the government of Syria about the continuing state of emergency; the citizen and civil rights of the Syrian Kurds; and allegations of torture by those detained by security police. [HL657]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We regularly raise our concerns about Syria's human rights record, bilaterally and in conjunction with EU partners. Most recently, the EU made a demarche to the Syrian authorities on 16 December 2003 in respect of those arrested in Aleppo for protesting against the continuing state of emergency. EU representatives have attended all the court hearings in this case. The EU is also trying to gain access to the hearings against eight Kurdish defendants taking place in the (usually) closed State Security Court. Bilaterally, my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Bill Rammell) spoke of Syria's human rights failings in an adjournment debate in the House on 2 July 2003 (Official Report, cols. 139WH–146WH), and my honourable friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mike O'Brien) raised the issue with President Bashar al-Assad during his visit to Damascus on 5 March 2003.
FCO: Questions for Written Answer
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have not found it possible to answer Lord Hoyle's Written Question (HL 30) tabled on 26 November 2003 which has now been on the Order Paper for almost seven weeks, when the standard time for replies is two weeks.[HL750]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: An administrative error led officials to believe that this Question had been answered by the Department for Trade and Industry. I have answered the Question today and apologise to my noble friend Lord Hoyle for the delay.
Director-General of Higher Education
Lord Smith of Clifton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the terms of reference and job specification of the new Director-General of Higher Education, Sir Alan Wilson.[HL658]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Sir Alan Wilson, as the Director-General for Higher Education, will be the senior civil servant responsible for the department's wider strategic policy development and its corporate management within higher education. He will be a member of the DfES Board, reporting to the Permanent Secretary, and will be responsible for advising Ministers on the overall development of higher education policy and for ensuring that processes, systems and people are in place to convert policy into action. His key task is to develop and implement a long-term strategy for investment and reform in higher education which reinforces excellence in our universities and increases participation. He will lead relationships with a range of key players in Whitehall and beyond, engaging partners and stakeholders in the design and implementation of the Government's higher education strategy and presenting government policy on higher education to the sector and the public. Sir Alan Wilson takes up his post on 1 February. The appointment was made after an open competition, which was overseen by the Office of Civil Service Commissioners to ensure the principles of fair and open competition on merit were observed.
School Bereavement Counsellors
Baroness Goudie asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will take steps to ensure that every school has a teacher who is trained in bereavement counselling.[HL664]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Government have no plans to introduce a requirement that all schools have a specifically trained bereavement counsellor. When appropriate, there is a wide range of support, including bereavement counselling, that local education
authorities and schools can call upon depending on the circumstances and individual needs of the child. In order to become qualified, all teachers need to demonstrate an awareness of, and an ability to work within, the statutory frameworks relating to teachers' responsibilities. In particular they need to develop an ability to judge when they should seek advice on, for example, matters of child protection or confidentiality.Ministerial Correspondence
Lord Norton of Louth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the estimate of the number of letters signed by Ministers in 2003; what proportion were to Members of either House of Parliament: and what were the equivalent figures for 2001 and 2002. [HL639]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Ministers sign a variety of letters including letters to other Ministers, Members of both Houses, overseas governments, public bodies and members of the public. Records of these letters will be maintained by departments in different ways. It is not therefore possible to provide an accurate breakdown of the numbers of letters signed by Ministers between different categories of senders without incurring disproportionate costs.
However, the Cabinet Office publishes an annual report on departments' and agencies' handling and volume of correspondence received from Members of both Houses. Information for the 2003 report is in the process of being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. In 2001 160,000 pieces of correspondence were received compared to 185,000 in 2002.
Information relating to the handling of Peers' correspondence was, for the first time, included in the 2002 report and will be included in future reports.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page