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Human Rights
Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United Kingdom has not ratified Protocol 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. [40369]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: There are a few provisions in our domestic law--for example, at common law a husband has a duty to maintain his wife, but not vice versa--which are not compatible with Protocol 7. We intend to legislate to remove these inconsistencies, when a suitable opportunity occurs, and then to sign and ratify the Protocol.
Mr. David Heath:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the United Kingdom has not ratified Protocol 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in September 1963. [40370]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Ratification of Protocol 4 will be possible only if potential conflicts with our domestic laws can be resolved. There is a particular concern in relation to Article 3(2) of the Protocol, which protects the right of nationals not to be excluded from their home state. This could be taken as conferring the right of abode in the United Kingdom on various categories of British nationals who do not have it.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards income-related fines. [40218]
Mr. Michael:
A scheme of unit fines was introduced by the previous administration in the Criminal Justice Act 1991, but the public did not have confidence in the system and it was abolished by the Criminal Justice Act 1993.
When imposing a fine on an offender, the courts are required to take into account the circumstances of the offence and the offender. This includes the financial means of the offender, so far as it is known. This should ensure that the fine will be set at a level which is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, but which the offender can afford to pay.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the percentage of commercial sporting events for the policing of which police forces presently charge; and if he will make a statement. [40235]
Mr. Michael:
There is no information held centrally on which to base such an estimate. It is for chief officers of police to decide when to charge for the policing of commercial sporting events.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total value of grants agreed by the Sportsmatch business sponsorship incentive scheme for sport has been since November 1992. [40169]
Mr. Chris Smith:
Since its launch in November 1992, the Sportsmatch scheme has made 2,055 awards worth a total of £16,355,366.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications to the National Heritage Memorial Fund have been (a) made and (b) approved from organisations in the Warrington, North constituency since the fund was set up. [40224]
30 Apr 1998 : Column: 199
Mr. Banks:
The National Heritage Memorial Fund encompasses two separate funds: the heritage memorial fund and the heritage lottery fund. The heritage memorial fund has since 1980 served as a fund of last resort for the support of heritage projects throughout the United Kingdom. Information concerning funding applications to and awards from the memorial fund is not readily available on a constituency basis. The heritage lottery fund constitutes the heritage tranche of proceeds from the National Lottery. It has so far received four applications for funding from organisations in the Warrington, North constituency, two of which were successful.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the total value of grants awarded from the National Heritage Memorial Fund for each constituency in England and Wales. [40225]
Mr. Banks:
Such information is available only in respect of awards by the heritage lottery fund. I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the list of awards for each constituency in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many teachers in local education authority schools in Wales were given early retirement at the age of 55 years and over in each of the last five years. [39435]
Mr. Hain:
The number of teachers in local education authority schools (that is, maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools) in Wales who were given early retirement at the age of 55 years and over in each of the last five years is as follows:
| Ill health | Premature | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 108 | 271 | 379 |
| 1993-94 | 125 | 323 | 448 |
| 1994-95 | 114 | 311 | 425 |
| 1995-96 | 92 | 295 | 387 |
| 1996-97(11) | 97 | 267 | 364 |
(11) 1996-97 data are still provisional
Source:
Database of teacher records and Pensioner statistical system
Beef and Lamb
Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure the effective
30 Apr 1998 : Column: 200
promotion of Welsh beef and lamb, with particular reference to the production methods of Welsh food producers. [39502]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
The Welsh Office provides support to Welsh Food Promotions Limited which through the marketing and promotional activities of its sister company, Welsh Lamb and Beef Promotions, is responsible for stimulating demand for Welsh lamb and beef. A key element of this is the Farm Assured Welsh Livestock scheme.
The scheme is aimed at livestock producers and encourages the highest standards of animal husbandry and provides consumers with assurances on quality, traceability and animal welfare. Through direct Welsh Office support for a recruitment campaign, membership of the scheme has increased four fold to 3,500 in recent years.
In addition, we are providing grant aid totalling over £2 million to two major projects aimed at improving breeding and production systems for Welsh lamb and beef. These projects, which are assisted under the Objective 5B scheme, are the Beef Development Project sponsored by ADAS and the Welsh Sheep Strategy.
Finally, the Welsh Office will be seeking to develop organic and conservation grade farming as part of our plans to develop a long-term food strategy for Wales.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 20 April 1998, Official Report, column 444, how the aims and operation of the Environmental Task Force in Wales differ from those in (a) England and (b) Scotland. [39696]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
The aims and operation of the New Deal Environment Task Force option in Wales are not significantly different from those in England or Scotland. However minor variations have been made to reflect the needs of each home country.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much public funding has been given to Welsh Food Promotions Ltd in each financial year since it was formed; and how much the Welsh Office has committed to it for the current financial year. [39644]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
Welsh Food Promotions was established in 1991 and the public funds it has received since then is shown in the table.
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| £000 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | WDA | DBRW | WTB | EC 5b grant | Welsh Office | Other/fees | Total |
| 1991-92 | 48 | 7.5 | 17.5 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 135 |
| 1992-93 | 1,019.5 | 100.0 | 40.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,159.5 |
| 1993-94 | 1,372.0 | 102.6 | 45.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,519.6 |
| 1994-95 | 1,400.0 | 100.9 | 50.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,550.9 |
| 1995-96 | 1,350.0 | 105.0 | 55.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,510.0 |
| 1996-97 | 500.0 | 108.0 | 55.0 | 9 | 550.0 | 279 | 1,451.0 |
| 1997-98 | 0 | 110.0 | 55.0 | 378 | 700.0 | 185 | 1,428.0 |
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Funding for the current financial year has not yet been announced as discussions on Welsh Food Promotions' 1998-99 business plan are continuing.
Agricultural Finance
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of centralising the payment of agricultural grants on the economies of those areas in which regional offices are currently based; [39743]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the centralisation of the farmers' grants payment system on the length of time taken to issue payments to farmers. [39733]
Mr. Win Griffiths: On 16 March I announced plans to commission a study from consultants to assess the options for securing improved administration of Common Agricultural Policy payments in Wales.
Work on the study has just begun and at this early stage the consultants have been asked to collect information from staff on all feasible options for developing the service. These could include options for centralising the service, for transferring responsibility for administering payments to MAFF or the Intervention Board, or for developing the service using the existing office structure.
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