14 Jul 1998 : Column: 93
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 14 July 1998
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Photographic Passes
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will list the House passes issued to individuals who also work as employees of, directors of or consultants to (a) Prima Europe, (b) LLM (Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn) and (c) GPC Market Access. [50612]
Mrs. Roe: Such information is not required of applicants for House of Commons photographic passes.
However, holders of such passes who work for hon. Members as secretaries or research assistants do have to supply the Registrar of Members' Interests with full details of any other relevant gainful occupation which they may pursue other than that for which the pass was issued. This information is available for inspection by hon. Members in the Library.
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what assessment he has made of the impact of the year 2000 computer bug on the operation of the House of Commons. [50172]
Mr. Allan: The House of Commons has been actively involved in assessing the Year 2000 problem for some time, and has commissioned a working party under the management of the Network Administrator's Group (NAG). This forum has produced the 'Year 2000 Implementation Guide for the Houses of Parliament', and contains a 'Definition of Year 2000 Conformity Requirements' prepared by the British Standards Institution committee, (their reference BDD/1/-/3). The NAG forum has tested and identified a set of tools and procedures for remedial action.
Each department in the House of Commons is busy developing a project plan, using these NAG recommendations, to ensure their systems are fully compliant. As part of this plan PCD will facilitate a test schedule for weeks commencing the 10 and 17 August 1998 so that all departments can test their computer equipment with the PDVN.
Lavatories
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what is the latest available annual figure for the amount of money spent on the provision of toilet rolls, hand towels and dryers and soap in the Palace of Westminster. [50171]
Mrs. Roe:
This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms; I have asked him to reply to the hon. Gentleman.
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Media Relations Staff
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister what complaints he has received since 2 May 1997 from editors or news editors of improper pressure on their journalists by his, or his Cabinet colleagues', media relations staff. [50534]
Lobbyists
Sir George Young: To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions (a) he and (b) civil servants at No. 10 Downing Street have met representatives of (i) GPC Market Access, (ii) Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn and (iii) GJW Government Relations since 1 May 1997; who these representatives were; and what was discussed at the meetings. [50557]
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will list the occasions on which any director of Prima Europe or GPC Market Access has visited No. 10 Downing Street, since 1 May 1997; [50475]
- (2) if he will list the occasions on which Mr. Roger Liddle has visited the premises of or met any director of GPC Market Access and Prima Europe since 1 May 1997. [50474]
The Prime Minister: Ministers, their Special Advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government; indeed one of the specific functions of Special Advisers is to liaise with such interest groups. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions--from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations, trade unions, lobby groups and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries--during the process of policy analysis and development. By convention it is not the practice of Governments to make information on such meetings or their content publicly available--a principle reflected in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information published in January 1997. Special advisers and other civil servants must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance, they must not provide confidential information without authorisation or allow improper influence on policy. Any breach of these requirements could be a disciplinary offence.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions when Roger Liddle has addressed meetings set up by (a) GPC Market Access and (b) other lobbying organisations, indicating whether these meetings were held under Chatham House rules. [50462]
The Prime Minister:
Special Advisers and other civil servants address events arranged by outside organisations on many occasions, since part of their role is to inform the public and interested bodies about Government policy. Whether any such meetings are held publicly or privately, Special Advisers must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance, they must not provide confidential information without authorisation or allow improper influence on policy.
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Mirror Group
Mr. Chope: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when inspectors were appointed to investigate the 1991 flotation of the Mirror Group; and what their terms of reference were. [49510]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 8 July 1998]: The inspectors were appointed on 8 June 1992 to investigate and report on the affairs and membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc. They were asked to look, in particular, at the offers for sale of the company's shares in early 1991.
Mr. Chope: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 1998, Official Report, column 240, when she expects to receive the report from the inspectors investigating the 1991 flotation of the Mirror Group; and what steps she has taken to expedite the report. [49512]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 8 July 1998]: It is not possible to forecast the timing of the completion of an investigation of this kind. Inspectors have a distinct statutory position and are independent of my Department. The inspectors are aware of the need to complete their inquiry and report as quickly as possible, consistent with the necessity for them to act fairly.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to publish the inspectors' report into the circumstances of the Mirror Group flotation. [50338]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: The inspectors have not yet reported to the Secretary of State. A decision on publication will be taken when the report has been received and fully considered.
Dounreay
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if there has been further investigation of the unaccounted for highly enriched uranium referred to in the Dounreay Shaft Inventory. [50256]
Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 10 June 1998, Official Report, columns 594-95.
The Safeguards Office of my Department is studying the nuclear material accountancy aspects of the UKAEA report "Dounreay Shaft Inventory". In addition, the Safeguards Office study will take into account any further information from UKAEA. The conclusions of the study will be made public.
Post Office
Mr. Hanson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will publish the external financing limit for the Post Office for 1998-99. [50812]
Mrs. Beckett:
As announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Post Office is able to carry forward an external financing limit (EFL) over-achievement under the nationalised industries end-year flexibility scheme. The Post Office over-achieved its 1997/98 EFL by £25m, and therefore its negative EFL for 1998/99 has been reduced from -£335 million to -£310 million.
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Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions she has had with other EU member states with regard to encouraging closer trading links between the EU and NAFTA. [48732]
Mrs. Beckett:
During our Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, the UK hosted EU summits with both the USA and Canada to encourage closer trading links. On 25 May the General Affairs Council also approved negotiating directives for the Commission to pursue the liberalisation of trade with Mexico, as foreseen in the Agreements between the EU and Mexico signed in Luxembourg on 8 December 1997.
Mr. McWalter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research he has evaluated into the number of pharmacies in the United Kingdom per 10,000 population relative to those in other EU countries. [48223]
Mr. Milburn
[holding answer 30 June 1998]: I have been asked to reply.
None.
Mr. McWalter:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the advantages of regulating prices of over-the-counter medicines; and what research she has evaluated as to practice in other EU countries. [48222]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 30 June 1998]: I have been asked to reply.
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