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PRIME MINISTER
Animal Welfare
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers of 2 February 1998, Official Report, column 476, and 22 June 1998, Official Report, column 351, for what reason no announcement has yet been made in respect of the co-ordination within Government of animal welfare policies; when he expects to make such an announcement; and if he will make a statement. [56358]
The Prime Minister: An announcement will be made shortly.
Government Residential Property
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Government Ministers currently residing in publicly owned accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the precedents for the use of each property by Government Ministers, the reasons why the properties are so used and total annual cost in each case of the current and previous years of such use. [56376]
The Prime Minister:
For the terms on which official Government residences are occupied, and the precedent for the use of each property, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 9 March 1998, Official Report, columns 19-20. For a list of Ministers currently residing in publicly owned accommodation, I refer her to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) on 23 April 1998, Official Report, columns 674-75. The list is unchanged except that my right hon. Friend the former President of the Board of Trade now occupies the same official residence in her role as the President of the Council. For details of the costs of maintaining such properties, I refer my hon Friend to the
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answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) on 9 February 1998, Official Report, column 17. The cost of maintaining these properties in 1998-99 is estimated to be £1.2m.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the value of reports from the security services on the potential security risks of candidates for ministerial positions; what opportunities are provided to persons so reported on to respond to those reports; and if he will make a statement. [57472]
The Prime Minister:
It has long been the practice for the Security Service to draw to the attention of the Prime Minister when forming a Government any significant national security information in its possession which relates to members of the Government party. This arrangement has been endorsed by successive Prime Ministers and I am satisfied that it remains both necessary and proper.
The recently published annual report of the Intelligence and Security Committee, established under the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the United Kingdom's Intelligence Services, did not criticise or question the probity of this process, but emphasised the heavy responsibility on the Director General of the Security Service to ensure that the information put forward is accurate and related solely to national security. In their response to the report, the Government made it clear that they were satisfied that the Director General took this responsibility seriously and that the arrangements continued to be proper and appropriate.
It is of course the case that decisions on the formation of a Government remain a matter for the Prime Minister alone.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Prime Minister if (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants were consulted over the decision to arrest General Pinochet. [56782]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 28 October 1998]: Under section 8(1)(b) of the Extradition Act 1989, the decision whether to issue a provisional warrant in response to a request from an extradition partner is one for the Bow Street Magistrate. This was a strictly judicial matter and therefore properly not a decision subject to consultation with Ministers. The only consultation which did take place was between the Metropolitan Police and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the technical question of whether Senator Pinochet was entitled to diplomatic immunity.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Prime Minister when (a) he and (b) his officials were first informed that Senator Pinochet had entered the United Kingdom on his current visit. [57432]
The Prime Minister:
On 16 October.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those ministers with whom he has discussed the arrest of Senator Pinochet and the dates on which the discussions took place. [57429]
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The Prime Minister:
It is the normal convention under this and previous Governments that discussions which take place between the Prime Minister and Ministers are not routinely disclosed. On this occasion, however, it has been made public that I made clear to the Cabinet on 22 October that there should be no discussion at Cabinet, given that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary might in due course have to address the issue in a quasi-judicial role.
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Prime Minister when he was first informed that an international warrant for the arrest of Senator Pinochet had been issued; and who informed him. [57428]
The Prime Minister:
As has been made clear publicly, I was first informed by my office on 16 October.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answers 19 October 1998, Official Report, column 915, on Sudan, if he will discuss with the American Administration provision of (a) anti-TB drugs and (b) chloroquinine and other anti-malarial drugs to the Sudan, in quantities which would have been produced by the El Shifa Factory, prior to its destruction. [57979]
The Prime Minister:
The United Kingdom and the United States are substantial donors of humanitarian assistance to Sudan, which includes support for health care activities targeted at the poorest and most vulnerable groups. We are not aware that the provision of essential drugs for these groups has been affected by the destruction of the El Shifa factory.
Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of President Menem's original article for The Sun newspaper submitted to 10 Downing Street for comment by the Prime Minister's Office. [57974]
The Prime Minister:
No. The article by President Menem in The Sun on 23 October expressed the views and sentiments of the President of Argentina. As has been made public, the Argentine Government sought advice on the style of their presentation, as I routinely ask of other Governments when I write articles for foreign newspapers.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of his correspondence with the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights on the subject of the proposed Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [57767]
The Prime Minister:
The UN High Commissioner of Human Rights wrote to me on 18 June and I replied on 9 July. Copies of these letters have been placed in the Library. Officials from the Northern Ireland Office also met officials from the UN High Commission on Human Rights as part of the consultations with interested organisations on the human rights provisions of the Northern Ireland Bill.
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Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to change the Cabinet Office: Security and Intelligence Services cash limits for 1998-99. [58084]
The Prime Minister:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary token Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class XVIII, Vote 2 will be decreased by £237,000 from £708,143,000 to £707,906,000 and the gross running costs limit increased by £148,000 from £375,845,000 to £375,993,000.
This change is to take on board transfers; £193,000 to the Home Office Class VII, Vote 1; £45,000 to the Foreign Office Class II, Vote 1. £148,000 proposed gross running costs increase is to correct an error in the capital charge adjustment.
There will be an increase in Appropriation in Aid of £12,249,000 resulting from changes in accounting procedures and a net increase in other current expenditure payments of £11,279,000.
The increases will be offset by transfers, and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will extend the eligibility criteria for access to work to include (a) councillors and (b) other elected officials. [57635]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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