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Kosovo
Mr. Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the draft interim agreement on Kosovo in the Library. [75217]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The draft Kosovo agreement is not a public document. I will, however, place a Foreign Office summary of the draft agreement in the Library of the House.
NATO Enlargement
Mr. McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary will join NATO. [75218]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary will deposit their instruments of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty at a ceremony in Independence, Missouri on 12 March. The Government warmly welcome this, fourth, enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is another step towards overcoming the artificial divisions across our continent created during the Cold War and will help to spread security and stability for the benefit of all.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations were made by the Human Rights Workshop in Jakarta. [74369]
Mr. Fatchett:
Many concrete suggestions for follow-up action emerged from the four working groups of the Workshop (police and judiciary; women's and children's rights; human rights education, awareness and institution building; and labour rights). The two co-Chairmen of the Workshop, Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia National Human Rights Commission and Professor David Harris of the University of Nottingham, drew particular attention to a number of these recommendations in the communique issued at the conclusion of the Workshop.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what follow-up action the United Kingdom Government took after the Human Rights Workshop in Jakarta. [74370]
Mr. Fatchett:
We are working closely with EU partners and Indonesian human rights groups to turn the proposals generated at the Workshop into concrete projects to enhance human rights in Indonesia.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of professional lobbyists in formulating policy in his Department. [74354]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Any contacts with lobbyists by Ministers and civil servants in this Department are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contact with Lobbyists.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish his Department's collation and assessment of responses to its public consultations. [73960]
Mr. Fatchett:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows the Cabinet Office guidance on how to conduct written consultation exercises. This includes publicising and making available the results of such exercises wherever practicable.
Pilot Projects
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the pilot projects instigated by his Department since 1 May 1997, indicating the area in which each pilot took, or is taking, place. [72639]
Angela Eagle: We are reforming the welfare system around our central aim of work for those that can, security for those that cannot. We have initiated a number of prototype and pilot projects examining ways of getting people back into work and delivering more flexible, efficient services. A list of the main initiatives is provided in the table.
Note:
There are also a number of other small-scale prototypes and pilots that are on-going or planned.
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4 Mar 1999 : Column: 881
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the subject areas within his Department's responsibilities which will be covered by the information campaign on Britain's membership of a single currency. [73674]
Angela Eagle:
The Treasury will continue its dialogue with key external bodies to determine what information the public and business would need at each stage of the changeover process. Any information campaign would cover key concerns that the public and business may have. Chapter eight of the Treasury's Outline National Changeover Plan provides further information. Copies of the Plan are available in the House Library.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to issue information from his Department to help the public make an informed decision when they vote on the single currency. [73582]
Angela Eagle:
Any plans by the Government to issue information during a referendum campaign on whether or not the UK should join the single currency would be made in the light of the Government's response to the recommendations from the Neill Committee on the conduct of referendums. The Government will announce
4 Mar 1999 : Column: 882
their conclusions on those recommendations when my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary publishes a White paper and draft Bill before the recess.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will initiate a take-up campaign for disability groups similar to the campaign directed at older people; and if he will make a statement. [74300]
Mr. Bayley:
We are already working with the Disability Benefits Forum to identify ways of improving information and advice about disability benefits. We are determined to improve the administration of these benefits to ensure that decisions about entitlement are right at the outset and that they remain correct. These are necessary steps which must be taken before decisions can be made about the need for a take-up campaign.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the financial savings to the social security budget arising from the reduction in incapacity benefit payments to disabled people will be used to improve the level of other services or support for disabled people. [74302]
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Mr. Bayley:
The savings on Incapacity Benefit as a result of measures in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill, rising to £700 million a year after ten years, will be more than offset by additional expenditure on benefits for sick and disabled people, as we meet increasing demand and seek to do more for those in the greatest need. In this Parliament alone expenditure will increase by £1 billion in real terms.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many prosecutions for fraud there have been since 1 May 1997 where one of the accused has been an asylum seeker. [74005]
Mr. Timms:
The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action his Department is taking as a result of the review of fraud in respect of social security benefits to minimise the risk of fraud and to make the social security system secure; and if he will make a statement. [74192]
Mr. Timms:
We will publish shortly a document setting out our strategy for combating Social Security fraud and error in the light of the consultation on the Green Paper "Beating Fraud is Everyone's Business: securing the future".
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 1999, Official Report, column 464-63, on benefit fraud, when the fraud strategy document will be published. [74751]
Mr. Timms:
We will be publishing the strategy shortly.
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