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You are here: Publications and Records > Commons Publications > Commons Hansard > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
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HOUSE OF COMMONS

National Minimum Wage

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff and contracted staff have benefited from the introduction of a national minimum wage. [87613]

Mr. Kirkwood: All House of Commons rates of pay are higher than the national minimum wage. Therefore, no staff of the House have benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage. It is not possible to state how many contractors staff may have benefited, as the House does not keep records of the rates of pay of staff employed by contractors.

Staff Salaries

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the largest percentage increase in

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(a) salary and (b) bonus payments paid to staff earning over £50,000 in the House of Commons in the last year for which figures are available. [87464]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 18 June 1999]: (a) In the year 1999-2000, the highest percentage increase in salary to a member of staff earning over £50,000, including a special performance award, was 10.2 per cent. (b) The highest bonus or special performance award was equal to 5.4 per cent. of salary.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many House of Commons staff in the £50,000 to £200,000 salary range in the financial years (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1997-98 received percentage pay awards in excess of those given to non-Senior Civil Service grades. [87466]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 18 June 1999]: There are four groups of House of Commons staff covered by separate pay settlements each year. They are the Senior Commons Staff (SCS), staff in the main structure (Pay Bands A to E), the Refreshment Department Catering Staff and the Works Directorate Craft Staff.

The pay of the Senior Commons Staff is directly linked to that of the Senior Civil Service. The pay of the other groups is kept broadly in line with civil service rates of pay. The pay awards for staff in the SCS and Pay Bands A to E are performance related, whereas staff in the Craft and Catering Bands are paid a rate for the job.

In the years 1997-98 and 1998-99, the percentage increases for most of the staff in Pay Bands A to E were higher than those for the SCS Staff. No staff in the SCS pay bands received a percentage increase higher than the highest percentage increases paid in Pay Bands A to E.

In 1997-98 and 1998-99, the average percentage increases for staff in the Catering and Craft pay bands were higher than the average non-performance (new money) increases, excluding the self-financing performance elements, for the SCS and Bands A to E. Because of the operation of the performance systems, it is not possible to make meaningful comparisons of percentage increases on an individual basis.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many House of Commons staff earn more than £100,000 per year. [87465]

Mr. Kirkwood [holding answer 18 June 1999]: Only one member of staff of the House earns more than £100,000 a year. This information is published in the Commission's Annual Report.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Debt Write-offs

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox), of 19 April 1999, Official Report, columns 420-21, regarding debt write-offs for outstanding loans, if she will list the loans written-off for Indonesia, in each case stating (a) the

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nature of the aid project, (b) the date on which the loan was written-off and (c) the reason for the loan being written-off. [85849]

Clare Short: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided on 22 June 1998, Official Report, column 397. Balances of all Indonesian aid loans were written off in 1979. This was in support of a resolution by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1978, a statement on which was made to the House on 31 July 1978, Official Report, column 25. However, the consequential amount of annual debt relief is currently reported as expenditure in the year in which the payments would have been due. Details are set out in the publication 'Statistics on International Development', a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries included in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. [87291]

Clare Short: The list of countries eligible for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt Initiative was agreed by the international community in 1996, and identified the 40 poorest, most indebted countries. However, others may be included in HIPC if a good case can be made. For example, Malawi will now be considered for HIPC debt relief. Being on the list, however, entitles a country only to be considered for HIPC debt relief. Countries which are not part of HIPC can still obtain debt relief from official bilateral creditors who form the Paris club.




























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    Niger


    Rwanda


    Sao Tome Principe


    Senegal


    Sierra Leone


    Somalia


    Sudan


    Tanzania


    Togo


    Uganda


    Vietnam


    Yemen


    Zambia.

WALES

Parliamentary Questions (National Assembly)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (i) written and (ii) oral questions were answered by his Department in 1998; and how many of them were on matters which will be the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales. [86361]

Mr. Michael: Ministers at the Welsh Office answered 1,676 written and oral questions in 1998. A breakdown in the format requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

In written and oral replies to parliamentary questions answered after 27 January 1999 we have indicated those matters which will become a matter for the National Assembly on 1 July.

NHS Reform

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for reform of the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [86343]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: My right hon. Friend's vision for the NHS was set out in his statement to the House of Commons on 3 December 1998, Official Report, columns 1053-66, and in the measures that have been taken to improve the health of the population, devolve decision taking and encourage co-operation in the planning and provision of services.

From 1 July, responsibility for this issue will fall to the National Assembly for Wales.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Sites of Special Scientific Interest there were in Wales on 31 March; and what was their total area in hectares. [87270]

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: On 31 March 1999 there were 962 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wales covering some 223,000 hectares, approximately 10.6 per cent. of the land area in Wales.

Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

European Commission Staff

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many senior grades at the European Commission hold secondary employment; if he will list the directors-general so engaged, with the nature of their additional employment; and if he will make a statement. [86726]

Ms Quin: We do not have information about individual cases. But officials working in the European Commission may not hold any secondary employment, whether gainful or not, without first obtaining permission. Staff regulations state that permission would be refused if the nature of the work would impair the official's independence or be detrimental to the work of the Communities.

Chinese Prisoners

Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what reports Her Majesty's Government have received on the welfare of the following prisoners (a) Ye Kensheng (Xinyang Municipal Labour Educational Camp), (b) Xiao Minghai (Xinyang Municipal Labour Educational Camp), (c) Xu Dajiang (Xinyang Municipal Labour Educational Camp), (d) Zhang Jinchen (Xinyang Municipal Labour Educational Camp), (e) Wang Xuehua (Xinyang Municipal Labour Educational Camp), (f) Li Zhongchang (Nanhu Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (g) Zhan Guohua (Hefei Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (h) Li Liya (Nanhu Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (i) Hou Feng (Nanhu Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (j) Tian Lin (Nanhu Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (k) Meng Qingli (Shangqiu Labour Educational Camp, Anhui), (l) Wu Guifang (Urumqi Labour Educational Camp, Xinjiang), (m) Guei Chuan-Lun (Bao-feng Labour Educational Camp, Xuan-zhou, Anhui), (n) Liu Hai-Kuan (Bao-feng Labour Educational Camp, Zuan-zhou, Anhui), (o) Zhang Wan-Bao (Bao-feng Labour Educational Camp, Xuan-zhou, Anhui), (p) Lin Ke-Wei (Nanhu Agricultural Labour Educational Camp), (q) Peng Shu-Xia (Women Labour Educational Camp in Hefei, Anhui) and (r) Wang Chuan-Bing (Qing-gang Detention Centre (of the PSB), Heilongjiang); and what representations Her Majesty's Government have made on their behalf to the Chinese authorities; [87257]

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Mr. Hoon: It is not possible to raise with the Chinese authorities each individual case of concern that is brought to our attention, such as those of the Christian "house church" worshippers listed by my hon. Friend. But we do take every opportunity to raise individual cases, both bilaterally and in conjunction with our EU partners.

My predecessor, the late Member for Leeds, Central, did so when he visited China in April. In addition, through our continuing bilateral and EU/China human rights dialogues, we have expressed our deep concern to the Chinese authorities about the harassment and detention of Christians who worship in "house churches". We will continue to encourage China to look upon religion as fulfilling a basic human need and not as a threat.

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