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Maluku
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK contribution to the work of the United Nations Development Programme in respect of the international humanitarian response to the conflict in Maluku. [8234]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department for International Development (DFID) has pledged more than £4 million to help establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conflict prevention and recovery unit in Jakarta. The unit will build up capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces torn apart by ethnic conflict, particularly in north Maluku. These new initiatives will complement DFID-supported humanitarian relief programmes by addressing the causes underlying conflict—abuse of power, alienation and loss of access to and control of resources essential for every day life. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation, begin wider reconstruction work and to offer practical assistance where appropriate.
The UK's message to the Indonesian Government has been consistently clear: a long-term solution to regional conflicts can only be achieved through political negotiation and consultation with the people.
Travel Advice
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what safety advice is given to persons planning to travel abroad. [8703]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues travel advice notices for over 200 countries. These notices are constantly reviewed on the basis of information received from British missions overseas. The advice varies from country to country and we advise any British nationals intending to travel abroad to read the relevant advice prior to travel. This advice can be accessed: on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/; by telephone on 020 7008 0232/0233; by fax on 020 7008 0155/0164; or by letter to the travel advice unit in our Consular Division.
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which countries his Department is recommending that holidaymakers should not travel. [8704]
Mr. Bradshaw: As at 19 October the FCO advises against travel to the following countries:
- Afghanistan; Burundi; Central African Republic; Iraq; Pakistan; Tajikistan; Somalia; Yemen
and to the following specific areas:
- Azerbaijan (western region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the militarily occupied area surrounding it); Republic of the Congo (except Brazzaville and Pointe Noire only); Ecuador (northern border areas with Colombia particularly Sucumbios province); Eritrea (south of the Barentu-Dekemahare line and the Eritrea/Sudan border area); Ethiopia (east of the Harar to Gode line, and within 20 kms of the Eritrean border in the Tigray and Afar regions only); Guinea (border region with Liberia and Sierra Leone only); India (Jammu and Kashmir only); Indonesia (Aceh,
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- Ambon and the rest of Maluku province, Nias island, central Kalimantan and Poso in central Sulawesi only); Israel and the Palestinian authority (only west bank and Gaza and Israel/Lebanon and Israel/Gaza border areas); Kyrgyzstan (south and west of Osh only and the Ferghana valley region only); Liberia (north-west only); Mozambique (Montepuez only); Namibia (border areas from Ruacana eastwards to Kongola and Namibia/Angola border areas north of the trans Caprivi highway); Philippines (southern and western Mindanao); Russian Federation (Chechen republic, Ingushetia, Dagestan, north Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkassia, Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area) and to the eastern and southern parts of Stavrapol Krai only); Somalia (southern Somalia and the north-east region (Puntland) only); Sri Lanka (north and east only); Uganda (Mgahinga and Bwindi national parks, border areas with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, Gulu and Kitgum and Bundibugyo districts only):
and against all holiday and other non-essential travel to:
- Algeria; Angola; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Cote D'Ivoire; East Timor; Haiti; Indonesia; Macedonia; Sierra Leone;
and against all holiday and other non-essential travel to the following specific areas:
- Albania (the border with Kosovo only); Comoros (Anjouan only); Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville and Pointe Noire only); Ethiopia (across the land border to Djibouti); India (Manipur and Tripura only); Liberia (and against all travel to north-west); Philippines (Mindanao and Palawan only); Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Kosovo only).
Cultural Projects (Islam)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cultural projects with new funding arrangements have been initiated by (a) the British Council and (b) BBC World Service to broaden understanding of the Muslim world since 11 September. [9273]
Mr. MacShane: The BBC World Service continues to serve as an independent forum for the exchange of ideas across cultural boundaries. BBC World Service news and current affairs programmes across all 43 of its language services have paid special attention to Islamic issues since 11 September. Regional language services have been enhanced, for which extra funding will be required. The BBC World Service is currently broadcasting a series on the principles of Islam.
The British Council is re-prioritising £1 million of current spending as the first step in an initiative called Open Minds, designed to encourage mutual understanding between young people from different cultures. Projects will include with UK diaspora communities, a major expansion of youth and school links, an enhanced dialogue for young professionals and future leaders and the development of on-line links in knowledge and learning centres in the Muslim world.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Carter Report
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of the Carter report was. [7855]
Tessa Jowell: The cost of Patrick Carter's reviews into the English National Stadium, and the Lee Valley Stadium was £313,505.
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Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost has been to (a) the National Lottery, (b) the Treasury, (c) her Department and (d) others of the production of the Carter report into Wembley Stadium and Picketts Lock. [7931]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 October 2001]: The production costs for the reviews conducted into the English National Stadium and the Lee Valley Stadium by Patrick Carter were as follows:
| Cost (including VAT) | |
|---|---|
| Sport England | 294,076 |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 15,932 |
| Cabinet office | 3,497 |
| Total | 313,505 |
The costs incurred by Sport England, my Department and the Cabinet Office exclude the pay cost of officials. Costs were incurred by the Cabinet Office prior to the Commonwealth Games Division, which supported Patrick Carter, transferring to my Department following the General Election. No costs were incurred by the Treasury or the National Lottery. The Reports were delivered on 31 August 2001.
World Athletics Championship
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had on the prospect of staging the 2005 World Athletics Championship; [7926]
- (2) when (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department first (i) met and (ii) spoke to representatives of the (A) Sheffield city council, (B) UK Athletics and (C) Don Valley stadium to discuss the prospect of staging the 2005 World Athletics Championship. [7933]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 October 2001]: Officials and Ministers have had discussions with a wide variety of interested parties about the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships.
UK Athletics were involved in Patrick Carter's review of the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre project and were briefed by the project team on his conclusions on 4 October. Together with my officials and Sport England, I also met UK Athletics on 4 October to discuss the Championships.
I have not spoken to or met representatives of Sheffield city council or the Sheffield city trust in connection with the Championships. However, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport, who was not involved in the process from 31 August-4 October spoke to both after a decision on the Championships was taken. My officials first met the Chief Executive of Sheffield city council at his request on 20 September to discuss a wide range of sports issues. During that meeting the Chief Executive reiterated Sheffield's offer to stage the 2005 World Athletics Championships. My officials together with Sport England colleagues met representatives of Sheffield city council and Sheffield city trust on 27 September to discuss in detail the feasibility of staging the Championships in Sheffield.
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Wembley National Stadium Ltd.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if Wembley National Stadium Ltd. will be expected to repay any of the grant it received from Sport England; and, if so, how much. [7859]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 15 October 2001]: In December 1999, the Football Association offered to repay £20 million of the lottery grant received by Wembley National Stadium Ltd. as the stadium is no longer required to stage athletics. An application to Sport England to amend the Lottery Funding agreement was made by Wembley National Stadium Ltd. and the Football Association in September 2000. A review of the Lottery Funding Agreement will be taken forward in the next stage of the National Stadium project and the Football Association's offer to repay the £20 million will be part of that process.
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