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Ministerial Transport
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last used the railway service in connection with her official duties; what station she left from and what was the destination; and whether it is her intention to make greater use of the railways in future. [28100]
Mr. Morley: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State last used the railway service in connection with her official duties on 22 January, travelling on the Eurostar service from Brussels to Waterloo. My right hon. Friend will continue to use the railway service where appropriate.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Article 13 Action Programme
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) composition and (b) mission of the article 13 action programme; when it will meet; and what parliamentary scrutiny there will be of its activities. [39646]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
The Article 13 action programme is an activity of the European Community. It was agreed under Article 13 of the European Community Treaty on 27 November 2000, and will run until 2006.
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The Programme supports the development of practical solutions to combat discrimination on grounds of racial and ethnic origin, disability, age, religion and belief and sexual orientation. The programme encourages the exchange of best practice on policies and practices which have been shown to work well in combating discrimination across Europe.
The day to day running of the programme is the responsibility of the European Commission under the direction of a Management Committee comprising of representatives of all member states including the United Kingdom. The Committee meets three or four times a year to provide the necessary guidance to the Commission. An evaluation of the programme will be reported to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A copy of the evaluation report will be placed in the Libraries of the House once available.
Public Bodies (Chairman)
Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33882]
Mr. Bradshaw: (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office has 10 Non departmental public bodies. Chairpersons appointed since 1 May 1997 are as follows:
- Sir Frank Berman, Chairman, Diplomatic Service Appeals Board
- (i) Term of office: three years (appointed November 2001)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Chair, British Council
- (i) Term of office: three years (Appointed one term August 1999 to July 2001 re-appointed for a second term August 2001– July 04)
- (ii) Salary: honorarium 35,000 perannum (agreed by order of the Charity Commissioners)
- Sir Andrew Wood KCMG, Chairman, Britain-Russia Centre
- (i) Term of office: three years (Appointed November 2000)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Mr. Ernie Ross MP, Chairman, Westminster Foundation for Democracy
- (i) Term of office: one year (July 1997 and yearly reappointment thereafter)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Lady Suzanne Warner, Chair, Wilton Park Academic Council
- (i) Term of office: two years (first appointment December 1999 reappointed December 2001).
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Mr. Jonathan Taylor, Chairman, Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
- (i) Term of office: three years (appointed April 2000)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Right hon. Lord Radice, Chairman, British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
- (i) Term of office: three years (reappointed October 2000)
- (ii) Salary: nil
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- Sir Ewen Fergusson, Chairman, Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine
- (i) Term of office: five years (appointed April 1998)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- Mr. David Brewer, Chairman, Great Britain China Centre
- (i) Term of office: three years (first appointment October 1997, reappointed October 2000)
- (ii) Salary: nil
- (b) Commissions
- Mr. Arthur Wheeler Chairman, Foreign Compensation Commission
- (i) Term of office: one year (last appointed December 2001)
- (ii) Salary: nil.
Information on Political affiliation is not available.
Territorial Forces
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of staff of his Department are members of the Territorial forces; and if he has a strategy to encourage members of staff to become members of the Territorial forces. [44068]
Mr. Bradshaw: The number of staff in the FCO who are members of the territorial forces is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The FCO supports staff who wish to serve in the reserve forces and allows them paid time off work to take part in these activities.
Civil Servants (Education)
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of recruits to his Department came from Oxford and Cambridge in (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) for the 10 preceding years. [43857]
Mr. Bradshaw: The last published figures for 2000 are in the 2001 Departmental report. The table shows the percentage recruited from Oxbridge for 2000–1990.
| Policy | Operational | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57 | 4 |
| 1999 | 44 | 4 |
| 1998 | 65 | 7 |
| 1997 | 48 | 6 |
| 1996 | 72 | 12 |
| 1995 | 57 | (10)— |
| 1994 | 71 | (10)— |
| 1993 | 71 | (10)— |
| 1992 | 79 | (10)— |
| 1991 | 52 | (10)— |
| 1990 | 67 | (10)— |
(10) Not collected pre-1996
Civil Servants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out for each Civil Service grade within his (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities. [39148]
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Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 March 2002 by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Official Report, column 1071W.
Special Advisers
Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; and if he will list the total cost, including (i) travel, (ii) accommodation and (iii) subsistence allowance, for each occasion. [37980]
Mr. MacShane [holding answer 27 February. 2002]: Between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001, special advisers in my Department travelled abroad in an official capacity on eight occasions, at an average cost of £3,039.04 per trip. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2000 is already in the public domain. All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the ministerial code, and the civil service management code.
Council Proposal 569
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the legal basis for Council proposal Com (2001) 569. [39648]
Mr. Bradshaw: The legal base of proposal 569 was article 308 of the EU treaty. The proposal was adopted as a regulation (2580–2001) on 27 December 2001. The legal basis of the regulation was articles 60, 301 and 308 of the EU treaty.
The Government welcome this regulation as an integral part of the EU's measures to implement UNSCR 1373(2001). The UK strongly supported the timely adoption of UNSCR 1373 (2001) as a vital measure in the global campaign against terrorism. The regulation will assist in ensuring full compliance within the EU with the provisions of UNSCR 1373(2001). The Government consider the immediate freezing of assets to prevent their dissipation an essential tool in the fight against terrorism. The regulation does not limit the UK's ability to take autonomous measures against other individuals that we deem to be linked to terrorism.
External Contracts
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Department from (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999, (c) May 1999 to April 2000, (d) May 2000 to April 2001 and (e) May 2001 to the latest date, indicating in each case the values of the contracts and the companies with which the contracts were placed; [38749]
- (2) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which previously held contracts with his Department (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Department in each of the past five years. [38748]
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Mr. MacShane [holding answer 28 February, 2002]: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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