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9 Jun 2004 : Column WA33
Written Answers
Wednesday, 9 June 2004.
Right-to-Buy Scheme
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many properties have been acquired through the right-to-buy scheme in England and Wales in each of the past seven years. [HL3057]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The numbers of properties acquired by tenants under the right-to-buy scheme are tabled below:
These are sales to secure tenants by local authorities and by registered social landlords, and also sales on preserved right-to-buy terms by registered social landlords to tenants who have transferred from local authorities.
Figures for 2003–04 are not yet available.
Fire and Rescue Authorities
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the total start-up costs for each regional fire and rescue management board in England. [HL3059]
Lord Rooker: Regional management boards are joint committees set up for the efficient delivery of the six areas identified in the White Paper Our Fire and Rescue Service as benefiting from cross-regional collaboration. Start-up costs, which are not expected to be significant, will in due course be reflected in the accounts of the constituent fire and rescue authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the estimated annual operating costs for each regional fire and rescue authority in England. [HL3060]
Lord Rooker: Apart from the London Fire and Emergency Authority, there are no region-wide fire and rescue authorities in England.
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The Government have no plans to establish regional fire and rescue authorities outside the three areas that are holding referendums this autumn on the creation of an elected regional assembly.
In regions where there is a "Yes" vote it is unlikely that any new authority will be set up before 1 April 2007, and it is therefore too early to say what such an authority's annual operating costs will be.
For 2002–03, the most recent year for which outturn figures are available, the total expenditure of the existing fire and rescue authorities in the north-west, north-east and Yorkshire and Humberside was respectively £249 million, £108 million and £169 million.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does, however, expect there will be considerable medium term savings from a reduction in the number of fire and rescue authorities, in addition to those savings we expect to be generated by greater cross-regional collaboration between existing authorities.
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the financial costs of rebilling for local authorities and fire authorities as a result of in-year capping. [HL3061]
Lord Rooker: The financial costs of rebilling are among the arguments that designated authorities have made against being capped in-year. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the cases made and the authorities' estimates of the rebilling costs.
Afghanistan
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made with the process of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration in Afghanistan; and whether this process can be completed by September. [HL3071]
Baroness Crawley: The process of demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants is under way in five provinces and due to begin soon in a further three. As of 27 May, a total of 6,819 personnel had been demobilised in Kunduz (1,008), Gardez (584), Kabul/Parwan (2,452), Mazar-e-Sharif (1,917) and Kandahar (858). The main phase of the DDR programme now under way aims to disarm about 60 per cent of Afghan military forces by the time of elections scheduled for September.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the intention of NATO with regard to the tribal militias in Afghanistan which are outside the DDR process, and in particular, the militias in the Gardez area. [HL3072]
Baroness Crawley: NATO is not involved in the DDR process in the regions. This is led by the UN. No militias are exempt from the process. The main phase of the DDR program started in Gardez on 25 May and
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a total of 177 personnel had been disarmed by 29 May. The collection of heavy weapons in Gardez has also begun.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What agencies control the heavy weapons depots in Afghanistan, established under the cantonment process; what proportion of these weapons have so far been placed in the depots; when the cantonment process will be completed, and what arrangements are being planned for the long term disposal of the heavy weapons. [HL3073]
Baroness Crawley: Heavy weapons cantonment sites in Afghanistan are controlled by the Afghan National Army (ANA), under the guidance of the UN. The heavy weapons survey, the first step in the cantonment of all heavy weapons by the September elections, has been completed in all areas, except Herat and Panjshir. Cantonment of the heavy weapons began in Gardez on 29 May and will now spread to the rest of the country. Usable weapons collected under this process will be used to equip the ANA. The rest will be destroyed.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to persuade or induce Ismail Khan, who controls Heart in Afghanistan, to co-operate with the DDR process. [HL3074]
Baroness Crawley: The UN has reported that Governor Ismail Khan said on 20 May that he will co-operate with the DDR program and that he agreed to provide his lists of troops for verification within two weeks. At the time of answering these had not yet been received.
Eritrea
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of the refusal of the Government of Eritrea to release over 380 Christians from prison, the Government and the European Union will impose sanctions on Eritrea to pressure the authorities to end religious persecution. [HL3075]
Baroness Crawley: We raise the issue of religious freedom with the Eritrean Government regularly. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Chris Mullin) raised it with President Isaias in Asmara on 15 January and our Chargé d'Affaires in Asmara raised it most recently on 18 May. We will continue to make clear our concern.
The Government have no plans to introduce sanctions against Eritrea on this issue. We believe this would be counterproductive.
Burma
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
9 Jun 2004 : Column WA36- Karen, Karenni and Shan people; and whether, in future, they will raise concerns on this issue with the Burmese authorities on a frequent and regular basis. [HL3076]
Baroness Crawley: We regularly raise the Government's concerns on human rights in Burma with the Burmese authorities, most recently when my honourable friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mike O'Brien) met the Burmese Ambassador on 1 June.
The UK co-sponsored a widely supported resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21 April that condemned human rights violations suffered by ethnic groups in Burma. We fully support the efforts of Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and have called on the military regime to co-operate fully with him and allow him to visit Burma regularly.
We will continue to raise our concerns at every suitable opportunity.
Indonesia: Reverend Damanik
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made representations to the Government of Indonesia regarding the Reverend Rinaldy Damanik, who is being held as a prisoner of conscience. [HL3077]
Baroness Crawley: The British Embassy in Jakarta followed the trial of Reverend Damanik closely and is in contact with a number of NGOs and community groups connected to his case. We discussed Reverend Damanik's case with the Indonesian Ambassador at our roundtable discussion with NGO's in November 2003. We will also continue to stress to the Indonesian Government the importance of a fair and transparent judicial system, and of applying the law in an even-handed way to all. In April 2003 the Indonesian Government accepted our offer of human rights training for Indonesian Supreme Court judges. Five judges attended a human rights training programme in 2003. We hope to offer this training to more judges later in the year.
Côte d'Ivoire
Lord Alderdice asked Her Majesty's Government:
What actions they are taking to promote the implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis peace agreement in Côte d'Ivoire. [HL3082]
Baroness Crawley: The UK fully supports the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Agreement (LMA) and has called on all parties in Côte d'Ivoire to ensure its implementation. The UK is working with the Security Council, UN, EU and Economic Community of West African States to keep the LMA alive and to bring stability to Côte d'Ivoire.
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