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Departmental Decisions (Appeals)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those administrative decisions of his Department affecting (a) United Kingdom citizens and (b) non-citizens where there is no right of appeal. [6026]
Dr. Liam Fox: It is unclear precisely how the hon. Member defines administrative decisions and it would incur disproportionate cost to list all administrative decisions taken.
The introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 resulted in the withdrawal of the statutory right of appeal for foreign nationals applying for most categories of short-term entry clearance--that is, a stay of six months or less. Administrative decisions in such cases can be reviewed in the courts.
British passports are issued under the royal prerogative and there is no statutory right of appeal in administrative decisions relating to their grant or refusal. Such decisions can, however, be reviewed by the courts.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it a condition of Spain joining the integrated military structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation that there will be no Spanish military influence or control over Gibraltar or its territorial waters. [5732]
Mr. David Davis:
There can be no question of Spanish command over the territory of Gibraltar, or of any arrangement which allowed Spain to use NATO to take forward its claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made
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of the advantages of holding an internationally monitored referendum for the people of southern Sudan in respect of self-determination. [4656]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November 1996]: Sudan needs constitutional arrangements acceptable to its people in all parts of the country, but the best way of ascertaining their views has yet to be decided. A referendum may be part of a settlement to the civil war. But much will depend on whether satisfactory answers can be found to issues such as timing, the nature of the question and acceptability and implementation of the result.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current state of peace initiatives in the Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [4657]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November 1996]: The peace initiative of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development which is supported by the United Kingdom and other western countries through the Friends of IGAD, FOI, has stalled. We hope that an initiative to involve the Friends of IGAD more closely with the work of IGAD will help to re-energise it. The Government of Sudan are pursuing a strategy of "peace from within". They have signed a political charter with some of the southern groups. They claim that they are ready to talk to the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which has not signed the charter.
The SPLA remain wedded to the declaration of principles that the Government of Sudan rejected at the last substantive round of IGAD talks. Many observers are unclear that the political charter represents a serious peace initiative. But we have called on the SPLA to test out the Government's good faith by talking to them.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has met representatives of southern Sudanese groups in the last year; with which groups he met; at what locations; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement. [4661]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November 1996]: My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development met the Sudan People's Liberation Army leader, John Garang, in Nairobi in August and urged him to respond constructively to overtures from Khartoum. As well as attending my right hon. and noble Friend's meeting with John Garang, our ambassador in Khartoum has met him separately this year and met South Sudan Independence Movement leader Riek Machar, who has signed the political charter with the Government of Sudan, twice also. He has also met representatives of the Union of Sudan Africa Parties and Nuba Mountains in Nairobi and regularly sees a wide range of southern elders living in Khartoum and when he is on tour. Officials in London have held meetings with representatives of southern groups on around 12 occasions this year, in addition to seeing them at more general events. Officials in Cairo and Nairobi also see southern Sudanese representatives.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the budget for Her Majesty's ambassador to Sudan for visits to (a) outlying areas of the Government-held part of Sudan and (b) non-Government-held areas in the south for the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [4650]
Mr. Hanley:
The embassy's local and regional travel budget for this financial year is £9,051. It does not distinguish between travel to Government-held areas and travel to non-Government-held areas.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the visits Her Majesty's ambassador to Sudan has made to peripheral areas of the Government-held part of Sudan in the last 12 months, indicating the locations, dates and durations; and if he will make a statement. [4651]
Mr. Hanley
[holding reply of 18 November 1996]: During the last 12 months, the ambassador has made the following trips to Government-held destinations outside Khartoum: Northern province (archaeological sites), 18 to 23 November 1995; Nuba mountains via El Obeid, 25 to 31 January 1996; El Da'ein (south Darfur), 4 July; Kosti, 27 July; Juba, 3 August; Damazin/Roseires, 8 and 9 November; and Kassala/Gedaref, 15 to 17 November.
Members of the ambassador's staff have made a further 11 visits, including to Port Sudan--twice--and to the Government-held towns of Wau and Juba in the south.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British diplomats, of what rank and in what location, work in Britain's relations with the Sudan; what proportion of their time is taken up by the Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [4692]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November 1996]: There are currently 11 UK-based staff at the British embassy in Khartoum. The ambassador is a member of the FCO senior management structure. The embassy will shortly be reduced by one member of staff as a result of an efficiency inspection carried out this summer. Relations with Sudan and support to the embassy are looked after by a team at various levels in London. Relief aid is handled by a separate team at the ODA. It is not possible to list them or to break down the time they each devote to Sudan.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received in the last three months from (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members concerning Her Majesty's Government's efforts to promote a resolution to the war in the Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [4658]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November]: Between 15 August and 20 November Foreign Office Ministers replied to 92 letters from right hon. and hon. Members about Sudan. Many of those have simply asked for
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comments on the circular letter from Rev. Dr. Richard Rodgers. We have received 154 representations from members of the public, of which 102 were postcards which Dr. Rogers provided to his supporters and asked them to send in. Those have been replied to by officials.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received in the last four months concerning conditions and standards in Kober prison, Khartoum north; and if he will make a statement. [4660]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 18 November 1996]: We have received one representation about Kober prison. The embassy in Khartoum brought the allegations to the attention of the Government of Sudan. The Government of Sudan replied that action had been taken against a member of staff accused of killing a prisoner.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the ways in which his Department has (a) demonstrated by example and (b) promoted externally, the ability to improve efficiency and competitiveness through environmental auditing; and if he will make a statement. [4539]
The Solicitor-General:
I am the Green Minister for the Law Officers' Departments and agencies and at my meetings with their chief executives and finance officers I seek to ensure that environmental considerations are taken fully into account in operational matters, including procurement and accommodation management.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Attorney-General how many complaints of undue leniency in sentencing have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service under the Criminal Justice Act 1986; and how many of these have been referred on to the Attorney-General. [4626]
The Solicitor-General:
Approximately 80,000 cases prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service result in conviction and sentence at the Crown court annually. A significant number of these cases fall within the category of offences subject to review under the provision of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The Crown Prosecution Service has established systems to ensure the most careful consideration to any sentence which could potentially be appropriate for review. Information on the total number of cases considered by the Crown Prosecution Service since the passing of the Act is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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