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Usama bin Laden
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the whereabouts of Usama bin Laden. [72696]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: There have been a variety of reports about the whereabouts of Usama bin Laden, who moved to Afghanistan in 1996; we have no confirmation of his current whereabouts.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the placement by President Mugabe of Zimbabwe of top army officers in key civilian Government positions. [72729]
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Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I receive regular reports about developments in Zimbabwe, including on senior government appointments. In November 1998 Brigadier Muzonini (Rtd) and Brigadier Bonyongwe were appointed Director and Deputy Director respectively of the Central Intelligence Organisation.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the report by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace on the murder and torture of civilians by the Zimbabwean Army and security agents. [72723]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We are aware of the disturbing report by the Legal Resources Foundation and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace into the atrocities in Matabeleland during the 1980s. When I met President Mugabe in December 1998 I urged him to address the outstanding human rights issues, in the interest of national reconciliation.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the personal involvement of President Mugabe in civil rights abuses in Zimbabwe. [72722]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
President Mugabe has used emergency powers to curb industrial action, which we understand the Zimbabwean parliament has rejected. We have no reports that he was personally involved in the detention and apparent torture of journalists, but neither has he condemned these abuses. He has made a series of statements which undermine the independence of the Courts, Media, and civil rights groups.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries about which his Department has received reports of Christians suffering civil rights abuses because of their religion. [72704]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We routinely receive information from our posts overseas and from a very wide range of academic, NGO, media and other sources, on the human rights situations worldwide, including religious freedom and the position of Christians. Over the past year we have received reports about countries including: Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Indonesia and China.
We always view such matters seriously and frequently take them up with the governments concerned.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what systems he has in place to ensure that policies being developed by his Department are subject to a crime impact (a) assessment and (b) audit and are not likely to lead to enhanced criminal opportunities. [72687]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given today Official Report, columns 311-12, by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend for North Warickshire (Mr. O'Brien).
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Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Kenyan Government following the beating of Professor Wangare Maathai by security guards at Karura Forest. [72734]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
As part of the Democratic Development Group of diplomatic missions in Nairobi, we supported a collective statement expressing our deep concern over the violence at the Karura Forest. The statement underlined that the right to demonstrate peacefully arises directly from basic human rights, including freedom of expression and assembly. However, it also condemned the destruction of private property and the accompanying violence by demonstrators, as with the excessive reaction of the police. It also called for greater transparency and respect for the law in the allocation of public lands in Kenya, including the Karura Forest, something which our High Commissioner regularly raises with President Moi and senior Government Ministers.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indian Government about the (a) torture and (b) murder of Christians in India. [72707]
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 28 January 1999, Official Report, columns 395-96.
Q15. Mr. Steen:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to the River Dart to discuss oyster farming. [71242]
The Prime Minister:
I have no immediate to do so.
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners he expects to have incomes at least as great as the minimum income guarantee in their year of retirement once his pensions reforms are fully implemented. [71181]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available.
Departmental Policies
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what systems he has in place to ensure that policies being developed by his Department are subject to a crime impact (a) assessment and (b) audit and are not likely to lead to enhanced criminal opportunities. [72683]
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Mr. Bayley:
I refer the hon. Member to the written answer my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) gave today, Official Report, columns 311-12.
Film and Television Freelance Training Courses
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many students are currently undertaking FT2 courses. [72217]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 22 February 1999]: I understand from FT2 that there are currently 32 students undertaking FT2 courses: 20 on the new entrants programme, 6 on the research scheme and 6 on the set craft apprenticeships scheme.
Internet (Public Libraries)
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to monitor the terms under which free connections to the Internet for public libraries are being made; and if he will make a statement. [72084]
Mr. Alan Howarth: It is for Library Authorities to negotiate the terms governing connection to the Internet.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the average (a) capital and (b) running cost per link to the Internet for public libraries; and if he will estimate the range of such costs. [72082]
Mr. Alan Howarth: This is a matter for individual Library Authorities to determine following commercial negotiation.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of public libraries have been connected to the Internet free of installation charge to date. [72086]
Mr. Alan Howarth: A survey conducted in 1997 suggested that 5 per cent. of service points had public Internet access. Information on the costs of installation is not held centrally.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the companies which have made connections to the Internet for public libraries free of installation charges; how many connections have been made in each case; and if he will publish the terms under which these connections have been made. [72085]
Mr. Alan Howarth: This information is not held centrally.
Film Industry
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what encouragement his Department is providing to secure the making of large budget films in Britain. [72323]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 22 February 1999]: My Department is keen to create the conditions to secure the production of films of all types in Britain. In seeking to attract large budget films from overseas, my
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Department provides funding to the British Film Commission to promote the benefits of filming in the UK internationally. In addition, my Department jointly funds the newly created British Film Office in Los Angeles, which promotes the UK within Hollywood.
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