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EU Documents

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which EU documents are expected to be placed before the European Council at its meeting on 23 and 24 March; what parliamentary (a) debate and (b) scrutiny each such document has been or will be given; and what will be the status of such documents following the meeting. [112998]

Mr. Vaz: The European Council in Lisbon on 23-24 March is an extraordinary European Council meeting. We do not expect any proposals for Community legislation to be presented to Lisbon.

We have received a paper for Lisbon on "Employment, economic reforms and social cohesion--towards a Europe based on innovation and knowledge" from the Presidency, which we have already presented to the European Scrutiny Committee for information. We will also be sending the European Scrutiny Committee the Government's position on the Lisbon European Council and a paper by the Commission in advance of the meeting.

We expect that there will be a parliamentary statement on the outcome of Lisbon after the meeting.

Iraq

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the decisions under the Iraq oil for food scheme to allocate money from the relevant United Nations escrow account for items other than food and medicine for the Iraqi people; what was the amount in each case; and what position the UK representative at the UN took on each matter. [113064]

Mr. Hain: The Office of the Iraq Programme has received over 17,500 applications under the Oil for Food programme. The total value of these contracts, including the cost of shipping comes to about US$ 14.5 billion.

As my hon. Friend will appreciate, the volume of applications received under the Oil for Food programme make it impractical to provide the information requested in full.

The United Kingdom has no objection to the vast majority of Oil for Food applications. Over 96 per cent. of all contracts submitted under the Oil for Food programme have been approved by the Office of the Iraq Programme. Of the 17,500 Oil for Food applications received by the Office of the Iraq programme the United Kingdom has, of today's date, only 166 contracts on hold. The majority of holds are placed on contracts while a

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request is made for additional information so that we can ensure that the terms of the contract are consistent with the relevant Security Council resolutions on Iraq.

British Citizenship

Valerie Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will introduce a Bill offering British citizenship to the people of the British Overseas Territories. [113270]

Mr. Battle: As soon as practicable, given the need for preparatory work before the introduction of a bill, and the Government's priorities in the Legislative Programme.

Visas

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the charge in (a) the relevant local currency and (b) pounds sterling equivalent for an application for a visitor's visa in (i) India, (ii) Pakistan and (iii) Bangladesh in each of the last five years for which information is available. [113140]

Mr. Vaz: The current charges in pounds sterling for the various categories of non-settlement visas are as follows:

	£
Single entry	33
Multiple entry (6 months)	45
Multiple entry (1 year)	55
Multiple entry (2 years)	65
Multiple entry (5 years)	80
Long term non-settlement	50

Visa fees are set at a standard sterling rate globally and are converted into local currency according to the commercial rate of exchange. Fees expressed in local currency may therefore, vary from week to week.

The charges for non-settlement visas have remained unchanged since August 1995, apart from the fee for the 5-year multiple entry visa. This was reduced from £130 to £80 in June 1997.

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current arrangements for assessing sponsors' particulars in respect of applications for visitors' visas from (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Bangladesh; when they were last amended; and for what reason. [113139]

Mr. Vaz: The precise documentation required by sponsors of visa applicants varies according to the type of visa applied for and the circumstances of the individual case. Guidance on the type of documentation required is available to applicants and their sponsors in leaflets available from the FCO and from Visa Sections overseas. This information is also available on the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk.

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for visitors' visas were received from

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(a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Bangladesh; and what percentage of these were refused in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [113141]

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Mr. Vaz: The statistics for non-settlement applications over the last five years in the countries requested are as follows:

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	1999		1998		1997		1996		1995
	Received	Refused %	Received	Refused %	Received	Refused %	Received	Refused %	Received	Refused %
India
Bombay	69,455	7.8	61,450	7.4	54,028	7.9	50,980	7.7	47,148	6.7
Calcutta	9,545	1.7	8,678	1.0	9,149	1.2	8,259	1.5	7,652	1.8
Madras	26,621	3.5	23,544	3.6	18,720	3.4	16,382	1.7	15,196	1.6
New Delhi	64,430	16.4	57,804	13.3	52,078	12.7	51,187	16.6	45,280	15.6
Pakistan
Islamabad	40,537	21.4	38,250	14.7	23,828	20.3	31,354	26.0	35,597	25.7
Karachi	29,725	13.1	27,536	11.3	26,243	7.0	27,873	10.5	28,342	10.8
Bangladesh
Dhaka	14,983	22.4	12,822	21.7	13,115	27.2	13,808	26.7	14,425	30.1

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Further details of statistics on non-settlement visa applications can be found in the Global Entry Clearance Statistics, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library for the years 1994-98. Statistics for 1999 are currently being compiled and will be placed in the Library in due course.

China

Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he made of the human rights record of the People's Republic of China before his Department became involved in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China; [112800]

(2) if he will make a statement about the role of his Department in the exchange arrangements between the Scottish Police College and the State Police of the People's Republic of China. [112799]

Mr. Battle: The promotion of human rights, including the principle of the rule of law, is an integral part of our relationship with China. We have a critical dialogue with the Chinese Government which enables us both to express our concern about their human rights record and work with them to improve Chinese practices in specific areas, particularly through training schemes and other cooperative projects.

The need to ensure that respect for human rights is a central feature of police reform in China lay behind our positive response to the Chinese request for training in the UK for some senior police officers. The Scottish Police College training was funded in part by the FCO's ASSIST programme budget, and stresses the values of democratic policing and the application of human rights practices in police work.

Iran

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government have made to the Government of Iran about the repression, persecution and imprisonment of members of the Baha'i community in Iran. [112964]

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Mr. Hain: We remain concerned at reports of the death sentences passed on three members of the Baha'i community, Mr. Najafabadi, Mr. Moghaddam and Mr. Khulusi in Mashad on 3 February. The picture has been somewhat confused by the recent statement by Mr. Sabeqi, spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary, that no such sentences had been passed. The Portuguese Presidency, on behalf of EU partners, presented a demarche to the Iranian authorities expressing our concern and seeking clarification as to the current status of these three gentlemen on 17 February. We took similar bilateral action with the Iranian Ambassador on 21 February.

We regularly raise with the Iranian authorities our serious concern about treatment of the Baha'is. Persecution of individuals on religious grounds is totally unacceptable.

Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Iranian authorities following the death sentences imposed on three Iranian Baha'is on 3 February; what is the policy of the Government towards Iran's treatment of the Baha'i community; if the Government will support the resolution condemning Iran at the UN Commission on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement. [112771]

Mr. Hain: We remain concerned at reports of the death sentences passed on Mr. Najafabadi, Mr. Moghaddam and Mr. Khulusi in Mashad on 3 February. The picture has been somewhat confused by the recent statement by Mr. Sabeqi, spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary, that no such sentences had been passed. The Portuguese Presidency, on behalf of EU partners, presented a demarche to the Iranian authorities expressing our concern and seeking clarification as to the current status of these three gentlemen on 17 February. We took similar bilateral action with the Iranian Ambassador on 21 February.

We regularly raise with the Iranian authorities our serious concern about treatment of the Baha'is. Persecution of individuals on religious grounds is totally unacceptable. The EU Sponsored United Nations General Assembly resolution on Human Rights in Iran adopted on 18 December 1999 reaffirmed international concern about their situation. We and our EU partners will again be tabling the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution on Human Rights in Iran for the Commission in Geneva in April.

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Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received reports of the death sentences passed on three Iranian Bahai's; what representations he has made relating to this; and if he will make a statement. [113273]

Mr. Hain: We first learnt of death sentences being passed on three members of the Baha'i community, Mr. Najafabadi, Mr. Moghaddam and Mr. Khulusi in Mashad shortly after the sentences were announced on 3 February. The picture has been somewhat confused by the recent statement by Mr. Sadeqi, spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary, that no such sentences had been passed. The Portuguese Presidency, on behalf of EU partners, presented a demarche to the Iranian authorities expressing our concern and seeking clarification as to the current status of these three gentlemen on 17 February. We took similar bilateral action with the Iranian Ambassador on 21 February.

We regularly raise with the Iranian authorities our serious concern about treatment of the Baha'is. Persecution of individuals on religious grounds is totally unacceptable.

Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Iran about the treatment and planned execution of members of the Baha'i community. [112801]

Mr. Hain: We remain concerned at reports of the death sentences passed on Mr. Najafabadi, Mr. Moghaddam and Mr. Khulusi in Mashad on 3 February. The picture has been somewhat confused by the recent statement by Mr. Sadeqi, spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary, that no such sentences had been passed. The Portuguese Presidency, on behalf of EU partners, presented a demarche to the Iranian authorities expressing our concern and seeking clarification as to the current status of these three gentlemen on 17 February. This was followed up with a further demarche in Tehran on 19 February. We took similar bilateral action with the Iranian Ambassador on 21 February.

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