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Floods (Mozambique)
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters his Department has offered for use in Mozambique to the Department for International Development; what financial charge he has made in respect of this offer to the Department for International Development; and what other offers of assistance his Department has made to the Department for International Development. [113460]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 7 March 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) on 8 March 2000, Official Report, column 710W and my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 8 March 2000, Official Report, column 710W with regard to how many helicopters my Department has offered and the financial charge to the Department for International Development.
MOD officials discussed with their colleagues in the Department for International Development the additional option of deploying a small number of Royal Marines and their equipment to Mozambique. Since large numbers of boats and boat handlers were already due to arrive in Mozambique, the Department for International Development did not pursue this offer.
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Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future size of the SSBN force. [113908]
Mr. Hoon:
I have nothing to add to the position set out in the Strategic Defence Review (Supporting Essay Five, paragraph 6).
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library all procurement assessment details and requests carried out by MOD staff in relation to Kosovo. [104834]
Mr. Hoon:
Details of some of the equipment procured for use in Kosovo are classified and I am withholding information on them under exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. I will, however, place in the Library a list of unclassified equipment procured for use in Kosovo.
Carter Center, Atlanta
Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) projects carried out in each year since 1992 and (b) work in progress under part or full funding by his Department by the Carter Center, Atlanta, United States of America. [112749]
Mr. Battle: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not in fact funded any projects carried out by the Carter Center, Atlanta, but the Carter Center is DFID's key partner in global efforts to eradicate guinea worm.
India (Bonded Labour)
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Indian Government's response to the concerns the Minister of State raised on the issue of bonded labour during his visit in November. [113588]
Mr. Hain: We continue to raise the issue of bonded labour with the Indian Government and the Indian Human Rights Commission, both nationally and at state level.
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received (1) on the release of bonded labourers from the villages of Kili-Nahal-Singh-Wala and Buraj Mehma in Punjab State, India; and what prosecutions were initiated against landlords in respect of bonded labourers; [113590]
- (2) regarding the attempted abduction of bonded labourers from the human rights organisation, Volunteers for Social Justice, on 7 February; and what reports he has received on the action that has been taken by the Indian authorities to bring to justice the instigators of this attack and ensure the safety of human rights workers at Volunteers for Social Justice. [113589]
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Mr. Hain: We are aware of these cases. Our High Commission in New Delhi has written about them to the Chair of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission and has also raised them with the Indian National Human Rights Commission.
Chinese President (State Visit)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department's officials gave to the police regarding the Chinese state visit. [113743]
Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) on 28 October 1999, Official Report, column 993W, and to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) on 28 October 1999, Official Report, columns 993-94W.
Millenium Civil Society Forum
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the plans of the United Nations Millennium Summit and General Assembly to make use of the report to be produced by the Millennium Civil Society Forum in May. [114087]
Mr. Hain: A formal decision has still to be taken on the linkage between the Millenium Civil Society Forum and the Millenium Summit and Assembly. The Forum's report should be a valuable input to the Summit and Assembly. With our European Union partners, the Government are pressing for the fullest possible Millenium Forum representation at these events.
Atomic Energy Counsellor (Japan)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the nature of the contractual appointment of a BNFL employee as the atomic energy counsellor in the British Embassy in Japan; what payment is made annually by BNFL in respect of this appointment; and when the arrangements with BNFL covering this embassy post were agreed. [114084]
Mr. Hain: The appointment of a BNFL employee on secondment to the post of Atomic Energy Counsellor at the British Embassy in Tokyo is in line with the usual contractual arrangements for such secondments. These are that he functions as a fully integrated member of the Embassy, works solely to objectives set by the Government, is bound by Diplomatic Service Regulations relating to conduct and discipline, and is answerable to the Ambassador and ultimately my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.
There is no payment to the FCO in respect of this appointment, but BNFL does meet the costs associated with it. These are around £500,000 annually. This arrangement has been in place for 33 years and was last reviewed with BNFL upon the appointment of the present incumbent in 1997.
Pakistan
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what examination of prison
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conditions and the length of detention without trial has been undertaken by United Kingdom officials in Pakistan. [113820]
Mr. Hain:
We are concerned that detainees can be held without charge for up to 90 days. We are raising this with the Pakistani authorities and are considering a further demarche together with our EU colleagues.
Official examinations of prisons are prohibited by the Pakistani authorities. We take up complaints about prison conditions, for example by British prisoners, with the Pakistani authorities.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts United Kingdom representatives have had with human rights and civil liberties groups in Pakistan since the military take over; and if he will make a statement. [113814]
Mr. Hain:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave in reply to him on 8 February 2000, Official Report, column 141W.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken by his Department to encourage India and Pakistan to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [113813]
Mr. Hain:
Having the G8 and EU Presidency, the UK played a leading role in co-ordinating the international response to the Indian and Pakistani nuclear tests. We continue to take every opportunity to urge both countries to take all the steps set out in United Nations Security Council resolution 1172, including acceding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as Non-Nuclear-Weapon States.
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the relations between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. [114176]
Mr. Hain:
We have recalled our High Commissioner for consultations.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the imprisonment of James Mawdsley in Burma; and what representations he has made to the Burmese Government. [114379]
Mr. Hain:
British Embassy officials have visited James six times. The last visit took place on 9 February. James has told us that he is well. Our Ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises James's case with the Burmese authorities, most recently with the Deputy Foreign Minister on 1 March. Baroness Scotland, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, also called in the Burmese Ambassador to express our concerns about the case in September 1999.
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In particular, we have protested about:
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his latest assessment of the situation of James Mawdsley, imprisoned in Burma. [114006]
Mr. Hain:
British Embassy officials have visited James six times. The most recent visit took place on 9 February. James has told us that he is well. We have raised with the Burmese authorities complaints he has had about his treatment.
the failure of the Burmese authorities to inform us of his arrest;
the delay over consular access;
the denial of legal representation;
the length of the sentence;
mistreatment in prison;
lack of access to reading and writing material;
length of recreation time;
delay in getting the trial transcript;
delays in receiving food parcels, letters and books.
We will continue to do everything we can to help James. We are in frequent contact with his family.
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