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India
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indian Government concerning the recent caste-related violence aimed at the Dalit community. [120300]
Mr. Hain: We deplore all forms of discrimination, including that based on caste. We are also concerned by incidents of caste-related violence. We and our High Commission in New Delhi continue to follow this issue closely.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he received about Kashmir prior to his visit to India. [120556]
Mr. Hain: We are aware of the concern of many people in the UK regarding the current situation in Kashmir. We hope that India and Pakistan can resume their dialogue and find a just and lasting solution to this issue.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had in India about the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. [120554]
Mr. Hain: We take every opportunity to urge India to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, including during the Foreign Secretary's visit to India last month.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. [120555]
Mr. Hain: The Government are committed to early enlargement of both the permanent and the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, including the creation of a new permanent seat for the Asian regional group. It would be for the Asian group to decide who would occupy any permanent seat allocated to them. India would clearly be a contender.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had about defence exports while in India. [120553]
Mr. Hain: Defence exports were among a wide range of issues discussed during the Secretary of State's visit to India.
Sudan
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning violence near the Heglig oilfield north of Bentiu, southern Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [120266]
Mr. Hain: We continue to receive reports of fighting around and south of Bentiu in Unity State. We will maintain our efforts to push for a peace settlement which would end the suffering of those in the Sudan.
Export Controls (Macau)
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategic export controls the United Kingdom will apply to the Macau Special Administrative Region. [120681]
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Mr. Battle: Following the return of Macau to Chinese sovereignty, we have reviewed our policy on the control of strategic exports to the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
We shall consider applications for licensing strategic exports to the MSAR on a case-by-case basis. We will not, however, issue licences for strategic exports to the MSAR for goods which we do not licence for export to mainland China. Our policy on strategic exports to mainland China is as set out by my late right hon. Friend, Derek Fatchett, on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 246-47W.
The Department of Trade and Industry will be removing Macau as a destination for Open General Licences which allow the export of Military List goods. Transhipment of goods on the Military List to the MSAR via the United Kingdom without a licence will also be prohibited. Schedule 3 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order (1994) will be amended accordingly.
HM Government's policy on strategic exports to Hong Kong remains as announced by my late right hon. Friend on 14 January 1998, Official Report, column 221W.
Iraq
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations he has received concerning the bombing of non-military targets in Iraq; [120610]
- (2) what recent representations he has received concerning the bombing of military targets in Iraq; [120273]
(3) what plans he has to assess the effects of the continued bombing of Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [120611]
Mr. Hain: As I have told the House on many occasions, we are not conducting a bombing campaign against Iraq. UK and US aircraft continue to patrol the No Fly Zones, established in 1991 and 1992 in response to a situation of overwhelming humanitarian necessity, and in support of UN Security Council resolution 688 which called on Iraq to end its repression of the civilian population. They stop Saddam Hussein using his aircraft against his own people, as he did with such horrific consequences in the past. Since late 1998, Iraq has waged a systematic campaign to shoot our aircraft down. Direct threats against our aircrew have included missile attacks and heavy anti-aircraft fire. Our aircraft only take action when they are forced to do so to defend themselves. I am aware of claims, chiefly from the Iraqi Government, that our aircraft deliberately target civilians and civilian facilities. That is a lie. Only military targets clearly connected with the threat to our aircraft are targeted, and even then only when we are wholly satisfied that the associated risks are minimal. I am confident that our patrols prevent Saddam Hussein from adding yet more crimes to his appalling human rights record.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Sex Offenders
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 April
2 May 2000 : Column: 75W
2000, Official Report, columns 599-600W, (i) how many prisoners released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme were released on the scheme before the end of the requisite period referred to in Section 34A(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 as inserted by Section 99 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, (ii) if any of these prisoners have been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of the requisite period, (iii) if any of these prisoners committed a further offence (a) between the date of their release and the end of the requisite period and (b) subsequently while on the scheme, and (iv) if he will place in the Library the procedure laid down by Ministers for the release of sex offenders on the Home Detention Curfew scheme. [118806]
Mr. Boateng [holding answer 12 April 2000]: The available information shows that, since the Home Detention Curfew scheme commenced in January 1999, 12 prisoners have been released in error before their Home Detention Curfew eligibility date. This figure includes the sex offender subject to the Sex Offenders Act 1997 referred to in the reply given to the right hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 6 April 2000, Official Report, columns 599-600W.
I deeply regret all of these errors, but the right hon. Member should note that they represent only 0.06 per cent. of the total of 18,736 prisoners who have been released on the scheme as of 31 March 2000.
All but one of these errors occurred before the introduction in October 1999 of the new improvements to the local inmate data system on which Home Detention Curfew eligibility and release dates are recorded by establishments. In five cases, the early releases were due to an error in manual calculation. In seven cases they were due to the prison's failure to amend the original eligibility date to take account of additional days awarded as a result of a prisoner breaching the prison disciplinary code.
Only one of these prisoners was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of the requisite period. The Prison Service has not been notified of any further offence committed by any of these prisoners either between the date of their release and the end of the requisite period or subsequently while on the Home Detention Curfew scheme.
The procedures for dealing with sex offenders subject to the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and other sex offenders are set out in paragraph 2.4 of the current Home Detention Curfew Prison Service Order 6700, issued in January 2000, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Kosovan Refugees
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on reimbursing local authorities for the stay of Kosovan refugees. [119220]
Mrs. Roche: We have had a number of meetings and exchanges of correspondence with local authorities over the reimbursement of additional costs related to the care of refugees evacuated from Kosovo. Local authorities were consulted on the provisions of the Special Grant (the mechanism by which we make reimbursement payments) and all who put in their interim claims (for the period to 31 December 1999) by the due date have now been paid.
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Extradition
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the legal causes upon which consent certificates were granted in extradition proceedings on account of (a) the extradited person making known an outstanding offence not known to the requesting authority, (b) the requesting authority discovering an offence which was not known to them at the time of the initial extradition request and (c) other reasons, in the past three years. [119715]
Mr. Straw: It is very rare to depart from the rule of specialty in respect of extradition proceedings. Formal certification to waive the rule is required only in relation to our extradition arrangements with Ireland. In the past three years I have signed four certificates. The details are as follows:
- specialty was waived to allow an individual to be questioned in relation to a suspected murder following return for possession of offensive weapons. The Irish authorities had insufficient information to include it with the other offences listed in the request for the individual's return;
- in the same case, a second specialty consent certificate was signed to allow the individual concerned to be proceeded against for murder, intent to rob, entering as a trespasser with intent to steal and false imprisonment;
- in another case, specialty was waived to allow for an individual to be proceeded against for sex offences following return in respect of larceny and fraud-related offences. The Irish authorities had insufficient information to include it with the other offences listed in the request for the individual's return; and
- specialty was waived to allow an individual to be proceeded against for a number of summary offences, following his return for causing death by dangerous driving. The summonses for these lesser offences were transmitted at the same time as the warrant for the offences of causing death by dangerous driving however they were not served on the individual for operational reasons.
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