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Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) (No. 2) Bill
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings he has had with the Law Society over the introduction of the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) (No. 2) Bill. [121897]
Mr. Charles Clarke: There have been no meetings on this issue.
Trustees
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to bring forward legislation regarding the role of trustees. [123499]
Mr. Lock: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have no plans to bring forward such legislation. However, the Trustee Bill, presently awaiting its Committee Stage in another place, would make certain
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provisions in relation to the powers and duties of trustees and particularly in relation to their powers of investment and related matters.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Sexual and Reproductive Health Projects
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the UK aid contributions for sexual and reproductive health projects for the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [123284]
Clare Short: My Department's bilateral contributions to sexual and reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS, in 1997-99 were:
- 1997--£53.4 million
- 1998--£58.4 million
- 1999--£57.3 million
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
| United Nations Population Fund | 11.5 | 13 | 15 |
| United Nations Children's Fund | 8 | 10 | 13 |
| UNAIDS | 2.3 | 2.75 | 3 |
| World Health Organisation (Reproductive Health) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2 |
| International Planned Parenthood Federation | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
Gaza Hospital
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the new EU-funded Gaza Hospital will open; and if he will make a statement. [123294]
Clare Short: I am informed that Commissioning of the EU funded Gaza Hospital is now likely to start in July 2000 and be completed by the end of the year, when it is expected that the hospital will be fully operational. An interim Management Team has been recruited by EC and will gradually hand over responsibility for day-to-day operations to local counterparts. It is intended that the Management Team will remain in place until July 2001.
Air Strip (St. Helena)
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons a further study has been commissioned on the feasibility of an air strip on St. Helena. [123328]
Clare Short: A desk study undertaken in 1999 considered the regulatory and technical feasibility of operating an air service to St. Helena. It did not consider the engineering, economic, financial, environmental and social feasibility of developing appropriate facilities on the island. These issues will be investigated as part of the comparative study of air and sea access which is now being commissioned. The study will compare air with
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future options for continuation of sea access and will identify the most cost-efficient permanent solution to St. Helena's international passenger and cargo needs.
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who will have responsibility for paying the cost of the air strip feasibility study on St. Helena. [123470]
Clare Short: The cost of the comparative study of air and sea access will be met by my Department from within the £29 million development assistance package agreed for the 2000-01 to 2002-03 Country Policy Plan period.
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the study on the feasibility of an air strip on St. Helena will be completed; and if she will ensure it is published. [123413]
Clare Short: The comparative study of air and sea access for St. Helena is currently being tendered. Work is expected to commence in August. The study will take about 14 weeks. As the study is being undertaken on behalf of the St. Helena Government it is they who should decide if the final report is published.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Penalty Clauses
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the contracts entered into with private sector companies for the provision of goods or services since May 1997 where penalty clauses were triggered for non-performance; and if he will make a statement. [122022]
Mr. Chris Smith: My Department has no record of any such contracts in the last three years.
National Lottery
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the role of the members of the National Lottery Charities Board and the role played by Ministers in their appointment. [123082]
Kate Hoey: Members of the National Lottery Charities Board take decisions on applications for grants from charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations. They formulate policies that continually improve and develop the Board's grant-making and contribute to the strategic development of the Board in a changing environment. Members also act as the public face of the Board.
Board members are appointed for up to five years by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The Board's Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland representatives are appointed following consultation with the relevant head of the devolved Administration.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Indonesia
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will provide
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support for the Indonesian administration in order to reduce fighting between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia; [122853]
- (2) what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government regarding religiously motivated violence in Indonesia; [122852]
(3) what recent reports he has received concerning religious violence in the Moluccas Islands. [122850]
Mr. Battle: The violence in Ambon and elsewhere in Maluku is a major concern for the Indonesian administration as well as for Britain and the international community. The new Indonesian Government aim to resolve regional conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation. We fully support that process, and have pressed upon them the need for conflict resolution work in particular communities. As part of the international effort through the United Nations Development Programme, we have already funded two conferences promoting reconciliation in Maluku, between 28 March and 3 April. We stand ready to help with further conflict prevention projects.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what UK expertise he will provide for training the Indonesian police force in managing conflict. [122854]
Mr. Battle: To explore the scope for the UK to support the Indonesian national police in its transition to a civilian accountable service, a senior British police officer will be attached to our Embassy in Jakarta from 1 June.
Moluccas Islands
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received concerning the arrival of Jihad warriors in the Moluccas Islands. [122851]
Mr. Battle: We have received reports that a number of extremists from outside Maluku have travelled to the province, and are under the close scrutiny of the authorities in Maluku. We are concerned at recent reports that these extremists have threatened further violence in the province. We have urged the Indonesian Government to ensure the security forces maintain law and order and the protection of all citizens.
Fundamental Rights Charter
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications for the British legal systems of the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights into the Treaty of European Union. [121896]
Mr. Vaz: The Cologne Conclusions state that the question of
- whether and if so how the Charter should be integrated into the Treaties
will be considered only once the drafting body has presented its draft before the European Council in December.
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Sierra Leone
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Peter Penfold left his post as High Commissioner in Sierra Leone; and what his last day was in Sierra Leone. [123269]
Mr. Hain: Mr. Penfold left his post as High Commissioner, and Sierra Leone, on 29 April 2000, his tour of duty having been the normal length for such postings.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations his Department made to President Kabbah regarding accepting Foday Sankoh into the Sierra Leonean Government; [123313]
- (2) what representations were made to his Department regarding Foday Sankoh's inclusion in the Sierra Leone Government by (a) President Kabbah, (b) the Nigerian Government and (c) the United States Government; [123312]
(3) what guidance he received on the decision to include Foday Sankoh into the Sierra Leonean Government; [123315]
(4) what factors underlay the decision to include Foday Sankoh in the Government of Sierra Leone; [123314]
(5) what representations were made by the Government on Foday Sankoh's inclusion in the Government of Sierra Leone. [123311]
Mr. Hain: Foday Sankoh has no formal post in the Sierra Leone Government. Under the Lome Peace Agreement, he was made Chair of the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development, with the status of Vice-President.
Representatives of Nigeria, the US and Britain were among those present as observers during the negotiations in Lome between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to (a) the US Administration and (b) his European counterparts regarding the freezing of bank accounts of leading members of the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone and their families. [123320]
Mr. Hain: UN sanctions are already designed to target the Revolutionary United Front. UN Security Council resolution 1171 (1998) imposes a travel ban on leading members of the former military junta and of the Revolutionary United Front. It also imposes an embargo on the supply of arms and related material to Sierra Leone other than to the Government of Sierra Leone (with certain exemptions). We have not discussed the option of freezing the bank accounts of leading members of the Revolutionary United Front and their families with the US Administration or with European counterparts. However, the UK will ensure that the Security Council keeps the impact and effectiveness of sanctions under review and will make proposals for modification of the sanctions regime as we consider appropriate.
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Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of illegal arms shipments going through Burkina Faso to the Sierra Leone rebels. [123317]
Mr. Hain: Her Majesty's Government are aware of allegations that arms flown from Ukraine to Burkina Faso in March 1999 were subsequently forwarded via Liberia to the rebels in Sierra Leone. We raised our concerns regarding this matter with the Burkinabe authorities and the UN Sanctions Committee at the time. The Chairman of the UN Sanctions Committee also raised these allegations with the Governments concerned.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the Commonwealth has played in finding a peaceful solution to the latest crisis in Sierra Leone. [123316]
Mr. Hain: The Commonwealth remains an active supporter of the Government of Sierra Leone's efforts to secure lasting peace. Meeting on 2 May, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group condemned the killings and detention of UNAMSIL peacekeepers; expressed its determination to stand by the people of Sierra Leone; and reiterated its readiness to assist the reconstruction of Sierra leone and the consolidation of its democracy.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent representations he has received from the US Administration on the situation in Sierra Leone; [123323]
- (2) what recent representations he has made to the US Administration on the situation in Sierra Leone. [123322]
Mr. Hain: We remain in close touch with the US Administration over the situation in Sierra Leone, particularly over the need for practical help to enable UNAMSIL to build itself up over the next few weeks. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary most recently discussed this with the US Secretary of State on 20 May. We welcome the US announcement of $20 million to support peacekeeping in Sierra Leone.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors influenced the decision to offer amnesty to all the Sierra Leone Revolutionary United Front's members, as part of the Lome peace accord. [123319]
Mr. Hain: Granting an amnesty for crimes committed before the signature of the Lome Peace Agreement on 7 July 1999 was one of the many hard decisions taken by the Government of Sierra Leone in their efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was first informed about the worsening situation in Sierra Leone after January. [123318]
Mr. Hain: We have kept the situation in Sierra Leone under careful and constant review. The present crisis began when the Revolutionary United Front attacked UN peacekeepers at a Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration camp in Makeni on 1 May. Reports of this attack were received early the following day.
The security situation deteriorated rapidly thereafter.
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