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Angola
35. Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current situation in Angola. [8819]
Mr. Bradshaw: We remain concerned at the human consequences of the civil war, which include widespread suffering, violation of human rights and the exclusion of civil society from the political process. We continue to urge dialogue, involving all parties to the conflict, as an essential first step towards addressing these problems.
Pakistan
36. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of Pakistan since June. [8820]
Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met his Pakistani counterpart, Abdul Sattar, for talks in London on 12 June, one of his first engagements
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following his appointment. I met the Pakistani Foreign Secretary (PUS equivalent), Inam ul Haq, on 23 August for bilateral talks, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited Pakistan on 5 October.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan on restoring elected democratic government. [11441]
Mr. Bradshaw: We regularly raise the need to restore democratic government with the Government of Pakistan. Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) Ministers (including the UK) also called for further progress towards democracy in September. We welcome President Musharraf's commitment to implement his "road map" to democracy proposals, offering the prospect of multi-party elections to the provincial and national assemblies and senate by 12 October 2002.
Nice Treaty
37. Mr. Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by member states of the European Union in ratifying the Nice treaty. [8823]
Peter Hain: The following member states have ratified the Nice treaty:
- Denmark
- France
- Luxembourg.
European Foreign and Security Policy
38. Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on national Parliament scrutiny of European common foreign and security policy. [8824]
Peter Hain: The current position on national parliamentary scrutiny of the European Union's foreign and security policy is set out in the Government's White Paper of November 1998 on the Scrutiny of European Union Business. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has proposed that representatives of national Parliaments be more involved in European matters through a second chamber of the European Parliament. The role of national Parliaments in the European architecture is one of the agenda items for the next Inter-Governmental Conference in 2004. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with a wide range of contacts on this as well as on other Inter-Governmental Conference issues.
Kosovo
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the number of (a) Serbs and (b) Kosovo Albanians killed in Kosovo since 1 January. [10400]
Mr. MacShane: According to the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), 41 Kosovo Albanians and 17 Kosovo Serbs were killed in Kosovo during the period 1 January to 31 July 2001.
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Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when exhumation will begin at the Suva Reka mass grave site; and what indication he has as to the ethnic identity of the bodies contained there. [10449]
Mr. MacShane: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) completed their exhumations in Suva Reka in October 2000. The 73 bodies identified so far have been Kosovo Albanians. There are still a number of, as yet, unexamined gravesites and an UNMIK cemetery at Suva Reka where 300 unidentified bodies, exhumed by ICTY from graves across Kosovo, were re-interred. UNMIK plans to launch a comprehensive programme of exhumations and identifications in Kosovo, including at Suva Reka, in spring 2002.
Entry Clearance (Bombay)
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the case of Jayeshkumar Jethalal Javia, Bombay case ref: R/01/7052. [10587]
Mr. Bradshaw: Jayeshkumar Jethalal Javia was refused entry clearance at the Deputy High Commission in Bombay on 25 September 2001. I will write to my hon. Friend and provide a full explanation of the reasons for this decision as soon as possible.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the case of Sajanji Jivaji Odedra, Bombay ref: R/99/224–5-6; and when the visa is likely to be issued. [10586]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Deputy High Commission in Bombay referred the case of Sajanji Jivaji Odedra to the Home Office for consideration outside of the Immigration Rules in November 2000. Their response is awaited. I have asked officials to investigate the reasons for delay and I will write to my hon. Friend with my findings as soon as possible.
Colombia
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what activities Her Majesty's Government have been involved with in Colombia in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [9245]
Mr. MacShane: HMG continue to be at the forefront of international efforts to support the peace process in Colombia. This Government also support the Colombian Government's efforts to tackle the production and trafficking of illegal drugs. We also support practical measures to address the inter-connected problems of human rights and internal conflict. Earlier this month, I visited Colombia to discuss these and other issues with Colombian Government representatives, the Human Rights Ombudsman, members of non-governmental organisations, trade unions, peace activists, and representatives of the media and UK business community. In addition, I believe that more concerted international action needs to be taken to tackle the problems of illegal small arms, precursor chemicals and money laundering by the Colombian illegal armed groups. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will host a series of meetings in London later this year and early next year on these themes
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in order to look at ways we can further assist the peace process, and reduce the ability of extremist groups to use violence for political ends.
Australia
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) representations he has received and (b) discussions he has held with the Government of Australia concerning their approach to asylum applications from Afghanistan nationals. [11445]
Mr. MacShane: Immigration into Australia is a matter for the Australian Government to determine.
On 3 September Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer used the opportunity of a series of regular meetings in London with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and me to explain Australia's position on the MV Tampa refugees.
Commonwealth Countries
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what ministerial contacts there have been since 1997 with Commonwealth countries suspended from membership. [11440]
Mr. Bradshaw: The only country suspended from Commonwealth membership in this period was Nigeria, whose suspension began in 1995 and ended in June 1999 when democratic government was restored. EU and other sanctions prevented Ministerial contact between the UK and the Abacha regime between 1995 and June 1998. Ministerial contacts resumed after the death of Abacha. Currently, Pakistan and Fiji are suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth: Pakistan since October 1999 and Fiji since June 2000.
Diego Garcia
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements the US has made with the UK Government over their use of Diego Garcia; what British forces are stationed on the island; what plans the Government have to increase the UK's facilities there; and if he will make a statement. [10113]
Mr. Bradshaw: There are a series of bilateral agreements between the UK and US concerning the availability and use of Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, for defence purposes. The Territory remains available to meet the defence needs of both Governments, while remaining under UK sovereignty.
There are currently approximately 40 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel based on Diego Garcia. There are no plans to increase the UK's facilities there.
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