---

Zimbabwe

16. Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the elections in Zimbabwe and the implications for the new partnership for African development. [45531]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 14 March that Zimbabweans had plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed. NEPAD can only work on the basis of co-operation between democratic Governments with full international legitimacy.

21. Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further discussions he has had with Commonwealth members about the restoration of democracy in Zimbabwe. [45536]

Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson).

29. John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards Zimbabwe remaining within the Commonwealth. [45544]

Mr. MacShane: On 19 March Zimbabwe was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth for one year. We welcome this.

We shall be discussing Zimbabwe's future status with Commonwealth partners during the coming 12 months.

33. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Zimbabwe. [45548]

Mr. MacShane: What has happened in Zimbabwe is a tragedy, imposed on that once prosperous land by Robert Mugabe. Respect for the rule of law and a return to democratic principles and sensible economic policies are the only way back for Zimbabwe.

20. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on bilateral relations with Zimbabwe of the recent elections in that country; and if he will make a statement. [45535]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 14 March that Zimbabweans had plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed.

This leaves UK relations with Zimbabwe's Government at their lowest ebb since that country's independence. But we remain committed to stand by the people of Zimbabwe and will continue our programme of humanitarian assistance.

International Terrorism

17. Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will

16 Apr 2002 : Column 827W

take to instruct the UK mission to the United Nations to work for full compliance by member states with their obligation to file a report on terrorist financing and providing safe havens for terrorists. [45532]

Mr. MacShane: Under the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 States are obliged to submit such reports to the UN's Counter-Terrorism Committee. As of 9 April, 139 of the 189 UN Member States had fulfilled this obligation. As Chair of the Committee, the British Permanent Representative has written twice urging States that have not yet submitted a report to do so.

19. Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US on measures to prevent international terrorism. [45534]

Mr. Bradshaw: We have frequent and regular discussions with the US on many aspects of the international campaign against terrorism. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the campaign with President Bush in Crawford on 7 April.

Delhi Declaration

18. Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the Delhi declaration. [45533]

Mr. Bradshaw: The New Delhi Declaration, signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Indian Prime Minister on 6 January 2002, represents a new high-water mark in the strong and vibrant relationship between the UK and India. It identifies many areas of common interest and sets out a road-map for future co-operation, both bilaterally and on the world stage.

The Declaration is already having an impact. Elements of it were discussed by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and myself in our meetings with our Indian counterparts in the last two months.

Afghanistan

22. Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the contribution of the UK to ensuring political stability in Afghanistan. [45537]

Mr. Bradshaw: Political stability is crucial to long term stability in Afghanistan. The Government fully support the UN-led political process, as set out in the Bonn Agreement. Its aim is to establish a broadly based, representative and democratic government in Afghanistan. The convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga in June is the next step towards this. The UK has given £500,000 to support the Loya Jirga Commission, who are responsible for arranging the Emergency Loya Jirga.

We pledged £200 million of reconstruction assistance in January at the Tokyo Donors Conference on Reconstruction. The UK is currently Lead Nation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is playing an important role supporting the Interim Administration to maintain security in and around Kabul.

25. Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the war in Afghanistan. [45540]

16 Apr 2002 : Column 828W

Mr. Bradshaw: The campaign in Afghanistan is focused on ridding the country of the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which still pose a significant threat. At the request of the United States we have deployed 45 Commando to assist with this operation. We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can no longer offer a haven to terrorists and will remain engaged until we have finished the task.

31. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the international fight against the drug trade in Afghanistan. [45546]

Mr. MacShane: The UK has taken the lead in coordinating international efforts to implement sustainable drug control in Afghanistan through the creation of alternative legal livelihoods, the reconstruction of infrastructure and the establishment of effective law enforcement and good governance. We have also been working with the Afghan Interim Administration to implement the decree banning opium production issued by Chairman Karzai on 3 April. We have been encouraging other members of the international community to provide similar support.

Sudan

23. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Sudan. [45538]

Mr. MacShane: We remain deeply concerned about the situation in Sudan but believe that 2002 offers a real window of opportunity for peace and that the UK has a major role to play in ensuring that this opportunity is seized. There has been some recent progress, for example in the Nuba mountains where a ceasefire appears to be holding.

Middle East

24. Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report progress on peace initiatives in the middle east. [45539]

28. Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to bring Israelis and Palestinians together to promote a peaceful settlement. [45543]

32. Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Administration about influencing the progress towards peace in the middle east. [45547]

34. Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. [45549]

35. Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process. [45550]

16 Apr 2002 : Column 829W

Mr. Bradshaw: We are gravely concerned by the consequences of the escalation in the middle east in recent weeks. The situation could get even worse unless both sides step back, and start talking. This requires real engagement and intervention by the international community.

The priority is implementation of UNSCRs 1402 and 1403, a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities and full co-operation by the parties with General Zinni to implement the Tenet security work-plan and the Mitchell Committee recommendations with the aim of resuming negotiations on a political settlement. US Secretary of State Powell is in the region now on a mission to achieve this. It is crucial that both sides work constructively with Colin Powell. As the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House on 10 April, "Both sides must realise that violence is not, and never will be the answer. The solution to this crisis will never be reached if it is seen purely as a security or military question. There must be a political process."

The UK has played a full part in international efforts to bring the violence to an end and resume negotiations. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in the middle east with President Bush in Crawford, Texas. He has also had talks with European Heads of Government and President Mubarak. The Foreign Secretary has been in constant contact with his European counterparts and the US Secretary of State. He also spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Peres on 11 April. Despite the difficulties we have also maintained close contact with the Palestinian Authority primarily through our Consulate-General in Jerusalem. I spoke to the Palestinian Minister for International Planning and Co-operation, Nabil Sha'ath, on 3 April.

We shall be seeking a UN Security Council Resolution, based on Crown Prince Abdullah's plan, to promote a political process, following US Secretary of State Powell's visit to the region. We stand ready to help with monitoring, of a cease-fire and confidence building measures.

We have grave concerns about the denial of medical and humanitarian assistance to those in need in the Occupied Territories and about the lack of food, electricity and water. I raised our concerns with the Israeli ambassador on 4 April. We have also been disturbed by the reports of the deaths of innocents in the Jenin refugee camp and the conduct of the IDF. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Israeli Foreign Minister on 11 April. We have urged the Government of Israel to ensure respect for international law by its armed forces and investigate thoroughly all allegations of IDF misconduct.

The Government will continue to do all it can to help the parties end the violence and resume talks based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397, and the principle of land for peace. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians will only come through a political process which delivers security for Israel within recognised borders, brings an end to occupation, and allows the emergence of a secure and viable, democratic and peaceful Palestinian state committed to co-existence with Israel, and recognised and respected by Israel.

16 Apr 2002 : Column 830W

---