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National Missile Defence

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with UK firms bidding for work on the US-initiated programme of national missile Defence; and if he will make a statement. [53597]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not had any direct discussions with UK firms in relation to specific bids related to current US proposals for missile defence. Staff at the British embassy in Washington regularly give general advice to UK firms wishing to do business with the US Department of Defense (including the Missile Defense Agency) but have not had any discussions on specific bids on the US missile defence programme.

Taiwan

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place in the European Parliament about granting Taiwan observer status at the annual World Health Assembly. [53634]

Mr. MacShane: We understand that the European Parliament has recently passed a resolution calling upon the World Health Organisation to grant observer status at the World Health Assembly to Taiwan.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the World Health Organisation to re-admit Taiwan to the organisation. [53633]

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Mr. MacShane: The United Kingdom has not been involved in any direct representations to the World Health Organisation on this issue and will continue to work with other EU partners on a common position.

Gibraltar

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk to the security of Gibraltar from Spain. [53881]

Peter Hain: As I said in the House on 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 137WH, the aim of talks under the Brussels Process is to ensure a stable, prosperous and secure future for Gibraltar. And as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 735, we are convinced that this dialogue represents the best way forward for the people of Gibraltar.

Liaison Officers

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 815W, if he will provide a breakdown of the former occupations of the liaison officers indicating (a) how they are recruited, (b) their level of remuneration and (c) the restrictions on them taking up other appointments. [54100]

Mr. MacShane: In accordance with good employer practice and under exemptions 8a and 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not appropriate to release such information into the public domain.

World Service

Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives from the World Service to discuss its plans for the future. [54428]

Mr. MacShane: FCO Ministers meet the director of the BBC World Service formally every year to discuss World Service plans. The next such meeting will be in June. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met Mr. Byford on 11 October 2001. I last met Mr. Byford on 3 October 2001. The last meeting between an FCO Minister and the World Service was on 10 January 2002, when my noble Friend Baroness Symons met Mr. Byford on 10 January 2002. I am scheduled to meet with him on 13 May 2002 in a formal meeting but there are other occasions for informal meetings with Mr. Byford at which we discuss the excellent work of the World Service.

Iraq

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on involving the United Nations in a decision to take military action against Iraq. [54291]

Mr. Bradshaw: Iraq's obligations are unambiguously set out in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. No decision has been taken on military action against Iraq.

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Israel

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether advice to UK citizens intending to travel to the middle east has been amended as a result of the wounding of Kate Edwards in Israel. [54211]

Mr. Bradshaw: Kate Edwards is an Australian national who was injured in Bethlehem. Our travel advice continues to strongly advise against travel to this area because of the continuing clashes between Israelis and Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards export control licences for arms sales to Israel. [55025]

Mr. Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 722–23W.

Saudi Arabia

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to Saudi Arabia over the case of Mr. Alexander Mitchell. [54126]

Mr. Bradshaw: FCO Ministers and officials have made repeated representations about Mr. Mitchell's case from the outset, including at the highest levels. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made representations on numerous occasions directly with the Saudis. We will continue to do all we can for Mr. Mitchell and the other detained British nationals accused of involvement in bombings in Saudi Arabia.

Greece

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help the Government have given to the British planespotters in Greece (a) in assisting with providing expert witnesses for their case, (b) in helping them to meet their legal costs and (c) in ensuring that all relevant parties were aware of cultural differences that might be relevant to the case; and if he will make a statement. [54218]

Mr. Bradshaw: The case referred to by the hon. Member is a legal matter. The group since conviction have lodged an appeal. It would not be appropriate, therefore, for me to comment on the details of the case. The group are fully aware that the British Government do not pay legal costs for British nationals overseas, whether detained, convicted or acquitted. Through FCO travel advice we endeavour to inform the general public as best we can about potential risks when travelling overseas. We continue to offer full consular assistance to the group.

China

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding the Chinese one child policy; and if he will make a statement. [54484]

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Mr. MacShane: We have not discussed this subject with EU partners recently. We have expressed our concerns to the Chinese authorities, including through the UK-China human rights dialogue, over abuses associated with the one child policy. We believe that coercion has no place in family planning programmes.

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place within the UN during the last two years about the Chinese one child policy. [54506]

Mr. MacShane: We are not aware of any recent discussion of China's one child policy at the executive board of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) or any other UN body. However monitoring of UNFPA's engagement with the Chinese Government on policy issues has taken place through at least two visits to China in the last two years by members of UNFPA's executive board.

Visa Appeals

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people exercised their right of appeal in visitor visa cases in 2001. [54502]

Mr. Bradshaw: 11,847 applicants appealed during 2001 (this figure is made up of 5,203 family visit appeals and 6,644 other non-settlement appeals).

Statistical information on the number of applicants who exercised their right of appeal in visitor visa cases is only available from those entry clearance posts that provide monthly statistical information (110 posts in 2001).

The remaining entry clearance posts submit information on an annual basis. To answer this question for all 166 posts the additional posts would have to extract the information requested manually, which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearance Decisions

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many decisions by entry clearance officers he has overturned since 7 June. [54501]

Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not overturned any entry clearance decisions. As Minister responsible for entry clearance, I have overturned nine decisions since 7 June 2001.

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