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UKREP
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are employed at UKREP. [63444]
Mr. MacShane: The number of staff employed at the UKREP Office in Brussels is 152.
Arms Trade
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department have had with the Iranian Government regarding unlicensed production in Iran of BAE Systems/Heckler & Koch's G3 rifles and MP5 submachine guns. [61984]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have had no recent discussions with the Iranian Government in this regard. We are not aware of any such unlicensed production of the weapons in question.
UKvisas
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much it cost to rebrand the visa operation as UKvisas. [62785]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The direct cost of re-branding JECU to UKvisas was #9,354.56. There were other related costs, all met from existing resources and staffing.
The decision to change to UKvisas was to project a clear, easily understood and up to date identity for the entry clearance operation.
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Business Ambassadors
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of the business ambassadors, and how many business ambassadors he has appointed since 7 June 2002. [62786]
Mr. MacShane: The current Ambassadors for British Business and the date of their appointment are listed below.
| Name | Date appointed |
|---|---|
| Sir David Alliance CBE | November 1997 |
| Sir David Brown | November 1997 |
| Lord Browne of Madingley | November 1997 |
| Sir Trevor Chinn CVO | November 1997 |
| Iain Dale CBE | November 1997 |
| Sir Patrick Gillam | November 1997 |
| Allan Gormly CBE | November 1997 |
| Sir Ronald Hampel | November 1997 |
| Lord Haskins | November 1997 |
| Sir David John KCMG | November 1997 |
| Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge | November 1997 |
| John M Neill CBE | November 1997 |
| Lord Paul of Marylebone | November 1997 |
| Tony Pedder | November 1997 |
| Sir Ian Prosser | November 1997 |
| Sir Ralph Robins DL | November 1997 |
| Anita Roddick OBE | November 1997 |
| Sir Nigel Rudd DL | November 1997 |
| Lord Simpson of Dunkeld | November 1997 |
| Sir Paul Smith CBE | November 1997 |
| Sir Martin Sorrell | November 1997 |
| Sir Richard Sykes | November 1997 |
| Sir Robert Wilson KCMG | November 1997 |
| Sir Peter Bonfield CBE | March 2000 |
| Digby Jones | March 2000 |
Unpaid Advisers
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 63W, on unpaid advisers, if he will list the steps that were taken to ensure no conflicts of interest arose as a result of this appointment. [62971]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19 June, Official Report, column 332W.
Iraq
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Iraq. [63076]
21 Jun 2002 : Column 638W
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have no diplomatic relations with Iraq. We have limited official-level contacts. We use them to urge Iraq to comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions, including on weapons inspections, so allowing Iraq's reintegration into the international community.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what happens to the funds raised by the sales of impounded Iraqi oil form ships stopped by coalition forces; and how such funds have been used over the last five years. [63173]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Under UN Security resolution 778 (1992), the proceeds, less expenses, of the sale of seized illegal Iraqi oil are paid into the UN escrow account which funds the UN XOil for Food" humanitarian programme.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ships were stopped by coalition forces with Iraqi oil on board in contravention of UN sanctions in each of the last five years. [63172]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The number of ships diverted by the Maritime Interception Force (MIF) is:
- 1997—26;
1998—40;
1999—19;
2000—82; and
2001—115.
Western Sahara
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met officials from (a) the UN and (b) the EU to discuss the status of the Western Sahara. [63326]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: UK Officials are in regular contact with UN and EU officials. We continue to support the efforts of the UN in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the Western Sahara dispute.
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the status of the Western Sahara with the Moroccan Government. [63327]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss the issue of Western Sahara with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. My predecessor my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Ben Bradshaw) raised the issue during his visit to Morocco in September 2001 and when he met with Mohammed Benaissa the Moroccan Foreign Minister during his visit to London in March 2002. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also discussed the subject with Mohammed Benaissa during his visit to London in February 2002.