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Comprehensive Spending Review

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff have contributed to her Department's input to the spending review. [68685]

Mrs. Liddell: A range of staff in my Department have contributed to spending review issues as part of their normal duties.

Public Consultations

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the public consultations undertaken by her Department since 8 June 2001, indicating the (a) length and (b) number of responses received in each case. [68699]

Mrs. Liddell: My Department has undertaken one public consultation exercise since 8 June 2001; the consultation paper on the size of the Scottish Parliament on 18 December 2001, which required responses by 29 March 2002. A total of 237 responses were received.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms Trade

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has had from BAE Systems regarding unlicensed production of G3 rifles and MP5 submachine guns by the Defence Industries Organisation in Iran. [61985]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are aware of no representations from BAE systems in this regard. We are not aware of any such unlicensed production of the weapons in question.

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Consular Services

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to improve the services offered by consular staff to UK nationals. [68235]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We continually seek ways to improve the consular services offered to British nationals who get into difficulties overseas. Recent initiatives include the Know Before You Go campaign which encourages British travellers to make better preparations before they go overseas, producing guidelines on forced marriage for the police and improving our travel advice by including travellers tips for gay travellers.

Arms Exports

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional safeguards his proposed changes to guidelines on UK arms exports will give to the terms of the Export Control Bill. [69467]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The factors which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced on 8 July 2002, Official Report, columns 650–52W, were an elaboration of the Consolidated Criteria.

The Government's proposed Export Control Bill imposes a requirement on the Government to issue guidance about the general principles to be followed when exercising licensing powers, requires that this guidance must address certain issues and provides that the Consolidated Criteria shall be treated as such guidance under the Bill.

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether exports licensed under the new criteria on arms export components will be highlighted as such on the annual reports on strategic exports; and whether information as to end-use and ultimate destination of the finished products will be provided in these reports. [69506]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: HMG is committed to openness and accountability in arms exports. Our annual reports on strategic export controls are among the most detailed such reports produced by any arms exporting country. The reports will continue to provide details of all export licences approved and refused, as at present.

However, export licences approved or refused on the basis of the factors outlined by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Paddy Tipping), on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 650–52W, will not be highlighted as such in the annual reports. Nor does the Government intend to provide in the reports information as to end-use and ultimate destination of finished products produced overseas incorporating UK components. Commercial confidentiality means that we usually cannot reveal such information. And in some cases, when taken with other parts of the Report, this information might reveal details of the recipient country's defence strategy. It would not be practicable to reveal this information selectively in the reports.

Departmental Travel

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are made

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to ensure that his Department's staff travel by British carriers; and on what ground his Department's staff, Embassy employees, and associated staff use non-UK carriers. [69500]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our policy is to use airlines that provide the best value for money in terms of costs, safety and service on the routes served.

Sanctions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are subject to (a) political, (b) diplomatic, (c) trade and (d) economic sanctions and arms embargoes by the UK in consequence of their policies on (a) human rights and (b) their minority ethnic and religious groups. [69932]

Mr. MacShane: Details of sanctions regimes, arms embargoes and restrictions on export of strategic goods by country and region can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at the following address: http://fco.gov.uk/sanctions. The website currently lists 42 countries for which such measures have been implemented by the UN, EU, OSCE and UK.

The EU ban on the sale of defence equipment to China was one of a number of measures put in place following human rights abuses and the suppression of pro- democracy activists in Tiananmen Square in 1989. EU measures applied to Burma, Zimbabwe and those taken against Milosevic and those associated with him were all also imposed, at least in part, as a result of human rights abuses.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what political, diplomatic, trade and economic sanctions the Government have had in place against the Government of the People's Republic of China since May 1997 in consequence of its policies on human rights, with particular reference to (a) Tibet and (b) its minority ethnic and religious groups. [69931]

Mr. MacShane: An EU arms embargo has been in force against China since the suppression of pro- democracy activists in Tiananmen square in 1989.

Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent efforts have been made by Her Majesty's Government to ascertain the whereabouts and welfare of the Panchen Lama of Tibet; and what response they have received from the Government of the People's Republic of China. [69933]

Mr. MacShane: We raised the case of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima most recently at the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 15 May. The Chinese responded that he was in good health and leading a "normal and happy life" with his parents, who did not want him exposed to international attention.

Cyprus

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent discussions he has

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had with the Turkish Government on the increased deployment of Turkish troops in the occupied area of Northern Cyprus; [69708]

(2) how many Turkish troops are stationed in the occupied area of Northern Cyprus. [69710]

Peter Hain: The 1960 Treaty of Alliance allows for there to be 950 Greek troops and 650 Turkish troops on Cyprus. The actual numbers of Greek and Turkish national forces on the island are a matter of dispute between the various parties concerned. No authoritative figures are available.

Pakistan

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Pakistani Government concerning violent attacks perpetrated upon Christian women by Muslim extremists. [69836]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We and our EU partners regularly raise our human rights concerns, including those of Christians and women's rights issues, with the Pakistani authorities. We are concerned by reports of violent attacks perpetrated upon Christian women by Muslim extremists. If the reports are substantiated, we look to the appropriate authorities in Pakistan to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. We continue to monitor closely the position of religious minorities in Pakistan including women's human rights, and will continue to remain engaged with the Pakistani authorities.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Pakistani Government concerning the whereabouts of Naira Nadia. [69835]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Together with our EU partners, we have raised our human rights concerns at regular intervals with the Pakistani authorities, citing specific cases. We raised Naira Nadia's case with the EU on 10 April and on 14 June the Spanish presidency underlined our concern to the Pakistani authorities about various cases including that of Naira Nadia.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Pakistani Government concerning the treatment of Shakeela Siddique by the authorities; and if he will make a statement. [69837]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have asked our High Commission in Islamabad to ensure Shakeela Siddique's case is raised with the Pakistani authorities and further information sought about the circumstances of the case. We express concern where appropriate about human rights issues in Pakistan.

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