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G8 Summit

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what plans there are for taking forward the commitments made at the G8 summit to support African efforts to consolidate peace in (a) Angola and (b) Sierra Leone; [69469]

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(2) what plans there are for taking forward the commitments made at the G8 Summit to support African efforts to resolve conflict in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo and (b) the Sudan. [69468]

Mr. MacShane: In the Africa Action Plan, adopted at Kananaskis in June, G8 leaders committed themselves to providing additional support to efforts to bring peace to the DRC and Sudan, and to consolidate peace in Angola and Sierra Leone within the next year. The Africa Action Plan is a welcome basis for increased effort and greater co-ordination with other countries involved in providing political and financial support.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the G8 will take forward discussions relating to war economies. [69471]

Mr. MacShane: In the Africa Action Plan, adopted at Kananaskis in June, G8 leaders committed themselves to working with African governments, civil society and others to address the linkage between armed conflict and the exploitation of natural resources. A number of multilateral initiatives are already underway, for example the Kimberley Process which attempts to limit the trade in conflict diamonds, and the UN expert panels working on resource exploitation in DR Congo and Liberia. In the coming months the UK will also be seeking greater and more effective dialogue between G8 countries and the private sector on ensuring better accountability and greater transparency, and on promoting the adoption of voluntary principles of corporate social responsibility by companies involved in developing Africa's economic resources.

Kashmir

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the Governments of India and Pakistan, (b) other Governments and (c) international agencies with regard to seeking a resolution to the continuing violence in Kashmir. [71727]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited India and Pakistan on 19–20 July, and had discussions with the governments of both countries on the subject of Kashmir. He welcomed the recent lowering of tensions between the two countries, but encouraged both to continue to take steps to continue the de-escalatory process. He reminded both governments that in the longer term, only full dialogue on all outstanding isssues, including Kashmir, will pave the way for lasting solutions.

Although this is a bilateral dispute, it has potent international implications. We have been active in working with our international partners, including through the EU, the G8 and the UN, to encourage India and Pakistan to find ways to return to productive dialogue.

Entry Clearance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the opening hours of the entry clearance posts in (a) Islamabad, (b) Lahore, (c) Mumbai and (d) New Delhi are; and how many applications were made for visitors' visas in those centres on 15 July. [71589]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our office in Mumbai is open Monday to Friday between 0800 and 1130 for personal callers and 0900 to 1200 for the drop box. They received 275 visitor applications on 15 July.

New Delhi is open Monday to Friday between 0800 and 1200. They received 433 visitor applications on 15 July.

Due to the security situation in Islamabad the visa section is not open to personal callers. A restricted service is being provided, with applications delivered by a local courier service. On the 15 July Islamabad received 483 applications.

The visa issuing office in Lahore has been closed; a future service there will be dependent on identifying a new property which can be made suitably secure.

We are working to resume a fuller visa service in Pakistan as soon as the security situation allows.

Visa Facilities

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will meet the hon. Member for Leicester East and other hon. Members to discuss the reduced visa facilities, in New Delhi, Mumbai, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. [73051]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 23 July Official Report, column 887W.

Iran

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he had collated on how many executions there were on average in Iran each month in each year since 1997 and 2002 to date; how many women and men have been stoned to death since President Khatami came to power; and how many women and men have been punished by flogging in the same period; and what estimate he has made of the impact of his representations on these matters to the Government of Iran in the last 10 months. [72171]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Precise figures are not available. But drawing on press reporting, information from NGOs and from the annual reports of the UN Special Representative for Human Rights in Iran, we estimate that:

(a) there were at least 199 executions in 1997, 155 in 1998, 165 in 1999, 130 in 2000 and 139 in 2001. There were at least 49 up to the end of May this year;
(b) three men and three women were stoned to death in 1997 and two, possibly three, women in 2001. We have heard of three sentences against women in 2002, but we do not yet know whether they have been carried out;
(c) we have no figures for floggings in 1997 or 1998 but are aware of at least 360 between 1999 and the end of 2001.

The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and urges all states to abolish the death penalty. Debate on such issues is growing in Iran and we and EU partners continue to make clear our views to the Iranian Government at every suitable opportunity.

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Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the discrimination against women set out in child custody laws reported on by the UN special representative for Human Rights in Iran in the report to the UN Human Rights Commission earlier this year. [72170]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have not made any specific representations on this subject. But the UK plays a leading role in promoting and protecting the rights of women. The most recent UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution on Human Rights in Iran, which the UK co-sponsored as a member of the EU, noted "systematic discrimination against women and girls in law and in practice". It called upon the Government of Iran to "take further measures to ensure full and equal enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights". We will continue to monitor developments in this area.

East Timor

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 9 May 2002, Official Report, column 310W, on East Timor, if he has congratulated the Government of Indonesia on their President's visit to East Timor to take part in the Independence Day celebrations on 20 May 2002; and what representations he made about the warships which accompanied the President. [72573]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcomed President Megawati's decision to attend the independence celebrations in East Timor. This was an important signal of Indonesia's commitment to developing a strong bilateral relationship with an independent East Timor.

The British Embassy in Dili kept in close contact with the East Timorese Foreign Minister who took a pragmatic and measured response to the Indonesian warships entering their waters as part of the protection for the President's visit.

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Cayman Islands (Human Rights)

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal challenges he has received to the application of the Human Rights Act 1998 in the Cayman Islands. [72162]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 23 July 2002]: None. The Human Rights Act 1998 has not been extended to the Cayman Islands.

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal challenges he has received in respect of application of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Cayman Islands, effective under clause 53(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998. [72163]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 23 July 2002]: None. The Cayman Islands has accepted the extension by the UK of the European Convention on Human Rights to the Cayman Islands, but not the right of individual petition.

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 July 2002, Official Report, column 175W, on overseas territories, if he will list those overseas territories with whom Her Majesty's Government are in consultation about refining and improving their statistical returns. [72309]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 23 July 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) today (UIN71571).

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