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15 Oct 2002 : Column 527W

Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 15 October 2002

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Overseas Territories (Statistical Information)

Andrew Mackinlay: 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, to what extent the overseas territories differ in their system for the collection and publication of statistics; and which publish details within these statistics that constitute national income accounts. [71569]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 22 July 2002]: There is no common method used throughout the UK Overseas Territories for the collection and publication of statistical information. Of the economically significant Overseas Territories, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, St. Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands regularly produce and publish details within these statistics that constitute National Income Accounts. Gibraltar has recently published a compendium of statistics after a gap of several years.

Sheikh Salah Shahada

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the death of Sheikh Salah Shahada and others on 22 July. [73380]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I spoke to the Israeli Ambassador on 23 July to express the concern of the Government and the House about the Israeli attack in Gaza and the deaths of innocent civilians. I said it was unacceptable and counterproductive, as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had earlier told the House. HM Ambassador in Tel Aviv conveyed the same views to the Israeli Prime Minister's office.

Data Protection

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the revised certificate he signed last December with respect to Section 28 of the Data Protection Act 1998 has been used by the Intelligence Service and GCHQ in relation to (a) the right of access to personal data and (b) the disclosure of personal data to the Service or GCHQ; and if he will make a statement. [74481]

Mr. Straw: The certificates I signed pursuant to section 28 (2) of the Data Protection Act 1998 relating to SIS and GCHQ provide evidence that the exemption from those provisions of the Act that are specified in the certificate are required for the purpose of safeguarding national security. The certificates identify the personal data to which they apply by means of general

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descriptions and are expressed to have prospective effect, in accordance with section 28 (3). The certificates are used in the context of any legal challenge to the application of the section 28 exemption, such as appeals brought before the Information Tribunal under section 28 (4) or 28 (6). There have been no appeals against the certificate in respect of SIS and there have been two against the certificate in respect of GCHQ, which are still extant.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many subject access requests have been received by the Intelligence Service and GCHQ since the right of access afforded by the Data Protection Act 1998 came into effect; how many of these requests were from data subjects who were not employed or contracted to the Service; and whether any request for access has resulted in personal data being obtained by data subjects. [74480]

Mr. Straw: The Secret Intelligence Service has received 80 requests for subject access since the Data Protection Act 1998 came into force. Of those, 37 were from individuals not employed by or under contract to the Service. GCHQ has received 25 requests from individuals not employed by or under contract to GCHQ, of which 2 were from former employees. Personal data has been provided by both agencies to data subjects in both categories in response to requests in accordance with Section 7 of the Act.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Ilois people had UK passports issued to them under the terms of the Immigration and Nationality Act 1971; and how many were issued in (a) Mauritius, (b) the Seychelles, (c) London and (d) other places. [74657]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The current legislation under which passports are issued is the British Nationality Act 1981, as amended by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002.

The number of British passports issued to Chagossians in Mauritius and the Seychelles is 98 and 63 respectively. An additional 80 passports have been issued in Pretoria. Details of ethnic origin would not be recorded for British passports issued elsewhere and therefore numbers are unavailable.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being considered by BIOT officials for the Ilois people to visit the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement. [74655]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: A planned trip in October 02 to enable a group of Chagossians to visit the outer islands of the Chagos Archipelago could not go ahead due to the withdrawal of the vessel by the shipping company. We are ready to consider reinstating the voyage next year once the cyclone season (Nov–April) is over.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what applications he has received from the USA to construct new aircraft hangars on Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement. [74654]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: The issue of possible upgrades to facilities at Diego Garcia has been discussed at annual talks between the UK and US governments. The details of these governmental talks are confidential and exempt under section 1a of The Code of practice on Access to Government Information, ''Information whose disclosure would harm national security or defence''.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what the Government's policy is on the future status of the British Indian Ocean Territory; [74191]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British Government has a treaty commitment to allow the US to use BIOT until at least 2016, and then for a further 20 years unless prior notice is given. We have told the Government of Mauritius that the Chagos Islands will be ceded to Mauritius when they are no longer required for defence purposes, subject to the requirements of international law.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the claims of Mauritius and the Seychelles to the Chagos Archipelago of British Indian Ocean Territory. [74192]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British Government has sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. Mauritius is the only other state to have a claim to sovereignty. The British Government has told the Government of Mauritius that the Chagos Islands will be ceded to Mauritius when they are longer required for defence purposes, subject to the requirements of international law. Seychelles makes no claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have been held at the UN concerning a referendum of Saharwi people on the future of the Western Sahara. [74662]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The future of Western Sahara has been discussed at the UN recently in both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

On 30 July 2002 the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1429. This extended the mandate of the UN's peacekeeping force in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 January 2003. It underlined the validity of the Settlement Plan, which provided for a referendum on the future of Western Sahara, while noting the differences between the parties in its implementation. It supported the efforts of the Secretary General and his Personal Envoy to find a political solution to the dispute. The Council expressed its readiness to consider any approach that provided for self determination and urged the parties to cooperate fully with them.

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The Fourth Committee of the General Assembly recently debated the question of Western Sahara and agreed a resolution by Consensus debated on 4 October 2002. That resolution noted the Security Council's recent resolutions, including 1429. It urged the parties to continue their cooperation with the Secretary General and his Personal Envoy with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable political solution.

Lockerbie

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his statement of 23 July 2002, Official Report, column 960, if he will place in the Library details of his information about the similar amount to the $11 million paid on or about 23 December 1988 paid 18 months before. [73716]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I can add nothing to that which I gave my hon. Friend on 23 July 2002. It is a longstanding Government policy not to comment upon intelligence matters. As I said to my hon. Friend in the House on 23 July 2002, I am informed that after the bombing of Pan Am 103, all reports of PFLP-GC funding that emerged were investigated and none was found to have any connection to the Lockerbie attack.

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