---

29 Oct 2002 : Column 751W—continued

Bali

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many consular officials there are in Bali. [77366]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: On 26 October there were 25 British officials (14 in the consular support team and 11 police family liaison officers) in Bali offering help and advice to those affected by the terrorist attack on 12 October. They are working alongside British-funded counsellors. We continue to monitor staffing requirements in Bali closely and will send more personnel as needed. A consular team will remain in Bali for at least the next three months.

Beef Supplies

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the beef supply contracts for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies are sourced from Scottish herds. [76813]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 24 October 2002]: The FCO welcomes competitive offers of beef sourced from Scottish herds.

Bishkek Summit

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representatives from his Department will attend the Bishkek Global Mountain summit from 29 October to 1 November 2004. [77796]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 28 October 2002]: UK input will come from DFID staff based in Bishkek, who will be attending as observers.

29 Oct 2002 : Column 752W

Catherine Meyer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting between Baroness Amos and the hon. Member for Leicester, East concerning Catherine Meyer. [77367]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My noble Friend the Baroness Amos and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Rosie Winterton) held a joint Ministerial meeting with my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) and Lady Meyer, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 22 October 2002, to discuss Lady Meyer's consular case. A number of action points were agreed.

Cuba

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Cuba regarding the incarceration and treatment of Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva; and if he will make a statement. [77053]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our Embassy in Havana raised Mr. Leiva's case last May with the Cuban Foreign Ministry. My noble Friend Baroness Amos raised human rights issues with the Cuban Vice-Foreign Minister during her visit to Havana in June.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the claims in the UN's Panel of Experts report on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo that British Aerospace spare parts for Zimbabwe Defence Force Hawk jets were supplied to the DRC early in 2002 in breach of European Union sanctions on Zimbabwe; what information he has on the role (a) Mr. John Bredenkamp, (b) the Aviation Consultancy Services Company and (c) other individuals or companies played in mediating those deals; who granted the export licences; and if he will make a statement. [77983]

Mr. Straw: We are looking into the UN panel report. We take seriously any allegation that the UK or EU arms embargoes on Zimbabwe may have been circumvented. Any action in the UK would be a matter for the relevant authorities. We are aware of allegations of past arms dealing activities by Mr. John Bredenkamp. I am unable to provide the precise information requested by the right hon. Member under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received concerning claims made in the UN's Panel of Experts report on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo that Aviation Consultancy Services Company represents British Aerospace; and if he will make a statement. [77984]

29 Oct 2002 : Column 753W

Mr. Straw: We are looking very closely at all allegations made in the report. Any alleged connexion between ACS and British Aerospace is a matter for British Aerospace.

Diego Garcia

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are in place to permit United States military forces to use the air base in Diego Garcia; and what consultations have taken place with the Ilois islanders from Diego Garcia over military use of their islands. [76216]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: HMG have entered into a series of bilateral agreements with the United States which allows the territory to remain available for the defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years. These agreements also deal with the establishment and functioning of a US defence facility on Diego Garcia. There have been no consultations on the military use of the islands.

Exports (Iraq)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the military exports to Iraq authorised for export since 17 March 1988. [75946]

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.

Details of all military exports to Iraq authorised since 2 May 1997 are published in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 Annual Reports are available in the Libraries of the House.

For details of military exports to Iraq authorised between 1 January 2002 and 1 October 2002, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply from my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-West (Mr. Robinson) on 21 January 2002, Official Report, columns 578–579W, and to the replies from my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) to my hon. Friends the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Mahmood) on 18 June 2002, Official Report, columns 296–297W, and the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) on 16 October 2002, Official Report, column 833W.

Friends of Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the events supported by UK embassies to promote the Friends of Scotland initiative in the past year. [77207]

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the events held in UK embassies to promote the Friends of Scotland initiative in the past year. [77206]

Mr. Straw: Diplomatic posts have hosted or supported the following events for the Friends of Scotland initiative:

22 January 2002--British Chamber of Commerce lunch in Hong Kong

23 January 2002--A business lunch in Guangzhou, China

29 Oct 2002 : Column 754W

25 January 2002--A lunch with the St Andrew's Society of Selangor,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

17 June 2002--A reception in Halifax, Nova Scotia

25 June 2002--A lunch in Amsterdam

14 October 2002 reception in Sydney, Australia

17 October 2002--A reception in Wellington, New Zealand

18 October 2002—A reception in Dunedin, New Zealand

20 October 2002-A- reception in Singapore

The Advocate General for Scotland gave an address at the event on 17 June. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland gave an address at each of the events in January and October.

India

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Indian authorities in the last six months concerning the case of Professor Davinder Singh Bhullar. [77949]

Mr. Straw: My Department has made no representations in the last six months concerning Davinder Singh Bhullar, but we are aware of his case. We understand that a final decision on Mr. Bhullar's appeal to the Indian Supreme Court is still awaited. Our High Commission in New Delhi will continue to follow the case along with EU partners.

Mr. Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government encouraging the Indian Government to grant access in the Punjab to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture; [77950]

(2) what representations his Department has made to the Indian authorities with regard to encouraging the granting of access to the Punjab by international human rights groups. [77951]

Mr. Straw: We have made official level representations to the Government of India for greater general access to India of UN Special Rapporteurs and international human rights NGOs, although not specifically for their access to Punjab.

We continue to encourage the Indian Government to ratify the UN Convention against Torture (CAT). My hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. Mike O'Brien) most recently discussed this and a number of other human rights issues during his visit to India on 17 October.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers have had with the authorities in India about the use of and removal of land mines in that country. [77952]

Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Pound) on 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 791W. This remains our position.

29 Oct 2002 : Column 755W

I warmly welcome the recent announcements of the Indian and Pakistani Governments to withdraw forces from their international border. I hope that further such de-escalatory measures by India and Pakistan will continue to reduce the regional tensions, and pave the way for a resumption of dialogue over Kashmir.

---