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Beryllium

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's Answer of 22nd October, Official Report, column 247W, on beryllium, what end-use monitoring has been undertaken in relation to the export of beryllium to Iran. [78875]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As stated by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (Mr Nigel Griffiths) on 28 October 2002, Offical Report, Columns 531–532W, the Government attaches great importance to ensuring that UK exports are not misused, diverted or re-exported to undesirable end-uses. A risk assessment was made at the licensing stage of this export, including careful examination of information about the proposed end-use and end-user of the goods. We continue to believe that the export of less than half an ounce of beryllium to the University of Science and Technology in Tehran is not of concern with respect to use in weapons of mass destruction and that the end-use stated in the original export licence application was legitimate. In these circumstances we have considered end-use monitoring not to be necessary for this export.

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Bus Lanes (Government Cars)

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a Government car service vehicle in which he was a passenger last travelled outside the exempted hours on bus lanes; and what exemption there is to rules about passenger cars using bus lanes in central London for ministerial cars. [78488]

Mr. Straw: The official vehicles in which I travel are not operated by the Government car service. They are adapted for police use, and are driven by police officers who are subject to the same provisions of the law as other officers in similar circumstances.

Cayman Islands

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what developments there have been in the constitutional review process in the Cayman Islands. [79982]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have now completed our review of the report of the Constitutional Review Commissioners and associated papers, forwarded by the Governor of the Cayman Islands in August. We have invited representatives of both Government and Opposition parties to an informal meeting in London on 9–11 December to discuss how to take the various proposals forward. I have made arrangements for the relevant reports to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Eritrea

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Eritrean authorities concerning persecution of evangelical Christians in that country. [79190]

Mr. Rammell: In May this year, the Ministry of Information ordered all minority religious groups to register or cease all activities. The outcome of the registration process is not yet clear.

Our Ambassador in Asmara, along with other EU Missions, raised the issue of human rights at every opportunity. He discussed the issue of registration of minority churches with the relevant Minister in June.

We will continue to raise breaches of fundamental human rights bilaterally and with EU Partners.

Guatemala

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the attacks carried out against human rights workers in Guatemala; [78774]

(2) what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Guatemala; [78773]

(3) what representations he has made to the Government of Guatemala regarding implementation of the commitments it made to the Grupo Consultivo in February. [78775]

Mr. Rammell: The human rights situation in Guatemala has improved since the end of the civil war in 1996. But it remains unsatisfactory. MINUGUA

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(UN Verification Mission to Guatemala) has expressed deep concern at the increase in intimidation against human rights activists, politicians, members of the judiciary and media involved in efforts to confront impunity. The UK shares MINUGUA's concerns and will continue to work with the EU to urge the Government of Guatemala to take all necessary measures to protect these groups and bring human rights abusers to justice quickly.

When my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) visited Guatemala in May this year he saw for himself the difficulties facing human rights defenders. In his discussions with the Government, he emphasised the importance HMG attaches to human rights.

HMG urges the Government of Guatemala to implement all unfulfilled commitments under the Peace Accords, particularly those relating to human rights. The UK, with the EU, will continue to monitor the human rights' situation in Guatemala, and the Government's efforts to honour their commitments.

International donors (including the UK) will review the Guatemalan Government's progress at the follow-up meeting of the Consultative Group (The XGroup Consultivo")in spring 2003. This will not be a formality.

Lisbon Council

Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the economic objectives agreed at the Lisbon Council. [77171]

Mr. MacShane: There has been progress in the sense of 5 million new jobs in the EU since 2000, and cheaper telephone calls thanks to telecom liberalisation but the EU needs to go further in order to advance its ambition of being the world's most dynamic and job creating economy by 2010.

Ministerial Meetings (Namibia)

Mr Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the President of Namibia; whether he discussed the present land situation in Zimbabwe; what other matters were discussed; what plans he has to assess the need for a legal programme of land resettlement in Namibia; and if he will make a statement. [78804]

Mr. Rammell: [holding reply of 4 November]. We support the need for land reform in Namibia, but any programme must be transparent and within the rule of law. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa met the Namibian Foreign Minister on 17 September. She raised our concerns about land reform in both Namibia and Zimbabwe. On the same day, President Nujoma addressed the Namibian Agricultural Union assuring them that land reform would proceed within the rule of law and would be transparent.

PLO (Intifada)

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on negotiations with Chairman Arafat of the PLO regarding the intifada. [78441]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: International efforts are currently focussed on ending violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories, including the current intifada, by restarting a process of negotiation which will lead to a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. We continue to give those efforts our full support.

Poppy Farming

28. Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the change in levels of poppy farming since the overthrow of the Taliban regime. [77190]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK contributes funds to the opium poppy survey in Afghanistan conducted by the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. It reported on 25 October that poppy cultivation in 2002 was 74,000 hectares. This is more than in 2001, but significantly less than the record level in 1999 when 91,583 hectares were cultivated.

Prisoners (Peru)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Peruvian Government concerning (a) the imprisonment of Olga Gonzalez Zevallos, Jorge Julian Godoy and Carlos Yalle Laura and (b) the incarceration of other prisoners who have been recommended for release by the Peruvian Government's Pardoning Commission. [79189]

Mr. Rammell: Our Embassy in Lima last raised these cases with the Peruvian Ministry of Justice on 31 October. The Ministry said that the cases are being reviewed but admit delays are occurring in the process due to lack of resources.

Private Sector Secondments

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what committee within his Department overseas the placement and monitoring of secondments from outside organisations to his Department. [78154]

Mr. Rammell: British Trade International—the joint DTI/FCO body responsible for trade development and promotion of inward investment—overseas the placement and monitoring of secondments from outside organisations to Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In doing so BTI respects the Cabinet Office guidelines on interchange and the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code.

Radio Voice of Hope

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is contributing towards the South Sudanese radio station Radio Voice of Hope. [79386]

Mr. Rammell: HMG has not contributed to Radio Voice of Hope.

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