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Human Rights and

Fundamental Freedoms Convention

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ratify protocol 13 of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; and if he will make a statement. [93151]

Mr. Rammell: The UK Government plan to ratify protocol 13 of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by June this year. The Lord Chancellor's Department handles the ratification process. The Protocol will come into force when 10 states have ratified it, at present there are only 5 ratifications.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is in respect of the 10 point agreement on cooperation on inspections agreed between Dr Blix on behalf of UNMOVIC and the Iraqi Government on 20 January. [94049]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The 10 points in the joint statement made during Dr. Blix's visit to Baghdad last week do not constitute an agreement. They are simply a statement of practical arrangements. They do not add to or alter Iraq's obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1441.

The Government have repeatedly stated that it is essential that Iraq co-operate fully and unconditionally with the inspectors as they are required to do under UNSCR 1441.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the

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total expenditure by his Department on ministerial travel (a) in the UK and (b) abroad, in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [92438]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Pakistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of Pakistan in the proliferation of nuclear weapons. [93429]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Pakistan's continued development and testing of nuclear weapons and the means for their delivery is a matter of concern to the entire international community.

Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme is a breach of the requirements of UN Security Council Resolution 1172. We regularly call upon Pakistan to abide by all the requirements of the Resolution, including cessation of the development of nuclear weapons, and accession—as a non-nuclear weapons state—to both the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

We are aware of, and concerned by, reports that Pakistan has nuclear related dealings with other countries.

Performance Report

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's autumn performance report for 2002 will be published. [93152]

Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr Flight) on 21 January Official Report column 299W

Radioactive Contamination

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on radioactive contamination of floodwaters in Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan and the risks of such contamination within Afghanistan. [93095]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We received reports about flooding and landslides in the Maili Su area of Kyrgyzstan in May 2002. There was some concern at the time that Soviet era uranium dumps and deposits could be disturbed, leading to contamination of Kyrgyz rivers. Though this did not happen, there remains some risk that radioactive waste could be disturbed by future landslides and earthquakes. If waste was to enter the Maili Su river, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, through which the river also flows, would be affected. We are not aware of reports suggesting that Afghanistan would be affected, but will continue to monitor the situation.

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UN Resolution 1441

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the US Administration on US compliance with Paragraph 10 of UN Resolution 1441. [93322]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly discuss with the US Administration all aspects of Iraq policy, including support for UNMOVIC/IAEA operations. Both the UK and the US are fully committed to supporting UN weapons inspections in Iraq.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Mr. Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the parameters by which the Government defines whether a weapon falls into the category of weapons of mass destruction. [93321]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: There is no universally accepted definition of the phrase "weapons of mass destruction", but it is generally held to refer to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to secure international agreement for (a) a sporting boycott, (b) power sanctions and (c) wider economic sanctions against Zimbabwe; and what the value of imports from Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom was in the last 12 months. [91269]

Mr. Rammell: The EU has put in place targeted sanctions including an arms embargo, a travel ban and assets freeze, specifically targeted at 79 members of the Mugabe regime. We have also made clear our views that the British cricket team should not play in Zimbabwe at present. However we do not believe that a general sporting boycott, power sanctions, or wider economic sanctions would be right. Such measures would only serve to harm the Zimbabwean people, who are already suffering enough under Mugabe's leadership. The latest yearly figure for imports from Zimbabwe to the UK is for 2001, when imports amounted to £91 million.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Donaghadee Treatment Works

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the development of the North Down Waste Water Treatment Works at Donaghadee; and whether the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Basildon (Angela Smith), has met the Donaghadee Planning Action Group in relation to this matter. [92302]

Angela Smith: The decision to locate the North Down Wastewater Treatment Works on the site adjacent to the Donaghadee Carpet Factory was taken in February 2002 by Peter Robinson MP MLA, the then Minister for Regional Development, following a detailed site search and appraisal process, and consideration and evaluation of all relevant factors.

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An application for Crown Development for the Works was made by Water Service on 14 May 2002. The application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement. Planning Service has consulted specialist advisers within Government and in the public sector on the application and the Environmental Statement. A number of responses are awaited. When these are received, Planning Service will assess the responses from consultees to ensure that they are satisfied with the content of the Environmental Statement. If further information is required, an addendum to the Environmental Statement will be necessary.

The application and the Environmental Statement were advertised for public comment in accordance with the normal procedures. A substantial number of objections have been received, including the Donaghadee Planning Action Group. On completion of the consultation process associated with the planning application and the Environmental Statement, Planning Service will have to consider the further processing of the application, including the need for a public inquiry.

In dealing with planning cases I have decided not to get involved in procedural and operational matters, and so have turned down meeting requests where applications are at these stages. However, I have met with members of the Donaghadee Sewerage Action Group to discuss issues relating to the selection process.

In parallel with the planning issues, the Valuation and Lands Agency has been asked to commence initial land acquisition procedures for the site. The cost of the entire scheme has recently been assessed and is now estimated to be £42 million. The Works has been identified as one of seven major wastewater treatment projects that may be suitable for inclusion in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme of work. This programme is currently the subject of a detailed appraisal study that will take several months to complete.

Larne to Whitehead Railway Line

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding the railway line between Larne and Whitehead will receive from the Regional Transport Strategy 2002–12; and what funding will be available for upgrading this stretch of line in the future. [82682]

Angela Smith: The Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS) for Northern Ireland 2002–2012 identifies a range of strategic transportation investment priorities including funding of just over £500 million in railways over the next 10 years. It does not specify amounts to be invested in individual railway lines. Commitments to proceed with any major capital scheme will be subject to the normal Budgetary process, economic appraisal and the consideration of any statutory procedures. Furthermore, decisions on the retention of rail services north of Whitehead; and north and north-west of Ballymena, will also be subject to successful results from the introduction of new trains and improved infrastructure on the rest of the network early in the implementation of the Strategy.

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