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Chechnya

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the numbers of people who have fled the conflict in Chechnya, and subsequently returned. [109345]

Mr. MacShane: The security situation in Chechnya has made it very difficult to obtain accurate data. The Danish Refugee Council, a respected NGO working in the area, estimates the population of Chechnya to be 675,000 of whom 143,000 are internally displaced within the republic. They also estimate that a further 95,000 Chechens are living in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia and that 40,000 more are living further afield. According to official sources, the current population of Chechnya is 1,088,000. We believe that more than 180,000 people fled to Ingushetia during the peak of the fighting in late 1999/early 2000. Approximately half of them have now returned to Chechnya.

Civil Servants (Overseas Missions)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the employment rights of locally-engaged British civil servants who serve abroad for a diplomatic mission; and what complaints procedure is open to them. [108635]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: In FCO missions abroad the rights of all employees are protected by local law.

Every mission is required to have complaints procedures set out in Terms and Conditions of Service given to each employee on appointment.

Procedures in each mission will vary. There would be disproportionate cost involved in obtaining copies of procedures from every post in the world.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to promote peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [108902]

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Mr. Rammell: The UK is actively engaged with our African, EU and UN partners in promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Government have supported the implementation of both the Lusaka Peace Agreement and the Pretoria Agreement of July 2002 as providing the most viable way forward.

We warmly welcome the agreement signed in Sun City on 2 April on the establishment of a transitional government with a view to democratic elections in two years time. We will play our part as a member of the International Support Committee which is tasked with supporting the transitional process in DRC.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest situation in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what steps his Department is taking to address this situation; and if he will make a statement. [101772]

Mr. Rammell: Agreement was reached on 2 April in Sun City (South Africa) on the establishment of a transitional government in the Democratic Republic of Congo. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a press statement on 3 April warmly welcoming this development. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

The UK is actively engaged with our African, EU and UN partners in promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Government have supported the implementation of both the Lusaka Peace Agreement and the Pretoria Agreement of July 2002 as providing the most viable way forward. It will continue to play its part, as a member of the International Committee for Support to the Transition, which is tasked with supporting the transitional process in the DRC.

Employment Relations Act

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department have taken time off from work in order to attend to domestic incidents as provided for by the Employment Relations Act 1999. [108350]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not record this information centrally so we are unable to provide this information without incurring disproportionate costs.

EU Enlargement

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 653W, if he will undertake a fresh analysis of the costs and benefits to the United Kingdom of EU enlargement. [108135]

Mr. MacShane: Figures for the positive economic benefits of enlargement for the current EU, including the UK, have been supported by other independent studies, including, most recently, the Report of Wim Kok to the European Commission "Enlarging the European Union: Achievements and Challenges (March 2003)". This estimates that enlargement will

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provide a one-time gain of 0.2 per cent. of GDP for the current EU, and create 300,000 jobs (http://www.iue.it/RSCAS).

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 653W, if he will undertake an analysis of the costs and benefits to the United Kingdom of EU membership; and if he will make a statement. [108136]

Mr. MacShane: The costs and benefits to the UK of EU membership are regularly discussed in Parliament and revealed in oral and written questions. This is a continuing process and the FCO has no plan to publish a specific report at this time on this subject.

Family Visa Applications

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reasons for the increase in the refusal rate since August 2002 for family visa applications in (a) India, (b) Tehran, (c) Cairo, (d) Nicosia and (e) Nairobi. [109121]

Mr. Rammell: All applications are decided on their merits and in accordance with the Immigration Rules. Globally the monthly refusal rate in 2002 follows a similar pattern to the monthly refusal rate in 2001. The fee for family visitor appeals was abolished on 15 May 2002 but there is no evidence that ECO decision making has been influenced by the abolition of the fee. Work is now in hand on the final report of the interdepartmental review of family visitor appeals, which we expect to publish in June.

Ian Hook (Israel)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department made to the Government of Israel following the shooting of UNRWA worker Ian Hook; and what response has been made to those representations. [107486]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have made our concerns clear at the highest levels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, on 22 November 2002. Mr. Netanyahu promised an immediate investigation and gave an undertaking to share the results as soon as he had them. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary followed up with Mr. Netanyahu on 20 December 2002. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the matter with Prime Minister Sharon on 29 November 2002. I have also raised it on a number of occasions with the Israeli Ambassador, Mr. Shtauber.

There has also been frequent contact between our embassy in Tel Aviv and the Israeli authorities and between senior officials in London and the Israeli embassy. The Israelis have assured us that the investigation would be rigorous and comprehensive.

We are in touch with the Hook family who are considering next steps.

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Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has been given by the Government of Israel concerning the results of inquiries undertaken into the circumstances of the death of Ian Hook. [107487]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Israelis have reported privately to Mr. Hook's family on the findings of their investigation. We are in touch with the Hook family, who are considering next steps.

India/Pakistan Relations

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current state of relations between India and Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [109177]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We remain seriously concerned at the continuing unstable stand-off between India and Pakistan. The reductions in military deployments by both sides in late 2002 were welcome. But these were not unfortunately followed by further de-escalatory moves or movement towards the resumption of political engagement.

We face a significant risk of a renewed crisis between India and Pakistan over the coming months. It is in neither side's interests to provoke or initiate a military conflict that could escalate to the use of nuclear weapons. Pakistan should fulfil its commitments to stop infiltration across the Line of Control and discourage any acts of violence by militants in Kashmir. Both sides should consider immediately implementing a cease-fire and take other active steps to reduce tension. The United Kingdom stands ready to help both countries start a process aimed at building confidence, normalising bilateral relations and resolving outstanding differences, including Kashmir. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made these points clearly in his joint statement with US Secretary Powell at Camp David on 27 March.

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