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Overseas Territories

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) population and (b) total electorate was of each British overseas territory on 1 January. [108660]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: The populations and electorates at 1 January 2003 were:

	Population	Electorate
Anguilla	11,500	6,780
Bermuda	62,999	37,454
British Virgin Islands	20,942	9,432
Cayman Islands	41,900	11,489
Falklands Islands	2,927	1,500
Gibraltar	28,231	(21)17,874
(22)20,675
Montserrat	4,500	2,950
Pitcairn	43	28
St. Helena and Dependencies	5,763	3,372
Turks and Caicos Islands	20,020	6,260

⁽²¹⁾ 2000 Election

⁽²²⁾ 2002 Referendum

Pakistan

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the ability of the new Pakistani Government to curb religious fundamentalism and terrorism in Pakistan and (b) the impact of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) opposition on Pakistani Government policies, with particular reference to the frequent public calls for jihad against non-Muslims made by the MMA. [109045]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcomed President Musharraf's courageous decision to join the international coalition against terrorism and the steps taken thus far to clamp down on terrorist groups in Pakistan, including the banning of five such groups. We will continue to urge him and the new Government to continue with this vital task. Pakistan continues to be a staunch ally in the continuing campaign against al-Qaeda. It is too early to assess the impact that the MMA will have on Pakistan's policies. We have no reason to doubt Pakistan's continuing commitment to act against terrorism and extremism wherever it occurs.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Pakistani Government concerning (a) the closing of training camps for militants, (b) the banning of militant organisations, (c) the regulating of Islamic religious schools and (d) support for inter-faith initiatives in Pakistan. [109059]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly raise such issues with the Government of Pakistan. We welcomed commitments made by President Musharraf in January and May 2002 to curb terrorism and the action he has taken thus far, including the banning of five terrorist groups. We will continue to urge him and the new Government to continue their efforts to promote a tolerant society free of extremism and militancy. We stand ready to assist. Education is a major focus of Britain's expanding development programme in Pakistan and our bilateral discussions have included the role of religious schools and inter-faith issues.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the

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continuing imprisonment of (a) Parvez Masih, (b) Aslam Masih, (c) Anwar Kenneth and (d) Augustine Ashiq 'Kingri' Aslam Masih. [109061]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly raise our concerns about sectarian violence and wider human rights issues with the Pakistani authorities. On 7 February 2003 the Greek Presidency of the European Union delivered a demarche to the Minister of State (Law, Justice and Human Rights). The demarche explained our concerns about cases where religious minorities, notably those from the Christian and Ahmadi communities, have been sentenced to death under the blasphemy laws. Cases raised included those of Parvez Masih, Aslam Masih and Augustine Ashiq 'Kingri' Aslam Masih.

We will continue to take appropriate opportunities, including with our European Union partners, to raise our concerns.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan in relation to (a) the growth of Islamic militancy in the country, (b) the need to bring to justice perpetrators of past and current terror attacks on Christians and (c) the introduction of the Shari'ah Bill in the North West Frontier Province. [109062]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We regularly raise our concerns about sectarian violence and wider human rights issues with the Pakistani authorities both bilaterally and through the EU. On 7 February 2003 the Greek Presidency of the EU delivered a comprehensive demarche to the Minister of State (Law, Justice and Human Rights). The EU underlined our concerns at the recent attacks against Christian targets and urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. The EU also urged the Pakistani Government to provide greater protection to minority groups.

It is too early to make an assessment on the Sharia Bill. The North-West Frontier Province has yet to consider draft legislation proposing the adoption of Sharia law in the province. This law cannot be fully enacted until approved by both the federal and provincial Parliaments.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions Her Majesty's Government have taken to advise and assist the Government of Pakistan on the provision of adequate protection for Christians and other non-Muslim communities against potential attacks from Islamic extremists. [109063]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: On 7 February 2003 the Greek Presidency of the EU delivered a demarche to the Minister of State (Law, Justice and Human Rights). The EU underlined our concerns at the recent attacks against Christian targets and urged the authorities to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. The EU also urged the Pakistani Government to provide greater protection to minority groups. We will continue to take every appropriate opportunity, including with our European Union partners, to urge Pakistan to protect Christians and other religious minorities against discrimination, intimidation and attacks.

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Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government (a) have taken and (b) will take to ensure that the war in Iraq is not perceived by Islamic extremists in Pakistan as a crusade against Islam. [109064]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British High Commission in Islamabad has been in regular contact with the full range of political parties in Pakistan to ensure that they understand the reasons for coalition action in Iraq. These contacts will continue. All have welcomed the opportunity for dialogue.

All our diplomatic missions take every opportunity to get the message across to host governments, local media and civil society.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan in relation to (a) retaining the joint electoral system and (b) strengthening and empowering minority representation in the National Parliament. [109065]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcomed President Musharraf s decision to restore the joint electoral system for the 2002 elections. It is a step towards integrating Christian and other religious minorities into mainstream Pakistani society. We are actively funding projects to support National Assembly members in their parliamentary work to protect Human Rights in Pakistan.

Palestinians

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army since 27 March. [108798]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We do not have figures for the number of Palestinians detained by the Israelis since 27 March. But a reputable Palestinian human rights non-governmental organisation, Mandela Institute for Human Rights (www.mandela-palestine.org) has reported that as of 31 March around 5,759 Palestinians and Arabs had been detained since the start of the second intifada. This includes over 1,000 in administrative detention.

Parental Leave

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department have used their leave entitlement under the parental leave directive since it came into force. [108413]

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

Peter Devlin

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contact British consular staff have had with the Spanish authorities regarding the case of Peter Devlin; what guidelines the Government issues to consular staff concerning intervention when a British national is

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arrested by Spanish authorities but awaits formal charge while the case is under investigation; what plans he and consular staff have to raise the case of Mr. Devlin with the Spanish authorities again; and if he will make a statement. [108594]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our Honorary Consul spoke with the Spanish court on 9 September 2002, and was informed that, except for certain items relevant to the investigation, the court agreed to release all of Force 9 Salvage's equipment. Our Honorary Consul spoke to the presiding judge again on 11 April 2003. The judge confirmed that the investigation was ongoing but would not release further information about the case. Our consular staff cannot intervene in the judicial system of another country. Our own judicial system is similarly protected. Our consular team in Spain will continue to monitor this case, but as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary noted in his letter of 20 November 2002, this is a legal matter and the company should continue to be guided by its lawyer.

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