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Commonwealth Institute

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the decision to sell the Commonwealth Institute's building; and what benefits the sale will bring to the institute. [109399]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The decision to put the site of the Commonwealth Institute on the market has been taken by its Trustees.

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Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bidders have announced an interest in buying the Commonwealth Institute building. [109402]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the Trustees of the Commonwealth Institute which is an independent limited company with charitable status.

Cote d'Ivoire

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his written statement of 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 52WS, what response he has had from the Northbridge Services Group to UK Government representations that they should desist from recruiting mercenaries to operate in Côte d'Ivoire; and if he will make a statement on what further steps he intends to take. [110060]

Mr. Rammell: Northbridge Services Group issued a press release on 2 April defending their proposed deployment to Cote d'Ivoire. On 7 April, the office of the

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Ivorian president publicly denied any contract with Northbridge Services Group, and re-affirmed the President's commitment to the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. We remain concerned that any deployment by foreign military units would seriously jeopardise the peace process. We are continuing discussions with our partners in the UN Security Council and wider international community on this issue.

Energy Policy

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108858]

Mr. Rammell: FCO energy expenditure and efficiency data is set out in the following table. Data for our non-departmental public bodies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

FCO	Energy consumption (GWh/y)	Energy expenditure (£ million)	Energy/m2(kWh/m2/y)	Savings over 1997–98 (percentage)	Energy efficiency spend (£k/y)
1997–98	41.48	1.00	393.08	—	20.59
1998–99	36.79	0.92	348.62	11	7.84
1999–2000	34.19	1.03	391.65	0	0.97
2000–01	34.42	1.72	321.46	18	801.00
2001–02	32.13	1.75	377.08	4	Nil

Notes:

1. Energy Consumption: this is weather-corrected in the usual manner, using annual degree days relative to the 20-year average for 1990–91. The figures are those reported on for the Central Government Estate campaign. Figures include the FCO's only Agency, Wilton Park Conference Centre, for 2000–01 and 2001–02 only.

2. Energy Expenditure: this is actual spend, and from April 2001, includes the Climate Change Levy. Costs are inclusive of VAT from 1999–00.

3. Energy/m2: this variable allows for changes in both weather and estate size on energy consumption. So annual changes will generally reflect efficiency changes.

4. Savings over 1997–98: These have been expressed as percentage savings relative to the first year quoted here, and are based on the figures in the preceding column.

5. Energy efficiency spend: Note that this is not necessarily a good measure of an effective energy efficiency policy. For example, when a new building is commissioned or an existing one refurbished, good design can actually reduce capital costs, e.g. by avoiding air conditioning. The £801,000 recorded by the FCO in 2000–01 is the capital sum invested in energy efficiency measures incorporated into the refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building.

Energy Policy

The Energy White Paper, "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy" made clear the importance the Government attaches to improving energy efficiency in its own estate. This is reflected in several targets. There is currently an interim target of a 1 per cent. per annum ongoing reduction in weather-corrected carbon emissions, pending the development of new indicators and targets based on benchmarking the performance of each Department's largest buildings. These new targets are planned to be in place later this year. New targets for Government Departments' use of CHP generated electricity will also be established during 2003.

In addition, the review of Government procurement has identified areas where procurement could reinforce the achievement of these targets, and arrangements are being made centrally for Departments to purchase goods with high energy efficiency standards and which provide good value for money.

On the purchase of renewable electricity, Ministers agreed the following target in May 2001: "All departments will ensure that by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources that are exempt from the Climate Change Levy or from self generation, provided this does not entail excessive cost. The FCO achieved this target. The target will rise to at least 10 per cent. supply from such sources by 31 March 2008, but will be reviewed after 31 March 2003 to take account of market conditions following the introduction of the renewables obligation. The review of 2003 will include consideration of increasing or bringing forward the target".

Ethiopia/Eritrea

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage Ethiopia and Eritrea to comply fully with their commitments under the Algiers Agreements; whether he

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is actively seized of recent developments in the Badme region; and if he will make a statement. [109885]

Mr. Rammell: The UK has followed progress with the peace process closely and is fully aware of the significance of Badme in the Ethiopia/Eritrea conflict. The Algiers Peace Agreement in December 2000 set out the mandate for a neutral Boundary Commission to delimitand demarcate the border between the two countries. The Commission made its decision public on 13 April 2002. We have called on both Ethiopia and Eritrea to implement fully the Algiers Peace Agreements and to accept the Boundary Commission's decisions as final and binding. We have done this through successive UN Security Council resolutions, EU demarches and in our bilateral contacts with both countries.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which month's post is being opened by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate with regard to visa applications. [109507]

Mr. Rammell: Correspondence relating to visa applications is normally handled by the Correspondence Section of UKvisas. UKvisas consistently opens mail as soon as it is received with the aim of processing all correspondence within the Cabinet Office deadlines of 15 days for letters from Members of Parliament and 20 days for other letters. In 2002, UKvisas responded to 17,566 letters from MPs, Members of the Public and others: 99.37 per cent. of these correspondents were sent replies within these target times.

Iraq

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqi diplomatic personnel are accredited to (a) the United Kingdom and (b) international and multinational organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member; what his policy is regarding continued accreditation; what steps he has taken to further this policy; and if he will make a statement. [109883]

Mr. Straw: Following the closure of the Iraqi Interests Section of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 30 March 2003, there are no Iraqi diplomats accredited to the United Kingdom. The status of Iraqi delegations to international organisations will be determined by the membership of those organisations in accordance with the rules of the organisation concerned. There are no resident Iraqi representatives to international organisations based in the United Kingdom.

Laos

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons there is no U.K. embassy in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos; and what plans there are to open a mission in Laos. [109640]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British Embassy in Vientiane was closed in 1985 as part of a package of cost reductions and Her Majesty's Ambassador to Thailand was accredited as Ambassador to Laos. In 1995 a British trade office was opened in Vientiane, as a subsidiary

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office of the British Embassy in Bangkok, to cover trade and development issues. Consular and estate matters in Laos are covered by the Australian Embassy in Vientiane. All other British interests are covered by the British Embassy in Bangkok. We regularly review commercial and other factors affecting British interests in Laos, but we have no plans to upgrade the British trade office to full Embassy status.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial resources have been allocated to the British Trade Office in Laos since 1997. [109641]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Running costs for the British trade office in Laos are subsumed into the running costs of its parent office, the British Embassy in Bangkok. Compiling information on costs since 1997 would incur disproportionate cost. We keep separate figures for estimate purposes only. Running costs for 2002–03 were £36,945.12, but this figure does not include the cost of the office accommodation which, although owned by us, is managed by the Australian Embassy in Vientiane.

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