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Agency Workers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many agency workers have been employed by the Department in each of the last two years; and at what cost to public funds. [115198]

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Mr. Straw: We do not have a central record of the numbers of staff employed under contract from agencies; to obtain these figures would incur disproportionate costs. We do, however, have the costs, which are:

Financial year	Agency costs (£)
2001–02	1,933,841
2002–03	1,850,779

Airport Security

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of security at airports abroad is undertaken by UK embassies and consulates. [114614]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The monitoring of airport security abroad is a key task for Post Aviation Security Officers (PASOs) in the majority of our network of embassies, High Commissions and Consulate-Generals. PASOs assess security afforded to UK airlines and, where there are no UK carriers, report on the airport security regime generally.

Since 11 September 2001, the PASOs work has intensified and been supplemented by ad hoc visits and assessments by experts from Transport Security Directorate at the Department for Transport (DfT). PASOs are not aviation security experts and they all have other duties to undertake outside the aviation security field. Where a PASO identifies shortcomings in security he/she will be given guidance from DfT on how the issue should be addressed, with further support from the centre as necessary.

Regional Aviation Security Liaison Officers (RASLOs) have recently been appointed to Nairobi (to cover East Africa) and Dubai (to cover the Gulf) to provide host states with practical aviation security advice and expertise. Further deployments to other regions are likely. The RASLOs are aviation security experts and will, to a large extent, assume many of the duties currently performed by the PASOs in those regions. Monitoring security standards and liaising with the appropriate authorities are core tasks.

In addition to our RASLOs and PASOs, we continue to highlight the importance of international aviation security standards in multilateral fora—G8, EU, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)—and with partners on a bilateral basis. We are intensifying our programme of DfT inspections, increasing the number of regional aviation security courses we deliver overseas and inviting more delegations of experts and practitioners to the UK for consultations and security visits to our airports.

Australia/New Zealand

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand; and what plans he has to visit these countries. [115344]

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Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has met the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, twice this year in February and in early May. He also met the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark in early May.

Discussions with both Prime Ministers covered a range of foreign policy issues, including the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq, Zimbabwe, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group and a number of trade and EU related topics.

The Foreign Secretary has no present plans to visit either Australia or New Zealand. I will visit both countries in August.

Cameroon

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Cameroon on (a) the death of Dr. Martin Luma and (b) the arrests of the Rev. Francis Nchamn, Bissong Stanley, Issaacs Ibe and Esoka Aaron; and if he will make a statement. [115116]

Mr. Rammell [holding answer 22 May 2003]: We follow developments in Cameroon closely. My noble Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Amos, discussed human rights with President Biya during her visits in February and March 2003. We are aware of Dr. Luma's death and of reports of the arrests of his supporters. We are looking into the circumstances urgently. I will write to my hon. Friend when we have more information.

Corruption

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues to staff based overseas on reporting allegations of corruption by British companies; and if he will make a statement. [115147]

Mr. Rammell: Crown Servants and locally engaged employees in British Diplomatic posts overseas who, in the course of their duties, become aware of, or receive information relating to, acts of bribery or corruption committed by UK nationals or legal persons are obliged to report the matter, so that the appropriate UK authorities can decide whether to pursue an investigation or prosecution.

Staff at home and overseas have been advised of the changes to UK law introduced from 14 February 2002 by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, and of their reporting responsibility. This is further emphasised through training of staff engaged in trade and investment work.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will support the deployment of a United Nations military force in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. [114710]

Mr. Rammell: We are very concerned about the situation in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are monitoring developments closely.

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We can confirm that the UN has asked the UK and others to participate in an emergency multinational peacekeeping force to stabilise the security situation. We are considering this request urgently.

Egypt

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government on the recent attack by a unit from the Egyptian army on the Patmos Centre, a Christian children's home. [114757]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: British embassy officials in Cairo have investigated this incident.

On 5 April, a unit from the army camp began to bulldoze the centre's perimeter fence and about 50 metres of land. Although we do not know what provoked this particular incident, it appears to be part of a legal dispute. No people were injured and no buildings were damaged during the incident. The army unit ceased their action following local protests and the intervention of security services who have tried to resolve the dispute. The Patmos Centre is currently in a legal dispute about its location. It has been built about 500 metres from the perimeter of an army camp. Under Egyptian law, the construction of buildings within such proximity of a military institution is not allowed. We hope that the authorities can reach a swift settlement to the dispute.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government on the treatment by police of converts from Islam to Christianity. [114756]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: No. We have not seen evidence of systematic targeting or maltreatment by police of converts from Islam to Christianity. However, we are concerned at the lack of an administrative means of changing ID cards to Christianity where a person has converted. Where there is evidence of violations of human rights we do make our views known to the Egyptian authorities.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government concerning the (a) imprisonment of Malak and Naglaa Gawargios Fahmy and (b) reports of attempts to force Naglaa Gawargios to renounce her faith. [114755]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Mr. and Mrs. Fahmy were arrested on 23 December 2002 and charged with religious contempt and falsification of official documents. We have received no evidence that either was pressured to renounce their faith. The British embassy in Cairo will continue to monitor the case.

Hong Kong

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations have taken place with Chinese representatives regarding the preservation of Hong Kong's special status; and if he will make a statement on the role the UK has in Hong Kong. [115165]

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Mr. Rammell: Negotiations took place between the UK and China about Hong Kong's special status prior to the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997.

Since then, there have been regular exchanges at ministerial and official levels. During those, the situation in post-handover Hong Kong has frequently been discussed. Both sides agree on the importance of maintaining the principles of the1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong which provides Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy under the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reports regularly to Parliament on the implementation of the Joint Declaration. Our assessment continues to be that, generally, 'One Country, Two Systems' is working well in practice.

We have a strong, forward-looking bilateral relationship with Hong Kong, a key partner for the UK in the Asia-Pacific region. Given Britain's role as a joint signatory of the Joint Declaration, we maintain a close interest in developments in Hong Kong.

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