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Chechnya

14. Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Russian government about its security policy in Chechnya. [117952]

Mr. MacShane: We regularly raise the issue of Chechnya with the Russian authorities both in our bilateral dialogue and through the EU. As recent suicide bombings show, Russia faces a serious security problem in the region. However, we continue to stress that operations in Chechnya must respect human rights and the rule of law.

Middle East Road Map

16. Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress on the Middle East road map. [117954]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The publication of the road map and the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh has created a vital new opportunity in the Middle East Peace Process. This is the best opportunity to make progress for over two years, The parties must seize it, acting in parallel to improve the security and humanitarian situation.

I welcome President Bush's continuing engagement, as demonstrated by his summits with Arab leaders at Sharm al-Shaikh and with Prime Ministers Abbas and Sharon at Aqaba.

Both sides have made important commitments: the Palestinians on ending terrorism and incitement, the Israelis on dismantling settlement outposts and improving the humanitarian situation. The Palestinian and Israeli people now need to see deeds that match these words. Extremists must not be allowed to prevent progress and condemn the people to further suffering. All parties must remain courageous and committed to peaceful dialogue. The Palestinian and Israeli people now need to see deeds that match these words. Progress will require parallel actions.

22. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress with the road map for peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. [117960]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier in the House today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

Afghanistan

18. Ms Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Afghanistan. [117956]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK and international community continue to work closely with the Afghan Transitional Administration to support the full implementation of the 2001 Bonn Agreement, assist Security Sector Reform, deliver effective reconstruction across the country, and counter the threat from narcotics.

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Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the campaign to restrict the supply of drugs from Afghanistan. [117394]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Afghan Transitional Administration adopted a national drug strategy on 19 May. The UK has committed £70 million over the next three years to assist in the objective of eliminating opium poppy from Afghanistan and will post additional British Embassy personnel to Kabul in the coming months to help the Afghan Transitional Administration to achieve their objective.

Zimbabwe

20. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Harare in the next three months to discuss the future of support for the Zimbabwean economy and the maintenance of democracy. [117958]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Harare in the next three months.

23. Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of other southern African governments on the position in Zimbabwe. [117961]

Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier in the House today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes). In addition, President Mogae of Botswana will visit the UK this week.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures the EU and the UK will take to restore good governance in Zimbabwe. [116958]

Mr. Rammell: We continue to work with our EU, Commonwealth and other international partners towards restoring good governance and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

We supported the EU statement of 2 June calling on the Government of Zimbabwe to desist from violence.

At the G8 summit in Evian my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and other G8 leaders took the opportunity to discuss with President Mbeki and other African leaders the steps they are taking to resolve the current crisis in Zimbabwe.

The G8 condemned the action taken by the Zimbabwean authorities on Monday 2 June against their own people and called on the Zimbabwean Government to accept its citizens' right to demonstrate against the regime peacefully.

Agricultural Work Permits

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme permits have been issued during 2003 (a) in total and (b) from the United Kingdom embassy in Ukraine. [118355]

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Mr. Rammell: The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme is quota-based. The Home Office issues work cards to the operators of the scheme (agricultural businesses in the United Kingdom.) The work cards are then issued to prospective participants (who must be aged between 18–25 and in full-time education) by the operators of the scheme on behalf of the Home Office.

A total of 25,000 work cards were made available to operators of the scheme for 2003. Our embassy in Kiev has issued visas to 2,338 holders of work cards under the scheme this year.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with the issuing of Seasonal Agricultural Worker Scheme permits from UK embassies overseas. [118356]

Mr. Rammell: Our overseas posts deal with the entry clearance applications of visa nationals who hold SAWS work cards as and when they are submitted. Non visa nationals holding SAWS work cards need to seek entry clearance before travelling to the UK.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days the UK embassy in Ukraine was open in May 2003 to issue Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme permits. [118357]

Mr. Rammell: The British embassy in Kiev was open for 19 working days in May, and worked an additional Saturday as overtime in order to facilitate the issue of Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme visas.

China

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government on behalf of Chinese British citizens, on the process of adoption of children from China, concerning the issue of closed borders due to the SARS outbreak; and if he will make a statement. [118048]

Mr. Rammell: We have made no representations. We understand that the China Centre of Adoption Affairs has postponed the issuing of adoption papers to foreign adopters to help prevent the spread of SARS in China, and that they will lift their restrictions as soon as SARS permits.

Conflict Prevention Pool

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what percentage, and how much, of the Conflict Prevention Pool budget for the financial years (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05 is allocated to (i) military activity, (ii) humanitarian relief, (iii) education, (iv) military equipment, (v) direct grants to governments and (vi) administration; and if he will make a statement; [117909]

(2) what the priority (a) countries and (b) themes are for the Conflict Prevention Pool; and if he will make a statement; [117910]

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(3) what money is available for use in each of the priority areas of the Conflict Prevention Pool; and what percentage these allocations represent as a proportion of the total budget. [117911]

Mr. Straw: For 2003–04, the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) has a programme allocation of £74 million. Programme allocations fund 14 strategies, which can be regional or thematic. The allocations to GCPP priority countries and thematic strategies for financial year 2003–04, set in March 2003 by a Ministerial Committee, which I chair, are:

Strategies	£ million	Percentage
Afghanistan	16.60	18.87
Belize and Guatemala	1.79	2.04
Central and Eastern Europe	4.80	5.46
India/Pakistan	2.00	2.27
Indonesia/East Timor	1.48	1.68
Middle-East and North-Africa	5.00	5.68
Nepal	6.00	6.82
OSCE	1.00	1.14
Russia/Former Soviet Union	11.50	13.07
Security Sector Reform	5.05	5.74
Small Arms, Light Weapons	9.45	10.74
Sri Lanka	1.10	1.25
TheBalkans	11.50	13.07
United Nations	10.69	12.15

The total allocated is higher than the Treasury funding allocation for financial year 2003–04 of £74 million because it incorporates funds carried over from previous years and over-programming on the basis of experience of previous spend patterns. Final allocations for 2004–05 will not be set until later this financial year.

Strategies allocate funds to specific projects, which may include a number of activities, though the provision of humanitarian aid is not generally a call on the Conflict Prevention Pools. Projects within Global Pool strategies cover a wide range of activity. To provide a budgetary breakdown would incur disproportionate costs.

The planned Global Conflict Prevention Pool report will, however, give a better insight into activities under each strategy. It is due to be published later in the year and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

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