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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Asbestos

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2003, Official Report, column 917W, on asbestos, if he will list the buildings which have been identified as containing asbestos. [122940]

Mr. Rammell: All the FCO's buildings in central London contain some asbestos: The Main Building (Old Public Offices), Old Admiralty Building, Lancaster House and 1 Carlton Gardens. The FCO also has a compound at Hanslope Park in Buckinghamshire consisting of 26 buildings, 15 of which have been found to contain asbestos. The survey is not yet complete on one building but asbestos has not been found so far.

Burma

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on imposing economic and trade sanctions and embargoes upon the Burmese regime; and if he will make a statement. [123214]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have long been at the forefront of EU action to maintain and increase targeted pressure on the Burmese regime. The EU Common Position was further strengthened on 16 June and we are currently discussing with EU colleagues what additional economic action is required to encourage national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy in Burma.

Colombia

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on UK policy on encouraging democratic pluralism in Colombia following recent measures taken against human rights activists, trade unionists and social protest in Colombia; [121835]

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(2) what recent representations he has made to the Government of Colombia on the protection and human rights of members of non-governmental organisations. [121836]

Mr. Rammell [holding answer 26 June 2003]: During my visit to Colombia in May I called on the Colombian Government to make clear their support for the work of civil society, and stressed that civil society needed to be part of the solution to Colombia's problems. I raised our concerns on the situation faced by all vulnerable groups in Colombian society directly with the Colombian President and his Ministers. I made clear that we were following the situation very closely and our continued support for the Government was dependent on complete respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

I am pleased that in a subsequent keynote speech at Bogota's Police Academy attended by senior members of the Colombian Government, police and military, President Uribe made clear that he wanted them to show respect for NGOs working in Columbia. This demonstrates, I believe, that our approach of supporting, but seeking as well to influence the Colombian Government does work.

Government Hospitality

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of foodstuffs and drinks provided by the Government Hospitality Section of the Conference and Visits Group was sourced from (a) the UK, (b) the EU, (c) third countries, (d) organic sources and (e) fair trade sources in each of the last five years. [122844]

Mr. Rammell: Government Hospitality (GH) Section does not record the origin of food and drink served at the events for which it is responsible. However, Government Hospitality maintains a policy of encouraging all its suppliers to make maximum use of fresh British seasonal produce. English and Welsh wines are also stocked in the Government wine cellar, for which GH is responsible.

Iraq

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he was consulted in advance of the decision by the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs to allow Iraqis to keep firearms; and what proposals he has to reduce the availability of firearms and ammunition in Iraq. [119795]

Mr. Rammell: Ambassador Bremmer of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) decided on 24 May that only small arms may be possessed in homes and in places of business, but that they must be retained at these sites and not be taken out in public. Only authorised persons may possess small arms in public places and those authorised persons are issued with a Temporary Weapons Card by Coalition Commanders. Only Coalition forces, police, security and other forces in uniform under the supervision of the Coalition may possess automatic or heavy weapons. UK legal staff are working with the CPA and were consulted on this

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decision which was in compliance with UNSCR 1483. There was no need for the Secretary of State to be consulted.

Restoring public order and a safe and secure environment is a priority for the Coalition, who have been working to disarm Iraqi civilians where possible. As a consequence of the decision on 24 May Iraqi civilians voluntarily turned in a variety of weapons under an amnesty from 1–14 June. We are working with US authorities in Washington and Baghdad to develop an effective way to carry out further work in this area.

Newsroom

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants are employed in the Department's newsroom. [119525]

Mr. Rammell: There are 20 Press officers employed in the FCO's Press Office. In addition there are seven support administrative staff.

Occupied Territories

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel regarding environmental damage in the occupied Palestinian territories following the pollution of water supplies, destruction of trees and laying waste of agricultural land. [121669]

Mr. Rammell: The Government have made clear to the Government of Israel our concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the damage to water sources and the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land and their fruit and olive trees that has been caused by Israeli actions, in particular the construction of the 'security fence' and settlement-related building activity. We deplore the destruction of Palestinian property and have called on the Israeli Government to cease such activity.

We have also urged the Israeli Government to avoid actions that restrict Palestinian access to water for irrigation and drinking. The UK provides development assistance to the Palestinians in the water and sanitation sector.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel regarding the building of the security wall and fence during Phase I of the Road Map for Peace. [121673]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary conveyed his concerns about the construction of the "security fence" to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom, when he visited the UK on 15 May. We have also made representations through our embassy in Tel Aviv expressing concern at the route and likely impact of the security fence.

We fully understand Israel's need to take steps, in accordance with international law, to protect her citizens from terrorist attack, but we deplore the seizure of Palestinian land and isolation of villages resulting from the construction of sections of the fence within the west back. The quartet roadmap, while not taking an explicit view on the construction of the security fence,

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calls on the Government of Israel to take no actions undermining trust, including the confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian property.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel regarding the continuation of the settlements programme during Phase I of the Road Map for Peace. [121674]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about settlements with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom, on his visit to the UK on 15 May. Foreign Office officials have made representations to the Israeli ambassador, most recently on 10 June, and our ambassador in Tel Aviv raised settlements in east Jerusalem with the Israeli Interior Minister, Avraham Poraz, on 1 April.

We fully support the roadmap's requirement that Israel should immediately freeze all settlement expansion, including "natural growth" and dismantle the outposts erected since March 2001, and welcome recent action by the Israeli authorities on the latter.

Pakistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the case of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in Pakistan. [122739]

Mr. Mullin: The British high commission in Karachi continues to seek consular access to Mr. Sheikh. They last wrote to the Pakistani authorities on 23 May 2003, asking for permission to visit him. We await their response. However, we continue to press for access to ensure Mr. Sheikh's welfare. Mr. Sheikh is believed to be a dual national. If this is the case, the Pakistani authorities are not obliged to give us consular access or information.

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