---

14 Jul 2003 : Column 44W—continued

Telecommunication Masts

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department. [124814]

Alun Michael: Since August 2001, when the current planning regulations on mobile telecommunications masts came into force, there have been three planning applications (relating to one site only) and no applications for prior approval to locate mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department.

Village Grants

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about Vital Village grants; and if she will make a statement. [124884]

Alun Michael: We have received 14 representations from MP's and members of the public about uncertainty that was caused by the temporary hold the Countryside Agency put on decision making in the Vital Villages grant programme.

The Countryside Agency lifted the hold on decision making in the first week of July 2003 and is now assessing grant applications.

14 Jul 2003 : Column 45W

The Agency tells me that the hold was put in place in order to decide how to cope with a very high demand for grants. High demand for the Vital Villages grant scheme is a feature of its success, but the Agency has reviewed its priorities and will ensure that those communities in most need receive support.

PRIME MINISTER

Department for International Development

Gregory Barker: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last six months regarding the future of the Department for International Development as an independent Department; and if he will make a statement. [125352]

The Prime Minister: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects and will continue to do so. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of confidential discussions, under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Child Guardianship

Tim Loughton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many children are awaiting decisions from CAFCASS on whether they should be removed from the care of their parents or guardians. [120370]

Margaret Hodge: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) does not make the decision to remove children from the care of their parents or guardians, or hold hearings on future guardianship. Court hearings are held to determine these questions. A CAFCASS practitioner represents the interests of a child during proceedings. The court considers all the evidence before it, including CAFCASS reports, and makes the decision about the child's future. At the end of April 2003, CAFCASS were dealing with 12,245 public law cases (care, adoption, freeing orders and guardianship) that were at various stages between application and final hearing. Information on how many children are awaiting hearings on future guardianship is not held centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what forum he intends prosecutions for human rights abuses, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq be tried. [125026]

14 Jul 2003 : Column 46W

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 June 2003, Official Report, column 246W.

No decision has yet been made in what forum prosecutions for human rights abuses, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Iraq will be tried.

We believe that it should be for the Iraqi people to decide whether and how to bring to justice those who have committed crimes against them, with suitable international help.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee of 16 June, which documents were examined which were found to be forgeries; which documents on Iraq's alleged uranium procurement are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the procedure being used to distinguish between genuine and forged documents. [123655]

Mr. Rammell: We understand that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acquired documents on this subject in February 2003. These documents did not originate in the United Kingdom. Some of these turned out to be forgeries. We have now seen the documents passed to the IAEA and agree that some of them are forgeries. Others are still under consideration. We do not know the precise origin or history of these documents.

I cannot comment on procedures to distinguish between different documents or on the documents themselves, as it is the longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the good and unforged evidence that Iraq sought materials from Niger mentioned by Sir Jeremy Greenstock in his interview with David Usborne of the Independent was passed to the International Atomic Energy Authority. [124906]

Mr. Rammell: The evidence referred to by Sir Jeremy Greenstock does not derive from UK sources. We have encouraged all states to make available to the International Atomic Energy Agency any evidence which they possess.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government have officially informed the International Atomic Energy Authority that they do not concur with its conclusions on allegations that Iraq sought to procure substantial quantities of uranium from Africa. [124927]

Mr. Rammell: No. We have, however, made a number of public statements to the effect that we believe that there is good evidence to support our assertion that Iraq tried to procure uranium.

Mr. Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2003, Official Report, columns 46–7W, on visas (Syria), how many (a) applications

14 Jul 2003 : Column 47W

from students and (b) entry clearance applications to (i) visit the UK and (ii) settle in the UK were approved in each year. [123903]

Mr. Mullin: I regret that the figures in my answer to my hon. Friend on 16 June 2003, Official Report, columns 46–7W, were not accurate. The correct figures are as follows:

In the calendar year 2000, the British embassy in Damascus received 815 student applications. Of these, 535 visas were successful. In the financial year 2001–2002, 845 student applications were received and 502 visas were issued. In the financial year 2002–2003, 657 student applications were received and 432 visas were issued.

The number of visit visa applications received in Damascus in the calendar year 2000 was 5,720. Of these 4,263 were successful. In the financial year 2001–2002, 3,758 applications were received and 3,525 visas were issued. In the financial year 2002–2003, 5,068 applications were received and of these 4,208 were successful.

In the calendar year 2000, our embassy in Damascus received 140 settlement applications. Of these, 71 were successful. In the financial year 2001–2002 165 applications were received and 178 visas were issued. This apparent discrepancy is due to the fact that applications can be carried forward from one month to the next before being resolved. In the financial year 2002–2003, 368 applications for settlement in the United Kingdom were received. Of these, 280 were successful.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the UK Government is taking to promote human rights in Iraq. [124110]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Phil Sawford) on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 558W.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the UK Government is taking to ensure implementation of the UN General Assembly Resolution 57/232 on deployment of human rights monitors. [124112]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 471W.

Arms Exports

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries Ministers in his Department conducted arms promotion activities in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 to date; and if he will make a statement. [112293]

14 Jul 2003 : Column 48W

Mr. Straw [pursuant to the answer, 15 May 2003, Official Report, c. 403W]: An administrative error led to an omission in my answer of 15 May to the right hon. Member. The correct answer should read as follows:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly conduct overseas visits in the course of which they promote British exports, including those of defence equipment. For 2002, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers carried out such promotion activities in Chile, India, and Singapore; and in 2003 to date, Singapore. In 2002, Ministers also carried out promotion in the Czechoslovakia Republic, Slovakia and Tanzania, but while in the UK. In 2003, Ministerial promotion also took place in India, but while the Minister was in the UK.

---