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15 Jul 2003 : Column 255W—continued
Arms Exports
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 15 May to the right hon. and Learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) Official Report, column 403W, on arms exports, if he will list (a) the dates of the visits and (b) the names of those involved in the promotion of Ministry exports on such visits. [122149]
Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the pursuant answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. and learned Member for
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North East Fife (Menzies Campbell) on 14 July, Official Report, column 47–8W. Further dates of such visits by Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are:
- Chile: Baroness Symons 6–8 March 2002.
India: Foreign Secretary 27 February and 29 May 2002.
Mike O'Brien 17 October 2002.
Singapore: Ben Bradshaw 21 May 2002.
Foreign Secretary 8 January 2003.
Chechnya
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department had with President Putin about human rights in Chechnya. [125279]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Chechnya with President Putin and Foreign Minister Ivanov during the State Visit last month. President Putin briefed on the political process. The Prime Minister supported a political solution to the conflict and stressed that the Chechen people should have a say in their own internal affairs.
Colombia
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Colombia. [125519]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Colombia. I undertook a visit in May.
Consultation Documents
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the consultation documents issued by his Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation. [124576]
Mr. Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has conducted the following public consultations in the last four years:
- Panel 2000: Consultation Document. Presented to Parliament on 10 September 1998 and closed on 15 November 1998. The website address is http://www.fco. gov.uk/Files/kfile/panel2000Apdf
Cost: £75,057 (excluding staff costs)
Consultation Document was sent to 500 businesses and NGOs asking for comments. It was sent to a wide range of organisations throughout Britain and it was published on the FCO's website.
There were 55 substantive responses to the Consultation paper
International Criminal Court: Consultation on draft legislation. Presented to Parliament on 1 August 2000 and closed on 12 October 2000. The website address is: http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/icc.pdf
Cost: £6,156 (excluding staff costs)
400 copies, plus an electronic copy produced
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Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation. Presented to Parliament on 12 February 2002 and closed on 12 August 2002. The website address is: http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/mercenaries.0.pdf
Cost: £4,165 (excluding staff costs)
500 copies of the document were produced
39 responses were received
Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Countering the Threat from Biological Weapons. Presented to Parliament on 29 April 2002 and closed on 13 September 2002. The website address is: http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/btwc290402.pdf
Cost: £2,044 (excluding staff costs)
There was a single report, of which the FCO ordered 500 copies in the time frame of the reply (the Green Paper itself).
The FCO received 16 formal responses
Cyprus
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the compliance by occupied Cyprus with the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the Loizidou case. [123181]
Mr. MacShane: We welcome the recent commitment by Turkey to pay the money awarded to Ms Loizidou by the European Court of Human Rights.
We urge the Turkish authorities to continue to work with the Council of Europe Secretariat to ensure that this payment is made as soon as possible.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a new procedure for application for a pass for British Forces Cyprus Service Personnel to visit Northern Cyprus will be announced; and if he will make a statement. [125025]
Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
A review of procedures for passes for British Forces Cyprus Service Personnel to visit the north of Cyprus is being conducted by the British High Commission in conjunction with the Sovereign Base Areas Administration and Headquarters British Forces Cyprus. All affected personnel will be notified once the review is complete. In the meantime British Force Cyprus Service Personnel continue to be able to visit the north of Cyprus.
Estonia
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has given to Estonia towards assisting the development of (a) their police service and (b) their NPA Estonian Neighbourhood Watch scheme; and if he will make a statement. [125529]
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Mr. MacShane: Through the British Embassy in Tallinn, the UK is actively supporting the Estonian police in preparing for EU accession. In particular, the government has funded UK experts to provide training in the fields of human rights and police ethics, counter-terrorism, facilitation skills for Police training officers and English language training.
The FCO coordinated the UK's participation as lead nation in an EU twinning project with Estonia. Contacts established between the UK National Neighbourhood Watch Association and its Estonian counterpart in the context of this project have led to further cooperation between the two organisations.
European Constitution
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European Constitution. [124755]
Mr. MacShane: Foreign Office Ministers and officials have had regular discussions with their counterparts in Member and Accession States on issues arising in the Convention on the Future of Europe.
India
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Indian Government on the destruction of the national habitat for tigers in Rajastan for the mining of minerals to make talcum powder. [123668]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: While we have not raised this issue with the Government of India we are looking for an opportunity to do so soon. In the interim, the High Commission in New Delhi will monitor the situation.
International Criminal Court
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries recognise the authority of the International Criminal Court. [126173]
Mr. Rammell: There are presently 90 States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, a full list of which may be found on the UN website www.un.org.
IT Projects
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what major IT projects with a value in excess of £10,000 he authorised expenditure in each of the last three financial years. [125775]
Mr. Rammell: Expenditure has been authorised on the following major IT projects in the last three financial years:
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Of the above projects, expenditure on FTN, Prism, Digital passports and Consular database was approved by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. Other expenditure on major projects was authorised through delegated authority.
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