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EU Foreign and Security Policy

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral statement of 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 1207, on the communitisation of foreign and security policy, if he intends them to become justiciable by the European
 
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Court of Justice and EU supreme court under the proposed EU constitution; and if he will make a statement. [126523]

Mr. MacShane: Under the draft constitution which emerged from the convention, the Common Foreign and Security Policy will not be justiciable by the ECJ, with one exception.

Article III-278 provides that:

"The Court of Justice shall not have jurisdiction with respect to Articles (1–39 and 1–40) and the provisions of (Chapter II of Title V of Part III) concerning the common foreign and security policy."

Article III-17 would, however, give the ECJ jurisdiction in respect of actions brought by persons to challenge the legality of sanctions measures applying to them.

Falkland Islands

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with President Kirchner of Argentina at the    progressive governance conference concerning sovereignty of the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement. [126273]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did not meet President Kirchner during his visit.

Brazil

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to propose that Brazil be given a permanent seat at the Security Council of the UN. [126742]

Mr. Rammell: The UK Government support an increase in both the permanent and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council to ensure that it better reflects the modern world.

We have proposed a model which would include an additional five permanent seats, including one for Latin America. We accept that Brazil is clearly the pre-eminent candidate for that seat when the Security Council is eventually enlarged and we would be very content with that result.

It is primarily for those countries aspiring to permanent membership to make their own case, based on their contribution to international peace and security and the wider goals of the UN. We will continue to advocate our model of Security Council reform with the UN membership.

Global Conflict Prevention

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 12 May 2003, Official Report, column 77W, on global conflict prevention pool, what progress has been made in each of the five project areas designed to reduce the number of individuals whose lives are affected by violent conflict. [125676]

 
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Mr. Straw: Monitoring and evaluation of Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) activity is carried out on the basis of the strategies listed in my answer to the right hon. Member's question of 12 May 2003, Official Report, column 77W, and not by the project areas mentioned in that answer. Individual strategies contain a mixture of activity according to the needs of a particular conflict situation or underlying conflict issue.

The Global Pool is beginning to make an impact in meeting the Government's Conflict Prevention Public Service Agreement Target through these strategies. As examples, the Balkans and Afghanistan strategies have helped to establish security and stability, to develop better ethnic relations, democratic and accountable government and to protect human rights through training, capacity building and other support for conflict resolution, establishing the rule of law and Security Sector reform. In Indonesia, the Global Pool has also supported security sector governance issues, human rights training for the Indonesian military, and has trained journalists on accurate and objective reporting of conflict. The strategy on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) aims to prevent the supply, demand and availability of SALW around the globe as a contribution to conflict prevention and supports the UN Programme of Action to combat the illicit trade in SALW. The strategy includes support to the UN Development Programme's global weapons reduction programme and UNDP's work on the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants.

A report on the Global Pool setting out how it operates and describing its geographical and thematic strategies will be published later in the year.

I will write to the right hon. and learned Member on this issue shortly.

Guantanamo Bay

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions are applied to British detainees in Camp Delta receiving food parcels. [124669]

Mr. Mullin: None of the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay receives food parcels.

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Government has asked for the return of British prisoners in Guantanamo Bay to Britain; when the most recent request on such matters was; what the US's response was in each case; and if he will make a statement. [125675]

Mr. Straw: We are pressing the US authorities to move forward with the process of determining the future of the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay. We have discussed, and are discussing, a range of options with the US, including the possibility of repatriation. I have discussed this matter on numerous occasions with US Secretary of State Colin Powell; most recently by telephone on Sunday 13 July.
 
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Iraq

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the sale of national assets in Iraq by the Coalition provisional administration. [124313]

Mr. Rammell: Since the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) took over the administration of Iraq, Iraqi oil has been sold by CPA through the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organisation in accordance with the terms of paragraph 20 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483. Under paragraphs 20 and 21 of this resolution, all revenues from sales of Iraqi oil are deposited into the Development Fund for Iraq, less 5 per cent. which is to be deposited into the Iraq Compensation Fund as established under UNSCR 687 of 1991. No other Iraqi assets have been sold by the CPA.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with establishing the interim authority in Iraq. [125038]

Mr. Rammell: We welcome the formation by Iraqis of the Governing Council—the core of the Iraqi Interim Administration—on 13 July. This is a momentous step that means Iraqis will now play a central role running their country.

The Governing Council is representative of Iraq society and includes a narrow Shia majority, Sunnis and Christians and three women. The Council will work to ensure views of all Iraqis are represented. It delivers a key part of UNSCR 1483.

The Governing Council has real power and will be involved in all key decisions on Iraq's future. It will name the new Ministers in the interim administration, run the Ministries and set the budget for 2004. It will also be responsible for Iraq's representation abroad. Some of the Council's early tasks will be: launching the Constitutional process—written by Iraqis for Iraqis; rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure; restoring security and stability; revitalising the economy and provision of essential services.

In all these activities the Coalition will provide support and advice.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials the Provisional Coalition Administration has in the British controlled sector of Iraq. [125615]

Mr. Rammell: The are currently over 60 officials working for the Coalition Provisional Authority in the British area of operations in Southeast Iraq. Plans are in hand to increase this number.

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State   for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Department has received from the Russian government on the re-establishment of the electrical power system in Iraq. [125696]

Mr. Rammell: We have received no such representations from the Russian Government.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Ministers were informed that the CIA had counselled the Security
 
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and Intelligence Services against including material relating to the alleged procurement of uranium from three African countries in the intelligence dossier published in September 2002; when the CIA communicated the advice to the Security and Intelligence Service; and if he will make a statement. [126328]

Mr. Straw: I shall shortly be writing to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in reply to his letter about this matter. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the head of MI6 met Mr. John Humphrys of the BBC since 1 May; who authorised each meeting; and for what purpose each meeting was held. [126464]

Mr. Straw: It is the longstanding practice of successive Governments not to comment on intelligence and security matters. The security and intelligence agencies are outside the scope of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Paragraph 6, Part I).

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