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9 Sept 2003 : Column 322W—continued
European Constitution
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the envisaged primacy given to European legislation over UK legislation in the draft European Constitution will override the authority of the European Communities Act 1972. [127390]
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Mr. MacShane: The principle of the primacy of Community law has been central to the operation of the EU since its earliest days. This principle prevents countries from going back on obligations they have made to one another. It is an integral part of the obligations of our EU membership—as it is for all Member States. It is already enshrined in UK law by Section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972.
George Atkinson
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions have been given to his officials in Dubai in connection with the forthcoming release of Mr. George Atkinson from prison; whether Mr. Atkinson will be met by Foreign Office officials on his release; who will be responsible for booking his return flight to the UK and ensuring that he has the necessary travel documents; and on what date he expects Mr.Atkinson to be released. [127877]
Mr. Mullin: Mr. Atkinson was released from prison on 1 September and was deported to the UK. Officials at our Embassy in Dubai were in touch with the prison authorities to ensure that the necessary arrangements for Mr. Atkinson's return to the UK were in place. Our Vice Consul met Mr. Atkinson at Dubai airport and accompanied him throughout the deportation process to his flight.
Guantanamo Bay
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a request to the US Administration for the repatriation of British detainees held in Camp Delta, to face, if the evidence justifies, trial in the UK. [127174]
Mr. Mullin: 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.
Indonesia
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the Indonesian Government to withdraw all non-West Papuan troops and Brimob special forces from West Papua. [127175]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Indonesian Government are within their territorial rights to deploy Indonesian troops and police throughout their country to counter any aggressive external and internal threats. However, we have stressed to the Indonesian Government that any action undertaken in respect to their territorial rights must respect human rights and be in accordance with international law.
There are a number of areas in Indonesia where the levels of violence raise issues, including Papua. The origins of such conflicts vary and are complex: some are inter-ethnic or inter-religious while others may have economic causes. Our message to the Indonesian Government is clear and consistent: long-term stability can only be achieved through political negotiation and consultation within Indonesia. Together with our
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European partners, we are in regular, top-level dialogue with the Indonesian Government, and urge them to maintain law and order and promote reconciliation in order to ensure the territorial integrity of Indonesia.
We are implementing a strategy to tackle the causes of conflict and are working with EU and other partners to help Indonesia build capacity to analyse and respond effectively to outbreaks of violence.
Iran
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government take to monitor the end-use of the dual-use equipment that was licensed for export to Iran during 2000, including toxic chemicals; and if he will make a statement. [127829]
Mr. MacShane: The Government issued 3 export licences in 2000 for the proposed export of toxic chemical precursors to Iran for use in the oil industry. All were assessed rigorously against the consolidated criteria, which take account of the risk of diversion to undesirable end-users.
Our overseas posts have standing instructions to report on any allegation of misuse of UK-origin equipment.
Iraq
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of regulations and orders made by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. [127594]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the website www.cpa-iraq.org/regulations where all the Coalition Provisional Authority Orders and Regulations are available.
Moazzam Begg
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received letters sent to him on (a) 6 and (b) 9 July by solicitors representing Mr. Moazzam Begg. [127139]
Mr. Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received two letters dated 6 July and 9 July from Mr. Begg's solicitors. My hon. Friend the Minister for Europe replied to the letter dated 9 July on 21 August. A substantive response to the 6 July letter will be sent shortly.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with US officials concerning the possibility of Mr. Moazzam Begg and Mr. Feroz Abbasi standing trial in a US civil court; and if he will make a statement. [127171]
Mr. Straw: Mr. Begg and Mr. Abbasi have been designated as eligible to stand trial before a Military Commission, but have not yet been charged.
The Attorney-General has recently held a number of rounds of talks with the US Administration. His objective has been to ensure that the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay, if prosecuted, are assured
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of fair trials that meet generally recognised principles, wherever those trials take place, and to make clear our opposition to the death penalty. We are discussing a number of options with the US Government. Further talks are planned for the near future.
Moldova
Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals there are for an EU peacekeeping force to be deployed to Transdniestria in Moldova. [127875]
Mr. MacShane: There are currently no proposals for an EU peacekeeping force to be deployed to Transdniestria in Moldova. The EU is working to support the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's efforts to reach a constitutional settlement.
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In the event the political talks make sufficient progress towards a settlement, the international community, including the EU, will need to consider the options for any potential stabilisation force.
Western Sahara
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Morocco concerning recent court judgements affecting the peoples of the Western Sahara. [123463]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him on 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 820W, 11 July 2003 Official Report, column 1056W and 14 July 2003, Official Report, column 51W.
Officials in Rabat have raised concerns over court judgments affecting the peoples of the Western Sahara with the Moroccan Government. We continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara and raise specific cases with the relevant authorities where appropriate.
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HEALTH
Abortions
Mrs Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have died in each of the last 10 years as a direct result of unsafe abortions; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths caused by unsafe abortions. [128401]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy that were reported to the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths for the period 1991 to 1999, are shown in the table. The data for 2000 to 2002 are not yet available.
The Abortion Act 1967 requires a pregnancy to be terminated by a registered medical practitioner. The General Medical Council's (GMC) Duties of a doctor include making the care of the patient the first concern, keeping professional knowledge and skills up to date and recognising the limits of professional competence. Where there is evidence that a doctor is not fit to practise, the GMC is able to suspend or erase a doctor from the register or place conditions on their registration, As part of each hospital's clinical governance framework, all adverse events, including deaths, are investigated and lessons learned, and any appropriate action taken. In addition, the Commission for Health Improvement and the National Care Standards Commission monitor patient care in the National Health Service and independent sector respectively.
| Triennium | Number of deaths from termination of pregnancy(1) | Number of these associated with substandard care(1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–99 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994–96 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991–93 | 5 | 3 |
(1) Figures are from the reports of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom for the relevant triennium.
Notes:
1. From 1991–93 these deaths were defined as occurring before 20 weeks of pregnancy. From 1994, 24 weeks was used as the upper gestational limit. Thus comparisons of the data between triennia may be inappropriate.
2. There were around 500,000 abortions in the United Kingdom in each three-year period and hence the number of deaths represents less than 0.0001 per cent, of all abortions carried out.
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