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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1105W—continued
Ethical Foreign Policy
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions his Department takes to ensure that the UK pursues an ethical foreign policy. [131363]
Mr. Rammell: It is increasingly clear that respect for human rights, good governance and the rule of law helps underpin political stability, economic development and open societies. Ensuring respect for human rights remains, therefore, at the heart of the Government's foreign policy. On 18 September, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) published its Annual Report on Human Rights 2003 which sets out the Government's work over the past year to promote human rights abroad. A copy of the report has been sent to all Members of Parliament and is also available on the FCO's website (www.fco.gov.uk). The report includes details of projects funded under the FCO's Human Rights Project Fund which has spent £17 million over five years on over 600 human rights projects in more than 90 countries.
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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 frequency of abduction of Iraqi (a) women and (b) children. [130312]
Mr. Rammell: Given the current nature of policing in Iraq no comprehensive crime recording exists. Crime recording and analysis will of course need to be part of the reformed Iraqi Police Service.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK is making financial contributions to other coalition nations' forces in Iraq. [129750]
Mr. Rammell [holding answer 16 September 2003]: We are providing some logistical help to Coalition partners operating under UK command in Multinational Division South East (MND SE). We continue to assess the help that we could provide on a case by case basis.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many military personnel from each of the coalition countries are deployed in Iraq; and what he estimates the totals will be in six months' time. [129882]
Mr. Rammell [holding answer 16 September 2003]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 15 September 2003, Official Report, column 587W. We keep force levels under constant review as the situation develops. We are not at this stage able to estimate what numbers will be in six months time.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have for posting civil servants to Iraq. [131141]
Mr. Rammell: We have seconded over 100 UK civil servants to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq since the end of the conflict. They have made an outstanding contribution to the CPA's work in providing services across Iraq, and we expect to maintain at least this level of commitment over the next few months.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations have been made to hand over border controls in Iraq from coalition forces to Iraqi civilians. [131143]
Mr. Rammell: We are working to give the Iraqis a greater role in security. We are assisting the development of the border police and the new Iraqi army which will have a role in border security. On 15 September there were 2,122 trained border police working alongside coalition forces and a further 3,269 training. The Shalamcheh Point of Entry is now manned by Iraqis.
Afghanistan
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many soldiers have left the Afghan army since training by British forces began; and what effects this has had on the proposed date of the completion of the training of the Afghan army; [130777]
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- (2) when he expects the training of the Afghan army to be complete; and how many recruits have now been trained. [130780]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The US leads international efforts to establish a new Afghan National Army (ANA). UK personnel trained the first battalion of the ANA in April 2002 and have been providing NCO training since March 2003. The ANA decree signed by President Karzai in December 2002 refers to training up to 70,000 personnel but does not specify a completion date. We do not have access to exact figures for personnel who have completed the US training program, or for the retention rate. But the ANA currently consists of eight battalions and as of late June around 4,500 soldiers had undergone basic training.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the process of democratisation and political participation in Afghanistan; what recent discussions (a) he and (b) members of his Department have had with representatives of the Afghan Government; and if he will make a statement. [131338]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Work has begun on a new Afghan constitution. The UK has made clear that the new constitution must reflect Afghan culture and traditions and also respect Afghanistan's obligations under international human rights standards. A Constitutional Loya Jirga will meet in December to approve a new constitution.Elections are due in mid-2004, but it has yet to be decided how these are to be organised. The UN has begun the voter registration process, although they are still seeking funding for this programme. The UK has so far allocated £3 million to assist with preparations for the elections, and we will consider further requests for funding.
During their visits to Afghanistan earlier this year, both my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) met with President Karzai and a number of his Ministers in the Afghan Transitional Administration. Reform of the political process was one of the many issues that were discussed. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our embassy in Kabul are in regular contact with members of the Transitional Administration on these issues.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) members of his Department have had with representatives of NATO member states' governments concerning the expansion of (i) the number and (ii) the mandate of peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [131339]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK has regular discussions at all levels with NATO partners both bilaterally and in NATO fora on matters relating to Afghanistan, including the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). NATO took over leadership of ISAF in August 2003 and is currently engaged in a review of ISAF's role. It would be inappropriate for us to second-guess the outcome of this review and any possible effect it might have on the ISAF mandate or the number of troops
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required for any additional tasks. But any change to ISAF's role would also require amendment of its mandate through the UN.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) members of his Department have had with representatives of the Russian Government concerning peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. [131340]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: On 26 June 2003, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary briefed President Putin and Foreign Minister Ivanov on his forthcoming visit to Afghanistan. Russia is not directly participating in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. But we regularly discuss issues relating to Afghanistan, including security issues, with the Russian Government, both bilaterally and in international fora such as the NATO-Russia Council and the UN. Most recently, officials briefed the Russian embassy in London on 15 September 2003 on progress made by the UK Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e Sharif.
Arms Embargoes
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will impose secondary arms embargoes on countries that continue to supply countries with military or para-military equipment in violation of an existing arms embargo. [131146]
Mr. Rammell: Any proposal for sanctions, secondary or otherwise needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis. Her Majesty's Government supports the use of sanctions that are closely targeted and designed to deliver a clear objective. Such measures are most effective when they are enforced by multilateral institutions such as the UN, the EU or the OSCE. The UK therefore seeks to work with the international community where it can to prevent sanctions breaches.
The UK has supported the imposing of secondary sanctions against countries where appropriate; for instance, UNSCR 997(1995) which imposed an arms embargo on Rwanda also imposes an embargo on the sale or supply of arms to persons in the States neighbouring Rwanda; "if that sale or supply is for the purpose of the use of such arms or materiel within Rwanda".
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