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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chagos Islands

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the nationality and residential status are of the Chagos islanders; who is responsible for their well-being on arrival in the UK; and if he will nominate a Minister to meet hon. Members and concerned county councils to discuss provision of services and their costs for the islanders. [131664]

Mr. Rammell: By virtue of the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, most Chagossians, together with most of the inhabitants of the other Overseas Territories, became British citizens (as well as Overseas Territories citizens) on the commencement of the Act on 21 May 2002. They thereby acquired the right to enter and take up residence in the UK. As regards their entitlement to state services the Chagossians who have come to the UK have the same rights, and are treated in the same way, as other British citizens coming here from overseas.

The Chagossians were advised that, on arrival in the UK, they would not automatically be eligible for the whole range of state benefits and that they should

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therefore have sufficient funds at their disposal to support themselves until they had fulfilled the required habitual residence test.

Ministers would be pleased to meet hon. Members and concerned county councils, at the appropriate time, to discuss these matters.

Afghanistan

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the payment system to poppy growers in Afghanistan (a) last year and (b) this year; which countries met the cost of the system; and how much in sterling each paid; how many growers took part; how much each poppy grower received; and what the take-up rate was. [134865]

Mr. Rammell: In 2002, the Afghan Government considered it appropriate to offer a one-off programme of compensation payments to opium poppy farmers on the basis that the poppy crop had been planted during the Taliban regime. The UK provided financial assistance worth £21.25 million in order to support the new regime's commitment to tackle drugs production but it was the responsibility of the Afghan authorities to

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administer the system of payments. We understand from the Afghan authorities that they provided compensation of $1,750 per hectare. Information about the total number of farmers who took part is not available. The Afghan Government estimated that 17,000 hectares of poppy were destroyed.

In 2003, the Afghan Transitional Authority ran a non-compensated eradication programme through the Province Governors. The UK was not involved in this programme. There has not been any estimate of the amount of poppy destroyed.

Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Department spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [134689]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: In the UK the Foreign and Commonwealth office maintains official residential accommodation for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary at No 1 Carlton Gardens. The spend each year on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs since 1997 is as follows:

£

	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2001–01	2001–02	2002–03
Maintenance	19,093	3,510	24,561	15,918	1,245	4,089
Renovation	3,354	15,246	—	—	—	—
Council tax	202	325	350	375	410	491
Running costs—rent	15,225	25,180	27,300	54,000	54,000	54,000
Utilities	6,637	8,049	1,620	4,723	5,251	3,971
Total	44,511	52,309	53,831	75,016	60,906	62,551

A downward rent review in 1995 resulted in a credit of £46,200 being received for overpaid rent during the 1997–98 period. A rent review in April 2000 resulted in a rate increase.

EU Intergovernmental Conference

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the evidential basis used to support the statements in A Constitutional Treaty for the EU: The British Approach to the European Union Inter-governmental Conference, Cm 5934, that (a) outside the EU the UK would have less, not more, control of its economy, (b) the proposed constitution is no more than a tidying-up exercise, (c) the proposed constitution is arguably the most significant development since the foundation of the EEC and (d) the national Governments of member states remain in control. [135455]

Mr. MacShane: In relation to point (a) the full quotation from the White Paper makes our position clear: "Outside the EU, we would have less, not more, control of our economy—because to continue to trade with the Union, we would still have to be bound by its rules. But we would end up with much less say in shaping them." On point (b), the White Paper does not contain any such statement. On point (c), the White Paper does not say this. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister comments in his foreword that the enlargement of the EU to 25 member states "will arguably be the most significant development since the foundation of the EEC". Concerning point (d), the White Paper provides the basis for this statement as follows: "The Union's powers clearly derive from the member states; and the draft Treaty preserves the principle that the most important decisions on EU issues are taken, by unanimity, by the Governments of member states."

Great Lakes Region

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 615W, on the Great Lakes Region, what monitoring took place of the Interim Emergency Multinational Force; and what monitoring is taking place of the UN Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo Ituri Brigade. [135215]

Mr. Mullin: The actions of the Interim Emergency Multinational Force (IEMF) was monitored and evaluated by the Political and Security Committee of the EU. The lEMF's operations were also discussed by EU member states.

The work of the Ituri Brigade of the UN Organisation Mission in the DRC (MONUC) is regularly monitored by the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York and by the UN Security Council through

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regular reporting. MONUC also provides weekly briefings to diplomatic missions in Kinshasa. Representatives from our embassy regularly visit the region and discuss the situation there with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative.

Guantanamo Bay

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in discussions between the USA and UK Governments regarding the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay; and whether the possibility of repatriation remains under discussion. [135181]

Mr. Mullin: Discussions between the Government and the US Administration about the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay continue. A number of options are still being considered, including the possibility of repatriation.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which country the information on Iraq's alleged attempt to procure uranium from Niger was obtained; and whether he has asked that country if its details may be publicly released. [133399]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As has been said before in response to questions on this subject, the Government will not identify the source of the information received. The information was passed to the Government in confidence by the Government of another state, and is therefore covered under Exemption 1(c) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

We did seek authority from the originators to release the information to UN inspectors. This permission was not granted. We subsequently urged the Government concerned to make the information available themselves.

Kosovo

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken to pursue those responsible for the murder in the summer of two Serbian boys by snipers in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [135437]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Denis MacShane) issued a press statement on behalf of the Government on 14 August condemning the attack.

The NATO-led force in Kosovo (K-FOR) and the UN Peacekeeping Mission (UNMIK) immediately launched efforts to pursue those responsible. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) established a special investigative team. K-FOR deployed 300 troops, tracker dogs, and increased ground and air patrols. UNMIK police set up mobile reserve units to conduct random vehicle checkpoints, and vehicle and foot patrols targeted with the specific aims of interdicting movement of persons with weapons and checking for criminals.

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The UK fully supports the ongoing efforts of UNMIK Police and K-FOR to find the perpetrators of this terrible attack.

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