| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Nov 2003 : Column 818W—continued
China
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government regarding the imprisonment of Phuntsog Nyidrol. [136431]
6 Nov 2003 : Column 819W
Mr. Rammell: Phuntsog Nyidrol was included on the list of individual cases of concern handed over to the Chinese authorities during my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to China in July. We have regularly raised her case in the context of the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, and have requested her release on medical grounds.
Colombia
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of human rights violations, broken down by (a) murders, (b) kidnappings and (c) death threats each year in Colombia under the (i) Pastrana and (ii) Uribe administrations. [136309]
Mr. Rammell: We see many reports on the human rights situation in Colombia each year from non-governmental organisations, international bodies and foreign governments. These reports have different methods of collating and presenting their data, so a consensus of figures of the particular categories mentioned by my hon. Friend is difficult to come by. Detailed reports are available on the following websites.
- UNHCHR http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/1304674285b7eb3bc1256cf5003906fb?Opendocument
US State Department http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18325.htm
Amnesty International http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/col-summary-eng
Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/wr2k3/americas4.html
Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he is giving to the Colombian Government on human rights issues. [136561]
Mr. Rammell: Our human rights assistance for Colombia addresses the key problems of violence, displacement, children's and women's rights, impunity and the guarantee of fundamental human rights freedoms. Projects include provision of human rights training for the Colombian armed forces; encouraging greater attention to the rights of displaced women, adolescents and girls; strengthening Colombian NGOs; rehabilitation of child soldiers; helping street children out of their negative environment; provision of political and financial support to the work of the UNHCHR office in Bogota and to the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Colombia. We also contribute to the EU's programme of assistance of Euro 330 million over the period 2001–06 (which includes assistance on human rights).
EU Intergovernmental Conference
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the
6 Nov 2003 : Column 820W
non-institutional matters which he submitted to the Italian Presidency by 20 October for raising at the Inter-governmental Conference. [135377]
Mr. MacShane: The Government's letter to the Presidency on non-institutional issues for discussion in the Inter-governmental Conference raised the following issues: aspects of Justice and Home Affairs, the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; economic governance and the budget; defence; and the scope of qualified majority voting and co-decision. The Government's White Paper sets out our position on these questions in detail.
Immigration (Chagos Islanders)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with West Sussex county council about provision for permanent settlement of Chagos Islanders arriving at Gatwick airport. [134756]
Mr. Rammell: My officials have been in contact with West Sussex county council and following this, officials in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health are considering, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the situation of the destitute Chagossians in the UK.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he has made for the settlement of Chagos Islanders in the UK. [134792]
Mr. Rammell: Officials in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health are considering, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the situation of the destitute Chagossians in the UK. No final decisions on any measures can be taken until the judicial review proceedings are completed.
Iraq
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the US Administration regarding foreign nationals entering Iraq to participate in terrorist activities; and what assessment his Department has made of the number of foreign terrorists in Iraq. [135945]
Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) today (UIN136351). I am withholding details of the Government's estimate of the number of foreign terrorists in Iraq under exemptions 1 and 2 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to prevent foreign terrorists coming into possession of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; and what discussions the Government have had with international partners on this matter. [135946]
Mr. Straw: Coalition forces regularly conduct anti-terrorist operations, and the UK and US Governments have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up border
6 Nov 2003 : Column 821W
security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq. Coalition forces and the Iraq Survey Group continue to search for and secure WMD-related sites and materials.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of external support from governments in countries surrounding Iraq for individuals and organisations carrying out terrorist activities in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [135966]
Mr. Straw: We have received a range of reports about possible support from individuals and organisations from within Iraq's neighbours for terrorist activity in Iraq. The Government have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the US Administration on possible foreign involvement in attacks in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [136351]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses Iraq issues with US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Government have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq.
Pakistan
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 663W, what assessment he has made of whether the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan support a conclusion that the Government of Pakistan are not a sponsor of terrorism. [135648]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcome the steps which the Government of Pakistan have taken and is continuing to take against terrorist and extremist organisations. But we remain concerned that some such groups are still operating within and from Pakistan. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to do more to prevent all forms of terrorist activity.
Paramilitary Groups
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) of 4 July 2003, Official Report, column 558W, what assessment he has made of the level of protection needed for trade unionists receiving death threats from paramilitary groups. [136353]
Mr. Rammell: I regularly make clear our great concern about the extremely difficult situation faced by trades unionists in Colombia. Protection is given under the Colombian Ministry of Interior Protection Programme. We welcome the recently increased spending on this programme, and the reactivation of Inter-Institutional Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Workers' Human Rights. Deaths of trades union members have been significantly reduced this year. But there is much more to be done and the Colombian Government has acknowledged this. It
6 Nov 2003 : Column 822W
supports and has played a large part in discussions on an EU funded project for the promotion and defence of the human rights of trades unionists. We will continue to emphasise the need for further protection of all vulnerable groups in Colombia.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |