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17 Nov 2003 : Column 649W—continued
Ascension Island
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he next plans to make an official visit to Ascension Island; and for what purpose; [139102]
- (2) if he will meet the hon. Members for (a) Totnes, (b) Vale of Glamorgan and (c) Cheltenham to discuss St. Helena before his departure to Ascension Island. [139103]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Ascension Island in the near future.
However, I will pay a short visit to Ascension Island during a brief stop-over on the way to the Falkland Islands on 26 November 2003. During this visit I have no plans to meet the Legislative Council of St Helena, but will meet the Island Council of Ascension.
The Foreign Secretary has no plans to meet with the hon. Member for Totnes, my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith), and with the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) to discuss St. Helena. However, I shall meet with them before my visit to discuss St. Helena and Ascension Island.
Embassy Closures
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British embassies (a) have closed and (b) are expected to close in financial year 2003–04. [137100]
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Mr. Rammell: 1 refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1112W.
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign embassies in the United Kingdom (a) have closed and (b) are expected to close in financial year 2003–04. [137101]
Mr. Straw: To date, no foreign diplomatic missions have closed in the United Kingdom in financial year 2003–04.
The Seychelles Government have informed us of their intention to close their High Commission in London on 31 December 2003.
Colombia
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring takes place to ensure that military aid to Colombia does not indirectly support paramilitary action against civilians. [137720]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence gave on 10 November 2003, Official Report, columns 46–47W.
Community Liaison Unit
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the work of the Community Liaison Unit. [137534]
Mr. Mullin: The Community Liaison Unit (CLU) is based in the Human Rights Section of Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It provides assistance to British Nationals in danger of a forced marriage overseas.
The CLU covers three main areas of work:
Since the establishment of the CLU in October 2000, staff have dealt with over 600 cases of young British Nationals fearing or escaping from a forced marriage overseas. Forced marriage is a serious human rights abuse and is not sanctioned by any religion or culture. It is quite different from an arranged marriage, in which the parties give their full and free consent. The CLU has dealt with victims, male and female, aged between 11 and 39, and from a wide range of backgrounds including Sikh, Hindu, Catholic and Muslim to date.
The CLU also works with other Government Departments to develop guidance for public sector services that may come into contact with forced marriage cases. To date the CLU has developed a video for schools, guidelines for police and are currently awaiting clearance on guidelines for social services. They have also provided support to link UK and foreign police services tackling some of these issues.
The CLU also work in the UK with NGOs, refuges, community groups, public sector, and faith groups to raise awareness of the issue and the help available to
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victims. Overseas, the CLU and posts (Embassies and High Commissions) work with partners in the judiciary, police and NGO community.
The Community Liaison Unit also worked in partnership with the British Muslim community from 2000–03 to organise the British Hajj Delegation to Mecca. Responsibility for the Hajj Delegation has now moved to the Middle East Assistance section of Consular Directorate. This section deals with consular assistance to distressed British Nationals in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, which means they are better placed to offer assistance to British Hajjis.
Correspondence
David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the letter dated 14 October from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, Home Office ref: PO15398/3 concerning an immigration appeal was sent to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; when the letter was transferred; and for what reasons an immigration appeals matter was sent to the Foreign Office. [139035]
Mr. Mullin: My hon. Friend's letter dated 14 October was transferred to UKvisas, the department responsible for entry clearance matters overseas, as the appeal related to a refusal of entry clearance. At the time of receipt of my hon. Friend's letter, the appeal did not show on Home Office records. The letter was therefore transferred to UKvisas by the Home Office on 4 November so that further enquiries could be conducted with our High Commission in New Delhi.
I will write to my hon. Friend in the next few days on this case.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage British firms to trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo. [136345]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment does not pursue an active programme to encourage British firms to trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo but it does provide information and advice to UK companies wishing to trade there, with particular emphasis on the mining sector.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [137601]
Mr. Mullin: Encouraging progress is being made in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Transitional National Government (TNG) in Kinshasa is functioning. Welcome moves have been made recently to improve the DRC's relations with Rwanda and Uganda. The TNG now provides the Congolese people with a real opportunity to end the cycle of violence and human rights abuses and start on the path to democracy and development.
Pockets of fighting remain, particularly in the east of the country. We are concerned by recent clashes between "Mai-Mai" and forces of the former Forces Armées Rwandaises/lnterahamwe in eastern DRC. We
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welcome and support efforts by the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC)—acting under their new Chapter VII mandate as authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003)—to tackle this problem.
In the north-eastern district of Ituri, MONUC's Ituri Brigade have responded robustly and effectively to outbreaks of violence and are now establishing themselves outside the regional capital of Bunia.
EU Constitution
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what amendments the Government will seek to make to article (a) I-14, (b) III-62 (2) and (c) III-63 of the draft EU Constitution; and if he will make a statement; [137155]
- (2) whether the Government is seeking an explicit rejection of (a) further tax harmonisation and (b) a federal fiscal policy in the European Union in the draft EU Constitution; and if he will make a statement. [137156]
Mr. MacShane: The Government set out their approach to the Intergovernmental Conference in the White Paper, "A Constitutional Treaty for the EU: The British Approach to the European Union Intergovernmental Conference."
As the Government make clear in the White Paper, they will oppose proposals which might lead to unnecessary rigidities or undermine the central role of member states in determining their economic policies. They will work to ensure outcomes that will bolster stability, promote flexibility and enhance the ability of European countries to raise productivity and employment levels.
The Government also believe that the right of member states to determine their own tax policies is a fundamental one. Tax matters are a key component of national sovereignty and vital to the social and economic well-being of the country. That is why, in the IGC, the Government will insist that tax matters continue to be decided by unanimity.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy regarding the energy chapter of the proposed European Union constitution as it affects the UK offshore oil and gas industry. [137759]
Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown) on 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 204W.
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