You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1309W—continued

Gibraltar

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart regarding Gibraltar in the last 12 months. [133208]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had a number of discussions with his Spanish counterpart on a range of issues in the last 12 months; the focus has not been Gibraltar.

Guantanamo Bay

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the meetings his Department has had with US officials and representatives in the last 12 months at which the issue of the Guantanamo Bay detainees has been formally raised. [139470]

Mr. Mullin [holding answer 19 November 2003]: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials have had regular discussions with the United States authorities in the last 12 months about the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay. The Government does not consider it appropriate to disclose detailed information about the dates of such negotiations since it would undermine the confidential nature of these diplomatic communications.

However, the Government's frequent contacts with my right hon. Friend the US Administration on this issue have included discussions between the Prime Minister and the US President and between UK and US Ministers, senior officials and lawyers. Since July, the Attorney General has led the UK in detailed discussions with the US Administration to resolve the position of all the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1310W

Indonesia

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a permanent secretary or under-secretary in his Department has visited Indonesia since 1973; and what the purpose was of each visit. [133127]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [pursuant to my answer, 22 October 2003, Official Report, c. 615–16W]: An administrative error occurred in my answer of 22 October. The correct answer should read as follows:


I regret that compiling the information requested for 1973–99 would involve disproportionate effort.

Iran

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 on recent developments in Russian-Iranian negotiations concerning the repatriation of spent nuclear fuel; what impact an agreement will have on UK policy toward Iran; and if he will make a statement. [131529]

Mr. Rammell: This issue was most recently addressed in a wide-ranging discussion which my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had with the Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

Every opportunity is used to raise our concerns, both in ministerial and official contacts, about the negotiations between Russia and Iran on the return of spent nuclear fuel.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he is having with Iran about bi-lateral relations. [132240]

Mr. Rammell: Ministers are in regular contact with Iranian leaders. The Foreign Secretary visited Tehran most recently on 21 October. Our policy towards Iran is one of constructive but critical engagement. We support reform in Iran, while continuing a robust dialogue on

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1311W

matters of concern such as Iran's nuclear programme, and policies on human rights, terrorism and the Middle East Peace Process.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the two UN working groups referred to in his 2003 Human Rights Report as planning visits to Iran to make them. [139705]

Mr. Rammell: The UN Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression visited Iran from 4–11 November The visit of the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances is currently scheduled for February 2004.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Government of Iran has made to the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions. [139707]

Mr. Rammell: The Government of Iran has so far offered no formal or public reply to the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the EU to evaluate the outcome of the dialogue with Iran on improving human rights; and what assessment he has made of changes since the publication of his Department's Human Rights Report 2003. [139762]

Mr. Rammell: The EU regularly evaluates progress on the EU/Iran Human Rights Dialogue at both ministerial and official levels. At the October 2003 General Affairs and External Relations Council, EU Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their concern "about the human rights situation in Iran, including violations of civil and political rights, in particular the freedom of expression and the freedom of association, and systematic discrimination against women and girls, as well as against minorities". In the period since the FCO Human Rights Report was drafted, we assess that there has been some deterioration in the overall human rights situation in Iran.

Israel

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will condemn (a) the Palestinian organisations engaged in suicide bombings of Israeli civilians and (b) the excessive use of force by the Government of Israel against Palestinians. [140120]

Mr. Rammell: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Library of the House.

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published. [137015]

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1312W

Mr. Rammell: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) market research in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. [139987]

Mr. Rammell: I will write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Middle East

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government has made of the impact of the Israel Defense Forces Order Concerning Security Directives (Judea and Samaria) (No.378), 1970 Declaration Concerning Closing of Area Number s/2/03 (seam area) (Judea and Samaria) on (a) the Palestinian population of the area between the Green Line and the separation wall and (b) the prospects for a future Palestinian state to include the territory between the Green Line and the separation wall; and if he will make a statement. [139013]

Mr. Rammell: Initial reporting by the UN and other organisations indicates that the designation of a "Closed Zone" between the fence and the Green Line is severely hampering Palestinian daily life. Permits, issued by the Israeli authorities, are required for those Palestinians who live and work on land now designated as part of the Closed Zone.

We are concerned that a system of permits will not meet the legitimate needs of affected Palestinians. Other permit systems operated by the Israel Defence Forces can be unaccountable, inconsistent, unappealable and lack transparency. We understand that a number of permanent residents and Palestinians who work in the Closed Zone have been refused permits. Some permanent residents have received permits which are only valid for a limited period of time, and access for vehicles has been limited.

The effect has been to curtail the ability of Palestinians in the Closed Zone to travel and to access basic services. It has also hindered the cultivation and harvest of crops, and the care of livestock in this area. The designation of a Closed Zone is contributing to an already acute humanitarian situation. Staff from the ebassy and Consulate-General visited parts of the Closed Zone on 13 November to see the effect on Palestinians in the area.

We understand Israel's need to take steps, within international law, to protect itself from terrorist attack. But unilateral measures, such as the fence, will not provide lasting security. We are deeply concerned by the route taken by the fence, Its construction on occupied territory creates a further physical obstacle to a two-state solution. We have called on both sides not to take actions which pre-empt a final agreement.

My noble Friend, the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, raised our concerns about the Closed Zone between the fence and the Green Line on 22 October with the Israeli ambassador, and on 29 October with the Israeli Minister for National Infrastructure.

20 Nov 2003 : Column 1313W

Next Section Index Home Page