12 Jan 2004 : Column 530Wcontinued
Leak Inquiries
Mr. Lilley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list occasions on which his Department has conducted an inquiry into alleged leaks from members of staff since 1997; and if he will list the occasions on which the names of those persons accused of leaking information from his Department have been made public (a) by the Government and (b) by way of another source. [146943]
Mr. Rammell:
Since 1997 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has investigated 20 suspected leaks. In line with exemptions l(a) and 7(b) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it has been the practice of successive governments not to comment on the outcome of such inquiries in order to safeguard security and investigative arrangements.
Ministerial Visits (Africa)
Mr. Moore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which African countries (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have visited since June 2001; and what the (i) dates and (ii) main purposes of the visits were. [146937]
Mr. Mullin:
The following table shows visits to African countries made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers since 1 June 2001.
Country | From | To | Purpose of visit
|
| Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
|
Nigeria | 5 September 2001 | 6 September 2001 | Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting
|
Egypt | 27 September 2001 | 27 September 2001 | Part of Middle-East tour
|
Democratic Republic of Congo/Rwanda/Burundi/Uganda | 21 January 2002 | 23 January 2002 | Bilaterals
|
Egypt | 8 October 2002 | 8 October 2002 | Part of Middle-East tour
|
South Africa | 12 May 2003 | 13 May 2003 | Bilateral Forum
|
Nigeria | 2 December 2003 | 4 December 2003 | Accompanying HM Queen on State Visit
|
| | |
|
| The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Baroness Amos
|
Nigeria | 25 July 2001 | 27 July 2001 | Bilateral
|
South Africa | 29 August 2001 | 3 September 2001 | UN World Against Racism Conference
|
Nigeria | 5 September 2001 | 7 September 2001 | Commonwealth Foreign Minister's Meeting (Accompanied Foreign Secretary)
|
Zimbabwe | 24 October 2001 | 26 October 2001 | Bilateral
|
Ethiopia | 5 December 2001 | 8 December 2001 | G8 Meeting
|
Kenya/Tanzania | 2 January 2002 | 10 January 2002 | Bilateral
|
Senegal/Nigeria | 6 February 2002 | 10 February 2002 | Accompanying Prime Minister (Visit also included France)
|
South Africa | 12 February 2002 | 16 February 2002 | G8 Meeting
|
Senegal | 10 April 2002 | 13 April 2002 | Bilateral and G8 Meeting
|
Ghana | 25 April 2002 | 26 April 2002 | Bilateral
|
Mozambique | 14 May 2002 | 17 May 2002 | Bilateral
|
Lesotho/South Africa | 29 July 2002 | 3 August 2002 | Bilaterals
|
Nigeria | 3 September 2002 | 5 September 2002 | Bilateral
|
Mozambique | 7 November 2002 | 8 November 2002 | EU/SADC Meeting
|
Burkina Faso | 27November 2002 | 29 November 2002 | EU/Africa Dialogue
|
Angola/Ghana | 4 December 2002 | 9 December 2002 | Bilateral (Angola) and G8 Meeting (Ghana)
|
Senega] | 18 December 2002 | 19 December 2002 | Bilateral
|
Tanzania/Rwanda/Kenya | 27 January 2003 | 31 January 2003 | Bilateral
|
Cameroon/Angola/Guinea | 25 February 2003 | 28 February 2003 | Bilaterals
|
Cameroon/Angola/Guinea/Ghana | 11 March 2003 | 12 March 2003 | Bilaterals
|
South Africa | 29 March 2003 | 1 April 2003 | Bilateral
|
Botswana | 1 April 2003 | 3 April 2003 | Bilateral
|
South Africa | 4 April 2003 | 6 April 2003 | Bilateral
|
Mali | 14 April 2003 | 15 April 2003 | G8 APR Meeting
|
| Minister of State right hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
|
Egypt | 17 January 2003 | 23 January 2003 | Bilateral (Visit also included Saudi Arabia)
|
Morocco/Tunisia | 14 September 2003 | 18 September 2003 |
|
| The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mr. Ben Bradshaw
|
Egypt | 18 July 2001 | 25 July 2001 | Bilateral (Visit also included Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon)
|
Algeria/Morocco | 23 September 2001 | 26 September 2001 | Bilateral
|
| Minister of State Mike O'Brien
|
Libya | 6 August 2002 | 8 August 2002 | Bilateral
|
Egypt | 11 December 2002 | 13 December 2002 | Bilateral. (Visit also included Qatar)
|
Algeria | 19 May 2003 | 21 May 2003 | Bilateral/Familiarisation
|
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mr. Chris Mullin
|
Ghana/Cote D'Ivoire/Sierra Leone | 22 July 2003 | 25 July 2003 | Bilaterals/Familiarisation
|
Kenya/South Africa | 29 October 2003 | 5 November 2003 | Bilaterals/Familiarisation
|
Nigeria | 3 December 2003 | 8 December 2003 | Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
|
Eritrea/Djibouti/Ethiopia | 12 January 2004 | 20 January 2004 | Bilaterals/Familiarisation
|
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North Korea
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an appraisal of the threat posed by North Korea, with particular reference to its policy towards acquisition of nuclear weapons. [146483]
Mr. Rammell:
The Government believe that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been pursuing two separate programmes for the production of fissile material, through the enrichment of uranium and the processing of plutonium. DPRK also has long-range missiles in service, and we believe it has the capacity to develop missiles capable of reaching the UK. We will continue to urge the Government of DPRK, bilaterally and in co-operation with international partners, to remove the threat thus posed to the international community by dismantling its nuclear programmes verifiably and irreversibly, and by continuing the moratorium on the flight-testing of long range missiles.
Mr. Moore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea regarding the elimination of its nuclear weapons programme. [147144]
12 Jan 2004 : Column 532W
Mr. Rammell:
The Government makes regular representations to the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), through our Embassy in Pyongyang and through the DPRK Embassy in London, about its nuclear programmes. I also raised the issue with DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon during his visit to London in April last year. We continue to express our concerns and to encourage DPRK to comply with its international obligations.
Official Visits (Africa)
Mr. Moore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which African (a) heads of state, (b) prime ministers and (c) foreign ministers have made official visits to the United Kingdom since June 2001; what the (i) dates and (ii) main purposes of the visits were; and which United Kingdom ministers met them. [146939]
Mr. Mullin:
There have been a number of visits by leaders and ministers of African countries to the UK. Visits may be planned by the visitor's own government or by the Conference and Visits Group (CVG) of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The following table shows all official visits organised by CVG since June 2001. Details of those visits organised by the visitor's own government are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Visitor | From | To | Purpose of visit | UK Ministers met
|
Angola
|
Foreign Minister Miranda | 24 March 2002 | 27 March 2002 | Sponsored visit | Foreign Secretary Baroness Amos
|
Botswana
|
President Mogae | 17 September 2001 | 19 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister, SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Foreign Minister Merafhe | 17 September 2001 | 19 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers (accompanying President) | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
President Mogae | 8 June 2003 | 11 June 2003 | Guest of Government Visit | Prime Minister SoS International Development Foreign Secretary
|
Foreign Minister Merafhe | 8 June 2003 | 11 June 2003 | Guest of Government Visit (accompanying President) | Prime Minister SoS International Development Foreign Secretary
|
Central African Republic
|
Prime Minister Ziguele | 1 September 2003 | 7 September 2003 | Sponsored Visit | Mr. Mullin
|
Ethiopia
|
Prime Minister Zenawi | 22 February 2003 | 26 February 2003 | Guest of Government Visit | Baroness Amos SoS International Development Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign Secretary
|
Foreign Minister Mesfin | 22 February 2003 | 26 February 2003 | Guest of Government Visit (accompanying Prime Minister) | Baroness Amos SoS International Development Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign Secretary
|
Prime Minister Zenawi | 13 July 2003 | 14 July 2003 | Progressive Governance Summit | Prime Minister
|
Ghana
|
President Kufuor | 15 September 2001 | 21 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Foreign Minister Gbeho | 15 September 2001 | 21 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers (accompanying President) | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Foreign Minister Owusu-Agyemang | 28 November 2002 | 30 November 2002 | Sponsored Visit | Foreign Secretary Mr. Rammell
|
Mozambique
|
President Chissano | 18 September 2001 | 19 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Nigeria
|
President Obasanjo | 17 September 2001 | 18 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Rwanda
|
Foreign Minister Murigande | 11 May 2003 | 14 May 2003 | Sponsored Visit | SoS International Development
|
SENEGAL
|
President Wade | 17 September 2001 | 18 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Foreign Minister Gadio | 5 November 2001 | 7 November 2001 | Sponsored Visit | Foreign Secretary Baroness Amos
|
South Africa
|
President Mbeki | 11 June 2001 | 15 June 2001 | State Visit | Prime Minister
|
Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma | 11 June 2001 | 15 June 2001 | State Visit (Accompanying President) | Prime Minister
|
President Mbeki | 13 July 2003 | 14 July 2003 | Progressive Governance Summit | Prime Minster
|
Tanzania
|
President Mkapa | 16 September 2001 | 20 September 2001 | Africa meeting at Chequers | Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
|
Zambia
|
Foreign Minister Mwansa | 15 November 2003 | 20 November 2003 | Sponsored Visit | Mr. Mullin
|
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