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12 Jan 2004 : Column 530W—continued

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.

CountryFromToPurpose of visit
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Nigeria5 September 20016 September 2001Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting
Egypt27 September 200127 September 2001Part of Middle-East tour
Democratic Republic of Congo/Rwanda/Burundi/Uganda21 January 200223 January 2002Bilaterals
Egypt8 October 20028 October 2002Part of Middle-East tour
South Africa12 May 200313 May 2003Bilateral Forum
Nigeria2 December 20034 December 2003Accompanying HM Queen on State Visit
The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Baroness Amos
Nigeria25 July 200127 July 2001Bilateral
South Africa29 August 20013 September 2001UN World Against Racism Conference
Nigeria5 September 20017 September 2001Commonwealth Foreign Minister's Meeting (Accompanied Foreign Secretary)
Zimbabwe24 October 200126 October 2001Bilateral
Ethiopia5 December 20018 December 2001G8 Meeting
Kenya/Tanzania2 January 200210 January 2002Bilateral
Senegal/Nigeria6 February 200210 February 2002Accompanying Prime Minister (Visit also included France)
South Africa12 February 200216 February 2002G8 Meeting
Senegal10 April 200213 April 2002Bilateral and G8 Meeting
Ghana25 April 200226 April 2002Bilateral
Mozambique14 May 200217 May 2002Bilateral
Lesotho/South Africa29 July 20023 August 2002Bilaterals
Nigeria3 September 20025 September 2002Bilateral
Mozambique7 November 20028 November 2002EU/SADC Meeting
Burkina Faso27November 200229 November 2002EU/Africa Dialogue
Angola/Ghana4 December 20029 December 2002Bilateral (Angola) and G8 Meeting (Ghana)
Senega]18 December 200219 December 2002Bilateral
Tanzania/Rwanda/Kenya27 January 200331 January 2003Bilateral
Cameroon/Angola/Guinea25 February 200328 February 2003Bilaterals
Cameroon/Angola/Guinea/Ghana11 March 200312 March 2003Bilaterals
South Africa29 March 20031 April 2003Bilateral
Botswana1 April 20033 April 2003Bilateral
South Africa4 April 20036 April 2003Bilateral
Mali14 April 200315 April 2003G8 APR Meeting
Minister of State right hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Egypt17 January 200323 January 2003Bilateral (Visit also included Saudi Arabia)
Morocco/Tunisia14 September 200318 September 2003
The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mr. Ben Bradshaw
Egypt18 July 200125 July 2001Bilateral (Visit also included Israel, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon)
Algeria/Morocco23 September 200126 September 2001Bilateral
Minister of State Mike O'Brien
Libya6 August 20028 August 2002Bilateral
Egypt11 December 200213 December 2002Bilateral. (Visit also included Qatar)
Algeria19 May 200321 May 2003Bilateral/Familiarisation
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Mr. Chris Mullin
Ghana/Cote D'Ivoire/Sierra Leone22 July 200325 July 2003Bilaterals/Familiarisation
Kenya/South Africa29 October 20035 November 2003Bilaterals/Familiarisation
Nigeria3 December 20038 December 2003Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Eritrea/Djibouti/Ethiopia12 January 200420 January 2004Bilaterals/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.

VisitorFromToPurpose of visitUK Ministers met
Angola
Foreign Minister Miranda24 March 200227 March 2002Sponsored visitForeign Secretary Baroness Amos
Botswana
President Mogae17 September 200119 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister, SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Foreign Minister Merafhe17 September 200119 September 2001Africa meeting at Chequers (accompanying President)Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
President Mogae8 June 200311 June 2003Guest of Government VisitPrime Minister SoS International Development Foreign Secretary
Foreign Minister Merafhe8 June 200311 June 2003Guest of Government Visit (accompanying President)Prime Minister SoS International Development Foreign Secretary
Central African Republic
Prime Minister Ziguele1 September 20037 September 2003Sponsored VisitMr. Mullin
Ethiopia
Prime Minister Zenawi22 February 200326 February 2003Guest of Government VisitBaroness Amos SoS International Development Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign Secretary
Foreign Minister Mesfin22 February 200326 February 2003Guest of Government Visit (accompanying Prime Minister)Baroness Amos SoS International Development Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign Secretary
Prime Minister Zenawi13 July 200314 July 2003Progressive Governance SummitPrime Minister
Ghana
President Kufuor15 September 200121 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Foreign Minister Gbeho15 September 200121 September 2001Africa meeting at Chequers (accompanying President)Prime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Foreign Minister Owusu-Agyemang28 November 200230 November 2002Sponsored VisitForeign Secretary Mr. Rammell
Mozambique
President Chissano18 September 200119 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Nigeria
President Obasanjo17 September 200118 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Rwanda
Foreign Minister Murigande11 May 200314 May 2003Sponsored VisitSoS International Development
SENEGAL
President Wade17 September 200118 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Foreign Minister Gadio5 November 20017 November 2001Sponsored VisitForeign Secretary Baroness Amos
South Africa
President Mbeki11 June 200115 June 2001State VisitPrime Minister
Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma11 June 200115 June 2001State Visit (Accompanying President)Prime Minister
President Mbeki13 July 200314 July 2003Progressive Governance SummitPrime Minster
Tanzania
President Mkapa16 September 200120 September 2001Africa meeting at ChequersPrime Minister SoS International Development Baroness Amos
Zambia
Foreign Minister Mwansa15 November 200320 November 2003Sponsored VisitMr. Mullin

12 Jan 2004 : Column 533W


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