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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 26 February 2004

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chagossians (West Sussex)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will meet a delegation of West Sussex Social Services councillors and hon. Members to discuss the situation regarding the Chagossians in West Sussex; [156188]

(3) for what reasons he has not paid the costs of West Sussex Social Services relating to the settlement of Chagossians in West Sussex; and if he will do so. [156190]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 891W. My officials remain in contact with the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions on this issue. Officers from the Department of Health have already met with West Sussex County Council to discuss the situation and offer constructive advice, and both Departments have stated that they will continue to work with the council to address the matter.

No final decision on the situation of the Chagossians in the UK, including the payment of costs, can be taken until the judicial review proceedings are complete.

China

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government about religious freedom in China. [156235]

Mr. Rammell: We raised the issue of religious freedom with the Chinese during the last round of our regular biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue held in Beijing on 10 to 11 November 2003. I personally discussed human rights issues more generally when I met with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing on 17 December 2003.

We have repeatedly made clear that harassment of religious groups is unacceptable and not in keeping with the provisions of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which we continue to urge the Chinese to ratify.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese Government about their treatment of Christians. [156236]

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Mr. Rammell: We are deeply concerned about religious freedom in China, including the treatment of Christians, and monitor the situation closely. We regularly raise this issue with the Chinese at the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue; the most recent round was held in Beijing on 10 to 11 November 2003. I personally discussed human rights issues more generally when I met with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing on 17 December 2003.

We have repeatedly made clear that the harassment of Christians is unacceptable and not in keeping with the provisions of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which we continue to urge the Chinese to ratify.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received diplomatic letters from the Mexican Government asking him to clarify whether GCHQ was involved in placing other members of the United Nations Security Council under surveillance in the run up to the war in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [156196]

Mr. Straw: The British Embassy in Mexico City has received a Note Verbale from the Mexican Government on this issue. It is the well-established and long-standing practice of successive governments not to respond to speculation about alleged operational activities by the UK Security and Intelligence Services.

Ministerial Speeches

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many speeches he made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156145]

Mr. Straw: I made 18 substantive public speeches outside the House of Commons in my capacity as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in that period. Copies of them and of future such speeches can be found on the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk).

Mr Jafar Dhia Jafar

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2003, Official Report, column 587W, on Mr. Jafar Dhia Jafar, when he will write to the hon. Member. [149479]

Mr. Mullin: I wrote to the hon. Member on 30 January 2004.

Passport Renewal (Harare)

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the British High Commission in Harare accepts transfer payments in sterling for payment of passport renewal applications. [156675]

Mr. Mullin: No. Consular fees in Harare can currently only be paid in cash, or by bankers cheque, in local currency.

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Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the charge for a new 10-year British passport issued in Harare is in (a) sterling and (b) Zimbabwean dollars. [156676]

Mr. Mullin: The current sterling fee for issuing a standard British passport overseas is £56.50 for an adult and £36.50 for a child. The cost in local currency at the British Embassy in Harare is 430,500 Zimbabwean dollars at present, although this will vary as the exchange rate fluctuates.

UK Presidencies (G8 and EU)

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last 12 months on the priorities the Government intend to pursue when the UK assumes the presidencies of the (a) G8 and (b) EU. [156183]

Mr. MacShane: Detailed planning and discussion are going on within, and between, Departments at ministerial and official level. Formal discussions in Cabinet and Cabinet Committees will take place as necessary. The broad framework for work during the next five EU presidencies (including our own) is provided in the Council's Multi-Annual Strategic Programme, which has been placed in the Library of the House.

UN Security Council (Surveillance)

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received letters from the Governments of (a) Chile and (b) Mexico regarding surveillance of delegates to the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement. [156479]

Mr. Rammell: The British Embassy in Mexico City received a Note Verbale from the Mexican Government on this issue. We have received no such correspondence from the Chilean Government.

It is the well-established and long-standing practice of successive governments not to respond to speculation about alleged operational activities by the UK Security and Intelligence Services.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Departmental Costs

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Advocate-General what the total cost of running the office of the Advocate-General was in the latest year for which figures are available.[R] [154170]

The Advocate-General for Scotland: The identifiable costs of the office are not limited to the work of the Advocate-General but include litigation and advisory work, including the preparation of Bills, carried out by lawyers from the Office of Solicitor to the Advocate-General on behalf of Government Departments. The figure for 2002–03, in respect of identifiable costs of staff and related administration for my office, was £1,538,154.

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Advisory Panel on Illicit Trade

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the Advisory Panel on Illicit Trade to (a) report next and (b) be wound up. [155802]

Estelle Morris: I refer to the Government's response (published on 24 February) to the report (published on 16 December 2003) of the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport Cultural Objects: Developments since 2000.

(a) It is envisaged that the Illicit Trade Advisory Panel (ITAP) will produce its final report by March 2005. The exact timing of the report will be decided by the Panel at its next meeting.

(b) It is the intention of the DCMS to begin to wind up ITAP. We are extremely grateful to the Chairman and members of the Panel for all their work in advising Government. However, it is felt that resources should now be focused on the implementation of the new policy framework. The timing of the last meeting will be decided by ITAP itself.

PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Meetings (Note Taking)

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Prime Minister what action he has taken to implement the recommendations of Sir Anthony Hammond about writing notes of ministerial meetings and telephone conversations. [156375]

The Prime Minister: Following the publication of Sir Anthony Hammond's report, the then Cabinet Secretary (now Lord Wilson of Dinton GCB) wrote to all Departments enclosing guidance on the management of private office papers. It is for individual Departments to determine their own arrangements taking account of this guidance.

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