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9 Mar 2004 : Column 1435W—continued
Departmental Communications
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158171]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: External communications is the responsibility of the Press Office in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). There are 28 staff in the Press Office, comprising of six General Information and Communication Service (GICS) press officers, 11 non-GICS press officers and 11 support staff.
Each of our overseas Posts also has a capacity to deal with local press and communications issues, commensurate with the size of the post and media interest.
There are seven GICS officers working outside the Press Office.
For details of the special advisers employed by the FCO, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 469W.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers.(ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158203]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: External communications is the responsibility of the Press Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We anticipate the staff costs for 2003/04 will be as follows: GICS Press Officers £259,573, non GICS Press Officers £478,780, support
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staff £331,453, giving a total cost for the year of £1,069,806. There are further UK based, GICS staff, working outside of the Press Office and their cost for 2003–04 is anticipated to be £278,343. The total pay of special advisers for the year 2003–04 is anticipated to be £188,324. Costs comprise salary, employer's national insurance contributions and employers pension contributions.
Our overseas posts have a capacity to deal with local press and communications issues, commensurate with the size of the post and media interest, however these costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The FCO is also the sponsoring Department for the BBC World Service, whose costs for the 10 months to 31 January 2004 are £177,859,730.
Iraq
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 482W, on Iraq, when the British embassy received the Note Verbale from the Mexican Government; and whether the UK Government has replied. [158354]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard) on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 743.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts, of what total financial value, have been awarded for reconstruction projects in Iraq, broken down by nationality of company awarded a contract. [159002]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The US administration has allocated $18.6 billion for the reconstruction process in Iraq. Because of the large number of different organisations involved and the fact that many are involved in partnerships with American, Iraqi and other companies, it has not been possible to maintain an overall picture of the total volume of contracts awarded on the basis of nationality, and the cumulative value of these contracts. There is no central organisation that collects, collates and publishes such information. However, British companies are active in the power, water, banking, ports, construction, telecoms, security, legal services and consultancy sectors.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the recent replacement of the Coalition Provisional Authority Governorate Co-ordinator for Dhi Qar province in Iraq. [159191]
Mr. Rammell [holding answer 8 March 2004]: John Bourne served as the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Governorate Co-ordinator for Dhi Qar province from early September 2003 to 27 February 2004. It was never intended that he should remain until the dissolution of the CPA. He served with distinction in the face of considerable difficulties, particularly after the attack on the Italian Carabinieri in Nassariya. His Italian replacement, Barbara Contini, has already been working in the CPA's Regional Office in Basra, and comes with strong experience of post-conflict reconstruction in the Balkans.
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Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the interim constitution adopted by the Interim Governing Council in Iraq on the rights of women. [159501]
Mr. Rammell: The Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) signed on 8 March 2004 includes clear provisions for the protection of women's rights. It enshrines the fundamental rights of all Iraqis. It strictly prohibits discrimination based upon gender. The TAL also stipulates an electoral system designed to ensure that no less than one-quarter of representatives in the National Assembly are women.
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current status is of the decision taken by the governing council in Iraq to repeal existing family laws and make family law subject to Sharia. [159502]
Mr. Rammell: Governing Council Resolution 137 on family law has been withdrawn by the Governing Council. It has no legal status.
Kolay
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what inquiries he has made about the (a) fate and (b) whereabouts of the 500 villagers from Kolay and two nearby villages who were in hiding following clashes between forces from the State Peace and Development Council and the Karen National Union on 17 and 18 January; [157624]
- (2) what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the action of the State Peace and Development Council in forcibly relocating all Karenni villagers north and south of the Mawchi-Taungoo road to Mahutahlayu near Pasaungi in December 2003. [157626]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have made no direct inquiries or representations on these issues. I do not have access to information to make accurate and reliable assessments of these matters. Travel restrictions imposed by the State Peace and Development Council on diplomats prevent local investigation or inquiries and make it difficult to independently verify such allegations.
Nepal
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department gives to British travellers to Nepal on the Government's policy towards (a) the Government of Nepal and (b) Maoist rebels against the Government of Nepal. [160178]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice does not contain statements of Government policy towards a particular country. FCO Travel Advice is available on the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk or it can be obtained by calling 0870 606 0290.
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The FCO produces Travel Advice on 217 countries, including Nepal, which aims to ensure that British travellers are well prepared before their departure. This travel advice takes account of the on-going conflict between the government of Nepal and the Maoist insurgents.
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what statements have been made by his Department on the Government's policy on the Maoist rebellion in Nepal in the last two years. [160179]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House on Nepal on 19 June 2002, Official Report, columns 114–17WH, and to the statement I made at the Nepal International Support meeting in Nepal on 11 October 2002, a copy of which I will place in the Library of the House. On 22 October 2003 I released a press statement in relation to the British Gurkha Nepal team temporarily abducted by Maoist forces. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary released a press statement on 28 August 2003 about the breakdown of the cease-fire in Nepal. Copies of both press statements are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases.
Overseas Bribery and Corruption
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures his Department employs for validation of reports on bribery and corruption overseas were received from involved in this procedure; and what criteria are employed for such validation. [151386]
Mr. MacShane: Reports on bribery and corruption overseas, received from diplomatic posts, are usually handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Economic Policy Department. These reports are examined to see if any further information is necessary on the nature of the allegation and supporting evidence.
Provided there is sufficient detail for an initial analysis, a report is sent to the National Criminal Intelligence Service.
Other Government Departments may also be made aware of these reports.
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