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Government Hospitality

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to public funds is of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the purchase of wine, in the current financial year. [162731]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 24 March 2004]: The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine cost approximately £6,000 in the financial year 2003–04. The work of the Committee is managed by an established civil servant, whose salary is paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Kosovo

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Kosovo towns of (a) Mitrovica, (b) Orahovac and (c) Pristina. [163393]

Mr. Straw: Kosovo Force (KFOR) reports that the situation in these towns is calm but tense. We have called upon all the leaders in Kosovo and Belgrade to show restraint and use their influence to calm the situation. It is important that they continue to work with KFOR and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo to build a stable, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the future of Kosovo within a Serbia-Montenegro federation. [163394]

Mr. Straw: Our policy on Kosovo is based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the UN endorsed review process of agreed standards, launched in December 2003. As part of this there will be a formal review of Kosovo's progress in meeting the agreed standards in mid 2005. If it were positive, but only if, it could allow a process to begin to determine Kosovo's future status.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reconstruction programme required in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [163395]

Mr. Straw: The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) and the NATO Force for Kosovo are in the process of assessing the damage caused by the recent violence and. the extent of the reconstruction programme required. The PISG has announced the allocation of Kosovo funds to rebuild Serb Churches and homes.

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Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Serbia and Montenegro Government regarding Prime Minister Kostunica's proposal for the cantonisation of Kosovo. [163396]

Mr. Straw: We have received no such representations from Serbia and Montenegro. However, on a number of occasions since taking office on 3 March 2004, Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica has stated publicly his Government's preference for the decentralisation of Kosovo through entities or cantons to ensure the security of the Serb community in Kosovo.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the Kosovo Serbs' proposal regarding establishment of Serb enclaves within Kosovo. [163397]

Mr. Straw: We are not aware of any formal proposal by the Kosovo Serbs regarding establishment of Serb enclaves within Kosovo.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his counterparts from other EU member states to discuss matters relating to the security situation in (a) Kosovo and (b) Serbia and Montenegro. [163398]

Mr. Straw: On 22 March 2004.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the borders between (a) Kosovo and Albania and (b) Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are adequately secured; and who controls them. [163399]

Mr. Straw: Responsibility for border control points in Kosovo is held by the Kosovo Police Service under the authority of the UN Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo. Responsibility for the border security of Kosovo, including adjacent to the border with Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, rests with the NATO-led Kosovo Force. On the Macedonian side of the border, responsibility for border crossing points rests with the Macedonian Border Police, and for the rest of the border with the First Army Brigade. On the Albanian side of the border, the Albanian Police are responsible for border control. We assess that Kosovo's borders with both Albania and Macedonia are adequately secured.

Kurds (Iraq)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the US and international community that (a) Saddam Hussein and (b) Ali Hassan Al-Majid be charged under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II in respect of the massacre of Kurds at Halabja and through the Anfal campaign. [162190]

Mr. Rammell: On 10 December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) established the Iraqi Special Tribunal to try major crimes committed under the former Ba'athist regime. The Transitional Administrative Law signed on 8 March 2004 confirms the establishment of the Tribunal.

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Article 10 of the Statute of the Tribunal gives it jurisdiction over the crime of genocide which is defined (in Article 11) in accordance with the Genocide Convention. Although it is for the Iraqis to decide what charges will be brought against Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan Al-Majid we expect that the charges would involve incidents such as the 1988 attack on Halabja and the Anfal campaign.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the international community regarding (a) the integrity of Iraq's borders and (b) the need to ensure Kurdish security in respect of Turkey and Iran; and if he will make a statement. [162192]

Mr. Rammell: We are committed to maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, as re-affirmed in UN Security Council Resolution 1511. We have been in regular contact with Iraq's neighbours to urge them to take steps to ensure better security on their borders with Iraq. We have been working hard to improve border security through increased personnel, new technology and tighter procedures. There are currently 8,000 Iraqi border police in place and the Coalition is aiming to double this number. In the north the US military have taken on this role in the Kurdistan Regional Government administered areas.

Opinion Sampling

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [162750]

Mr. Rammell: Focus groups and internal/external opinion polls are not managed centrally. The subject of the group or poll would determine which department within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) managed it. For example, the FCO's Information Directorate (responsible for explaining UK foreign policy, creating systems to deliver this information, both internally and to the public, and the development of relationships with the FCO's key partners in shaping and communicating policy) spent £311,000 on focus groups and polls in 2003–04. To collate all costs relating to groups and polls would incur disproportionate costs.

Pakistan

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from Pakistan regarding the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. [161210]

Mr. MacShane: During recent discussions with the Pakistani Government, assurances were given that Pakistan would investigate fully the past proliferation activities of Abdul Qadeer Khan and those associated with him. They have also undertaken to make changes to the system of control of their nuclear programme in order to prevent the future transfer of technology.

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Press Officers

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what the total cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [162849]

Mr. Rammell: The number of UK based press officers working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Press Office in 2003–04 is 17 and their cost for the year is estimated to be £738,353. Costs comprise salary, employer's national insurance contributions and employer's pension contributions. There are further press officers based at overseas posts however their numbers and costs could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. For years prior to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 469W.

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