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30 Mar 2004 : Column 1310W—continued
EU Constitution
16. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on prospects for the proposed Constitution for the European Union. [164136]
Mr. MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd).
United Nations Reform
17. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on reform of the United Nations. [164137]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz).
19. Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Nations reform. [164140]
Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, North and Leith (Mr. Lazarowicz).
Eritrea
18. Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the situation in Eritrea. [164138]
Mr. Mullin: The internal situation in Eritrea is stable. However, we do have concerns about the human rights situation in the country. We have made this clear to the Eritrean authorities.
Afghanistan
20. Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest security situation in Afghanistan. [164141]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile, particularly in the South and East. Sporadic attacks continue against both international and Afghan forces, as well as the UN and
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NGOs. Fighting between Afghan forces also occurs, as seen in a recent incident in Herat that resulted in the death of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister.
The international community, including the UK, is responding with increased commitments of troops and resources, including by extending the network of Provincial Reconstruction Teams. In the long-term, Afghanistan must be able to maintain its own security, through an effective national army and police force. Work to recruit and train those has been under way for some time, with the UK's active support and involvement.
Serbia/Montenegro
21. Mr. Randall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Serbia and Montenegro. [164142]
Mr. MacShane: Following recent elections, the new Serbian Government are focussing on their domestic reform programme. We welcome their commitment to closer European integration through the state union with Montenegro.
We continue to put pressure on Belgrade to engage constructively over Kosovo and renew co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Israel
22. Claire Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding continued incursions onto Palestinian land. [164143]
Mr. Rammell: Phase One of the roadmap provides for a progressive withdrawal of the Israeli security forces from areas occupied since 28 September 2000. We have urged the Israeli Government on many occasions to meet their obligations under the roadmap without delay. Israel is entitled to take steps to ensure its security, and safeguard itself against terrorism, but only within international law.
We regard the construction of the Israeli barrier on Palestinian land as unlawful and have made this clear both to the Israeli Government and at the UN. Most recently, following the assassination of Sheikh Yassin on 22 March, my noble Friend, the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean made it clear to the Israeli Ambassador, Zvi Shtauber, that the excessive use of force in the Occupied Territories does nothing to improve prospects for peace.
Arms Control
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to take forward work on arms control as part of the UK's (a) chairmanship of the G8 and (b) presidency of the European Council in 2005. [163356]
Mr. MacShane: The United Kingdom will assume the chairmanship of the G8 in January 2005, and the Presidency of the EU in July 2005. The Government have yet to finalise their priorities for the assumption of
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these key roles. We will, however, wish to continue work already under way on arms control issues and, in particular, to take forward work on implementing coherent strategies on arms control and counter-proliferation in both fora. As was made clear by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his statement of 25 February, counter-proliferation issues remain a high priority for the Government (Official Report, columns 46–49WS).
Arms Exports
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total value of British arms exports to (a) Israel and (b) the occupied territories was in each of the last five years. [163680]
Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
Since May 1997, the Government have published an annual report on strategic export controls containing details of all goods, including components, authorised for export from the UK and to which destinations. The total value of SIEL licences issued for each destination is recorded in these reports. Copies of the annual report (up to and including 2002) are available from the Libraries of the House. Details of export licences approved in 2003 will be published later this year in the 2003 annual report.
Concerning quantities exported, HM Customs and Excise and DTI compliance officers check that the terms of the licence have been respected but do not store data on volumes of actual exports which have been vetted and licensed.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) renovation and (b) maintenance projects on buildings (i) owned and (ii) rented by his Department were undertaken in each of the last five years; and what the associated costs were of each. [163955]
Mr. Rammell: There have been no renovation projects carried out on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the UK during the past five years. The cost of individual maintenance projects can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the total cost of maintenance of the FCO UK Estate during the last five years was:
| Owned | Rented | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 7,366,086 | 161,904 |
| 2000 | 5,360,579 | 375,679 |
| 2001 | 8,882,212 | 746,222 |
| 2002 | 6,035,173 | 325,632 |
| 2003 | 6,579,242 | 608,547 |
The details given relate only to the FCO estate in the UK. Details of renovation and maintenance of the overseas estate are held at the individual posts concerned and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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EU Border Management Agency
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Britain's preferred location for the headquarters of the new EU Border Management Agency is. [164251]
Mr. MacShane: The UK is still considering options for the location for the headquarters of the new EU Border Management Agency.
Human Rights and Democracy Projects
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy projects on (a) the prevention of torture in Georgia and (b) the campaign against torture in Ukraine; and what assessment he has made of each project; [163863]
- (2) what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy project on (a) improving the functioning of the political institutions and reinforcing the mechanisms of protection of human rights and (b) the support of the Moscow School of Political Studies; and what assessment he has made of the projects. [163865]
Mr. Rammell: Decisions about the individual projects funded by the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights are made by the European Commission and by local EC delegations. They are also responsible for managing and evaluating the projects. The EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy allocates EU budget resources to projects in third countries and is responsible for evaluating the impact of the fund. The UK is represented on the Committee by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the 2002 European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects in (a) Georgia, (b) Russia and (c) Ukraine were; how his Department was involved in the micro projects; and what assessment he has made of them. [163866]
Mr. Rammell: The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights micro projects scheme is for projects between 10,000 and 100,000 euros (£6,689 and £66,890). These are selected through calls for proposals conducted locally by EC delegations who manage and evaluate the projects.
Priority themes and budget allocations are set by the EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy on which the UK is represented by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Permanent Representation to the EU. Local British Embassies also keep in touch with the local Commission delegation.
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