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SCOTLAND

Boundary Commission for Scotland

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for   Scotland when he expects the recommendations of    the Boundary Commission for Scotland to be implemented. [165982]

Mr. Darling: The Boundary Commission for Scotland must report to me on its current review before December 2006. As I have said before, it is a matter entirely for the Commission when, within that timescale, it does so. I am required to lay the report before Parliament as soon as may be after its receipt, together with an Order giving effect to its recommendations.

Commission on the Scottish Parliament

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the remit of his Commission on the Scottish Parliament. [165983]

Mr. Darling: The remit for the commission on boundary differences and voting systems was discussed with the First Minister before it was finalised.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for    Scotland what budget has been set for the operating   costs of his Commission on the Scottish Parliament. [165984]

Mr. Darling: The budget for the commission on boundary differences and voting systems will be set during the course of this year. The financial provision will come from within current Scotland Office resources.

Departmental Computers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to update computer (a) hardware and    (b) software standard packages used in his Department. [166366]

Mrs. McGuire: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the administration and maintenance of the system. The Executive has recently completed an upgrade of both computer hardware and standard software packages, including IT equipment used in the Scotland Office.

Whisky Duties

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Treasury on the proposed introduction of the whisky strip stamp. [166019]

Mr. Darling: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of issues affecting Scotland.
 
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Colombia

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Colombia on tackling organised crime. [167593]

Mr. Rammell: We are in regular discussion with the Colombian Government over tackling organised crime, particularly the drugs trade, not least because so much of the cocaine from Colombia finds its way onto our streets with devastating consequences. The drugs trade fuels the armed conflict in Colombia and seriously distorts the country's productive capacity. We will continue to work with the Colombian Government and other countries to end the global scourge of organised crime.

England Cricket Tour (Zimbabwe)

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives from (a) the England and Wales Cricket Board and (b) the International Cricket Council to discuss the proposed cricket tour by the England team to Zimbabwe later this year. [167185]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 April 2004]: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials have been in regular contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). At the ECB's request my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and I will be having a meeting with the ECB on 4 May. The FCO has had no meetings with the International Cricket Council on this matter. We would be ready to do so if requested by the ECB.

EU, Latin America and Caribbean Summit

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will press for the issue of human rights defenders to be on the agenda of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean summit in May. [168818]

Mr. Rammell: Preparations for the Summit are well under way, both within the EU and with our Latin American and Caribbean partners. Discussions at the Summit will cover the many shared interests and values of our two regions, including respect for human rights.

Iraq

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the coalition's strategy for replacing soldiers with Iraqi police for law enforcement duties, with reference to (a) provision of appropriate equipment and training and (b) ensuring appropriate knowledge of international standards for law enforcement. [166994]

Mr. Rammell: There are now more than 75,000 Iraqi police working around the country. There is an extensive programme to train, equip and mentor both existing and newly recruited police officers in Iraq, in which over 100 British police trainers are involved. While significant progress has been made in many areas in building the capacity of the Iraqi police and ensuring
 
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that police take the leading role in law and order, the current security challenges mean that there is a continuing need for support from the coalition and Iraqi Civil Defence Force. The Coalition's objective is to hand responsibility for security in Iraq to the Iraq police and other security forces as soon as their capability and security conditions allows.

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of President Gayoom's support for the Ba'athist Party of Iraq. [167277]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are aware that President Gayoom has met Saddam Hussein in the past, but have no reason to interpret this as support for the Ba'athist Party of Iraq.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the second source referred to in Paragraph 93 of the Intelligence and Security Committee's report, "Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction—Intelligence and Assessments", September 2003, was the intelligence based on documentary evidence referred to in Paragraph 89 of the report; and when this second source first reported to the Secret Intelligence Service. [168301]

Mr. Straw: The Intelligence and Security Committee's report made clear that the Secret Intelligence Service's judgment about its second source was not affected by doubts about the authenticity of some of the documentary evidence received by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The report also made clear that the second source reported in September 2002.

Irish Waters (Navigational Aids)

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for   Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions he has had with the Irish Government regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters; [168259]

(2) what discussions he has had with (a) the Department for Transport and (b) the Northern Ireland Office regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters. [168260]

Mr. Rammell: Discussions are on-going between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Transport at official level regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters. It has been agreed that the Department for Transport should take forward negotiations with the   Irish Government. A meeting with the Irish Government is scheduled shortly.

Latin America

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for   Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place with the Government of (a) Guatemala, (b) Mexico, (c) Peru and (d) Chile; and if he will make a statement. [167880]

 
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Mr. Rammell: The United Kingdom enjoys good relations, and has regular discussions on a broad range   of bilateral and multilateral issues, with the Governments of Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Chile. I myself visited Mexico in October 2003, Chile in December 2003, and Guatemala in January 2004. I hope that I will be able to visit Peru later this year.

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