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Jean Helene

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with members of (a) the French Government and (b) Prime Minister Seydou Diarra's transitional government in Ivory Coast concerning the nature of the death of French journalist Jean Helene in Abidjan; what advice his Department has issued to UK aid workers (i) in Ivory Coast and (ii) looking to travel to Ivory Coast; and if he will make a statement. [168554]

Mr. Mullin: Along with our other EU partners we condemned the murder of the French journalist, Jean Helene, in Abidjan in October 2003. We urged the Ivorian authorities to re-establish rule of law to protect Ivorians and foreign nationals. The policeman charged with Jean Helene's murder was found guilty and sentenced in January 2004. We are also concerned at reports of the recent disappearance of another journalist, a French/Canadian national.

We advise UK nationals against non-essential travel to Cote d'Ivoire. More detailed advice is provided on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website: www.fco.gov.uk.

As I made clear in a press release on 21 April, we urge all Ivorian parties to make progress in implementing the    Linas Marcoussis Agreement. A copy of the press release is available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases.

Middle East

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's
 
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policy is on the insistence by the Israeli Government that the Palestinians should abandon their right of return to what is now Israel. [168459]

Mr. Rammell: Return of refugees is a final status issue. It must therefore form part of a negotiated settlement between the two parties. Phase Three of the roadmap provides for this. To get back to negotiations, both parties must fulfil their commitments under Phase One of the roadmap.

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) Israel and (b) the United States on the Israeli Government's policy of targeted assassinations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [168460]

Mr. Rammell: On 26 April, my right hon. Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean made clear to the Israeli Charge, Mr. Rav-ner, that the Israeli policy of targeted assassinations is illegal, unjustified and counter-productive. Both parties must refrain from actions that may further escalate tensions, including any more such killings. We are in regular contact with the US Administration, at all levels, about the situation in the Middle East, including targeted killings.

Mordechai Vanunu

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to arrange a meeting with Mordechai Vanunu to discuss ways to implement a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East. [168616]

Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary currently has no plans to arrange such a meeting.

Nuclear Weapons

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by which (a) governments and (b) organisations it was decided to send (i) surplus highly enriched uranium from Libya to Russia and (ii) nuclear technology components and missiles to the United States following the decision of Libya to halt its programmes of weapons of mass destruction. [168728]

Mr. MacShane: On 19 December Libya declared that it intended to dismantle completely and verifiably its weapons of mass destruction programmes, and to limit the range of Libyan missiles to under 300 kms.

The UK and US offered full support to Libya in helping to declare its programmes to the relevant international bodies, as well as assistance in dismantling Libya's WMD programmes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the United States' and Russian Governments assisted Libya with the removal of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel stored at the Tajura research reactor facility. IAEA inspectors monitored and verified the packing of the HEU for transport and removal on 8 March. The HEU was airlifted from Libya to the Russian Federation.

Russia agreed to take back the HEU. The fuel-removal was funded by the United States Department of Energy under a co-operative US-Russia-IAEA
 
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programme called the Tripartite Initiative, which addresses safety and proliferation risks. The Tripartite Initiative returns fresh and spent fuel from Russian designed reactors abroad.

Following discussions between the UK, US and Libya, it was agreed that sensitive nuclear technology and missile components should be removed to a secure location in the United States. This was done in close co-operation with the IAEA. There is no equivalent international organisation in the area of missile technology.

Pastor Khalid Babaev

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Azerbaijan Government concerning the threats made by Islamist extremists against Pastor Khalid Babaev, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor in Nakhichevan. [168428]

Mr. Rammell: Promotion of human rights, including freedom of thought, conscience and religion is at the heart of our foreign policy. We condemn instances where individuals are persecuted because of faith or belief, wherever they happen and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.

British embassy staff in Baku keep in close contact with human rights NGOs in Azerbaijan and have raised issues of religious persecution with the State Commission for Religious Organisations. In March 2003 the British ambassador to Azerbaijan hosted a series of round table talks with NGOs to discuss current concerns, including issues of religious freedoms.

We have not made any specific representations to the Azeri Government about Pastor Khalid Babaev.

Sudan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to bring the Janjaweed militia within the peace agreement in Sudan. [167819]

Mr. Mullin: We have made numerous representations to the Government of Sudan about the need to rein in the Janjaweed militias. In the 8 April humanitarian ceasefire agreement the Sudanese Government committed itself to neutralising the armed militias, which we understand to mean the Janjaweed.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the National Islamic Front Government of the Sudan on the implementation of Sharia law in the south of the country. [168249]

Mr. Mullin: We had extensive consultations with the parties at the peace talks in Kenya as part of the negotiations which led to the Machakos Protocol in July 2002. The Machakos Protocol largely resolved the question of the application of Sharia law in the south of Sudan.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the people of Gibraltar will be able to vote in the forthcoming referendum on the proposed EU Constitution. [169015]

 
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Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. MacShane) on 27 April 2004 (UIN 168824) to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell).

Swaziland

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact that the proposed new constitution in Swaziland will have on (a) democracy and (b) human rights in that country. [168908]

Mr. Mullin: The proposed constitution provides improved rights for women, which will be enshrined in a bill of rights, and a basis for improvements in democracy and human rights. The Commonwealth Secretariat provided expertise during the drafting of the constitution to align it with the Commonwealth's own core principles.

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Swaziland about the proposed new constitution of that country; and if he will make a statement. [168909]

Mr. Mullin: Our High Commissioner in Mbabane regularly discusses the draft constitution with the Government of Swaziland. The proposed constitution is also on the agenda of the EU's regular political dialogue with the Government of Swaziland.

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