House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 4 May 2004 (pt 17)

4 May 2004 : Column 1438W—continued

Conflict Prevention Pool

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the independent evaluations of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool and the African Conflict Prevention Pool. [170087]

Mr. Rammell: The joint external evaluation of the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool began in June 2003. The fact-finding phase was completed in December 2003 and a final draft report including a synthesis of the main findings and recommendations has now been produced.

The evaluators concluded that the Conflict Prevention Pools are funding worthwhile activities, which make positive contributions to effective conflict prevention, and that the progress achieved through the Pools mechanisms is significant enough to justify their continuation. They also considered that the Pools were demonstrating increasingly good joined-up working between the three Departments.

The interim conclusions of the evaluation helped inform recent work on the Spending Review 2004 process.

Final editing of the Evaluation report is now being done. In summer 2004, the Evaluation, and the Government's response to it, will be published and made available to the House.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often the joint steering team responsible for the Global Conflict Prevention Pool has met in each year since 2001–02. [170088]

Mr. Rammell: The Steering Team of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) comprises officials from FCO, MOD and DfID as well as representatives of HM Treasury and Cabinet Office.

4 May 2004 : Column 1439W

They have met, usually fortnightly, throughout each year since the GCPP's inception in April 2001, although at busier times they meet every week.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds were allocated to the (a) Global Conflict Prevention Pool and (b) African Conflict Prevention Pool in each year since 2001–02; and how much was spent in each year. [170090]

Mr. Rammell: The budget and spend information requested for (a) The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) is as follows:
To nearest £ million

Financial year Funds allocated Spend

2001–02 60 50

2002–03 68 66

2003–04 74 ⁽²²⁾86

⁽²²⁾ Current forecast—departmental accounts to be finalised in summer 2004.
Note:
Does not include Peacekeeping figures.

Financial year	Funds allocated	Spend
2001–02	60	50
2002–03	68	66
2003–04	74	⁽²²⁾86

The budget and spend information requested for (b) The Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) is as follows:
To nearest £ million

Financial year Funds allocated Spend

2001–02 50 43

2002–03 50 45

2003–04 50 ⁽²³⁾40+

⁽²³⁾ Current forecast—departmental accounts to be finalised in summer 2004.
Note:
Does not include Peacekeeping figures.

Financial year	Funds allocated	Spend
2001–02	50	43
2002–03	50	45
2003–04	50	⁽²³⁾40+

Hong Kong

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee on 26 April to refuse to introduce universal suffrage for the election of the Hong Kong Chief Executive in 2007. [169852]

Mr. Rammell: On 26 April, I issued a press release about the Chinese National People's Congress decision on constitutional development in Hong Kong.

The record of the statement can be found on the British Consulate General in Hong Kong's website at www.britishconsulate.org.hk/english/press/pr040426.htm.

Iraq

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department had on how the UN Oil For Food programme in Iraq was audited. [169700]

Mr. Rammell: The management and administration of the Oil For Food (OFF) programme was carried out by the UN's Office of the Iraq Programme under a mandate from UN Security Council resolutions. Regular reports were made to and discussed by the UN

4 May 2004 : Column 1440W

Security Council. In light of on-going allegations of corruption during the lifetime of the OFF programme, the UK fully supports the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1538 (21 April 2004) endorsing a high-level independent inquiry into the management and administration of the programme, and will co-operate fully with that inquiry.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with other UN Security Council members on the fee levied by the UN for operating the Oil For Food programme in Iraq. [169701]

Mr. Rammell: The Government had regular discussions with the UK's Security Council partners on all aspects of the operation of the Oil For Food (OFF) programme until it ended on 21 November 2003. In light of ongoing allegations of corruption during the lifetime of the OFF programme, the UK fully supports the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1538 (21 April 2004) endorsing a high-level independent inquiry into the management and administration of the programme, and will co-operate fully with that inquiry.

Ministerial Visits

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the overseas visits made by each Minister in his Department in financial year 2003–04. [169754]

Mr. Straw: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The details for the financial year 2003–04 will be published as soon as possible. During the financial year 2003–04 other Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers made the following overseas visits:
Dr. Denis MacShane MP, Minister of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

3 April 2003 Riga Joint bilateral visit to Latvia with French Europe Minister

6–8 April 2003 Belgrade. Pristina. Skopje Bilateral visits to the Balkans

14 April 2003 Luxembourg General Affairs and External Relations Council

16–17 April 2003 Athens Informal European Council, Signature of the Accession Treaty and European Conference

29 April 2003 The Hague Attend Conference on Chemical Weapons Convention

5 May 2003 Brussels Bilateral

10–12 May 2003 Valletta Bilateral

15–16 May 2003 Berlin Konigswinter Conference

19 May 2003 Brussels General Affairs and External Relations Council

29–31 May 2003 Warsaw Bilateral

6 June 2003 Madrid Bilateral

19–21 June 2003 Porto Caras European Council and EU/Western Balkans Summit

26 June 2003 Rome Bilateral

30 June 2003 Amsterdam Apeldoorn Conference

3–4 July 2003 Gibraltar Bilateral

3–5 September 2003 Oslo and Helsinki Bilaterals

14–15 September 2003 Kiev Bilateral

19–21 September 2003 Pontignano Pontignano Conference

21–22 September 2003 Paris and Strasbourg Bilaterals

29 September 2003 Brussels General Affairs and External Relations Council

7–11 October 2003 Bucharest. Sofia and Hydra Bucharest and Sofia: Bilaterals Hydra: Hydra Conference

16–17 October 2003 Brussels European Council

13–15 November 2003 Madrid and Berlin Madrid: Bilateral Berlin: BMW European Forum

17–18 November 2003 Brussels General Affairs and External Relations Council

1–4 December 2003 Maastricht and Naples OSCE Ministerial Council in The Netherlands and Euromed Conference in Italy

8 December 2003 Brussels General Affairs and External Relations Council

11–13 December 2003 Brussels European Council

12–14 January 2004 Ankara. Istanbul and Izmir Bilateral

20 January 2004 Paris Bilateral

26 January 2004 Brussels General Affairs and External Relations Council

30 January 2004 Berlin Bilateral

6–8 February 2004 Madrid Bilateral

10 February 2004 Vienna Bilateral

17–19 February 2004 Amsterdam Bilateral

23–24 February 2004 Berne Bilateral

27–28 February 2004 Venice Aspen European Dialogue Conference

3–4 March 2004 Stockholm Bilateral

5 March 2004 Skopje Funeral of Macedonian President

25–26 March 2004 Brussels Bilateral visit and to attend the European Council

4 May 2004 : Column 1441W

Mike O'Brien MP, Minister of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

1 April 2003 NATO SHAPE, Belgium Meetings with UK Military Representation and SACEUR

12–14 April 2003 Tehran, Damascus Bilaterals

26–29 April 2003 Baghdad Central Iraq Conference

19–21 May 2003 Algiers Bilateral

22 May 2003 Paris Conference on Drug Routes

2–5 June 2003 Jakarta Bilateral

6 July 2003 Palermo Informal EU Trade Ministers Conference

19–21 July 2003 Beijing Accompanying the Prime Minister and Trade Delegation on bilateral visit to China

22–25 July 2003 Bali ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting

8–16 September 2003 Cancun WTO Ministerial Conference

16 October 2003 Berlin Bilateral

21–24 October 2003 Kabul Bilateral

2–4 November 2003 Washington Bilateral

8–12 December 2003 Islamabad and Karachi Bilaterals

4–8 January 2004 New Delhi and Hyderabad Bilaterals

26 January 2004 Cannes Attend MIDEM (Music Industry event)

10–12 February 2004 Casablanca and Rabat Bilaterals

15–18 March 2004 Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi Bilaterals

22–23 March 2004 Warsaw Bilateral

4 May 2004 : Column 1442W

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, Minister of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

30 April 2003 Paris OECD Trade Ministerial

16 May 03 Washington Bilateral

15–15 July 2003 Jordan Bilateral

3 September 2003 Vienna Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Conference

15–18 September 2003 Morocco and Tunisia Bilateral

23–25 September 2003 New York United Nations General Assembly

29 September to 1 October 2003 Israel Bilateral

8–9 October 2003 Iraq Bilateral

22–24 October 2003 Madrid Iraq Donors' Conference

18–20 November 2003 Lebanon Bilateral

1–2 December 2003 Istanbul Response to the terrorist attacks against the British Consulate General and HSBC Bank

4 December 2003 Brussels NATO Foreign Ministerial

8–9 December 2003 Syria Bilateral

21–23 January 2004 Occupied Territories Bilateral

23–26 February 2004 Bahrain and Qatar Bilateral

9–11 March 2004 Jordan Bilateral

19–19 March 2004 Iraq Bilateral

Baroness Amos of Asthal, the then ParliamentaryUnder-Secretary of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

1–6 April 2003 Botswana and South Africa Bilaterals

14–17 April 2003 Mali G8 Meeting

5–8 May 2003 Dominican Republic Bilateral

Chris Mullin MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

21–25 July 2003 Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone Bilaterals

28 October to 5 November 2003 Kenya and South Africa Bilaterals

2–8 December 03 Abuja Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting

12–20 January 2004 Ethiopia. Djibouti and Eritrea Bilaterals

3–6 February 2004 Washington and New York Liberia Donors' Conference

23–24 February 2004 Paris Bilateral to discuss Africa

Bill Rammell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Date Destination Purpose of trip

31 March to 1 April 2003 Washington Bilateral

11–15 May 2003 Brazil and Colombia Fundacion Euroamerica Conference

21 May 2003 Stockholm G8 Global Partnership on WMD—Signing MNEPR Treaty

26–27 May 2003 Crete Euromed Conference

12–13 June 2003 New York Conflict Prevention Conference, International Peace Academy

18 June 2003 Madrid Bilateral

22–27 July 2003 Kabul Bilateral

6–21 August 2003 Papua New Guinea, Australia. New Zealand and Solomon Islands Bilateral and attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum (New Zealand)

20–24 September 2003 New York United Nations General Assembly bilateral meetings

9- 10 October 2003 Dublin Address to Trinity College

16 October 2003 Rome EU Ministerial meeting

26–31 October 2003 Mexico and Majorca Mexico: Bilaterals Majorca: Launch of the Travel Foundation for Sustainable Tourism

14 November 2003 Washington Bilaterals on Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Counter-Narcotics and UN Reform

29 November to 3 December 2003 Falkland Islands and Chile Falkland Islands: meetings Chile: Bilateral

16–19 December 2003 Beijing and Hong Kong Beijing: Bilaterals and a speech at the Central Party School Hong Kong: Bilaterals

13–18 January 2004 Guatemala and Belize Joint trip with Spanish Minister Cortes to Guatemala to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Berger. Bilaterals in Guatemala and Belize.

25–26 January 2004 Stockholm Stockholm International Forum preventing Genocide: Threats and Responsibilities

1–3 February 2004 Washington and New York Washington: Bilaterals New York: Bilaterals and a speech on the UN

15–20 February 2004 Argentina and Uruguay Bilaterals

2–5 March 2004 Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad Jamaica: Round table with CARICOM and Bilaterals Barbados and Trinidad: Bilaterals

18 March 2004 Geneva UNCHR

4 May 2004 : Column 1443W

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
3 April 2003	Riga	Joint bilateral visit to Latvia with French Europe Minister
6–8 April 2003	Belgrade. Pristina. Skopje	Bilateral visits to the Balkans
14 April 2003	Luxembourg	General Affairs and External Relations Council
16–17 April 2003	Athens	Informal European Council, Signature of the Accession Treaty and European Conference
29 April 2003	The Hague	Attend Conference on Chemical Weapons Convention
5 May 2003	Brussels	Bilateral
10–12 May 2003	Valletta	Bilateral
15–16 May 2003	Berlin	Konigswinter Conference
19 May 2003	Brussels	General Affairs and External Relations Council
29–31 May 2003	Warsaw	Bilateral
6 June 2003	Madrid	Bilateral
19–21 June 2003	Porto Caras	European Council and EU/Western Balkans Summit
26 June 2003	Rome	Bilateral
30 June 2003	Amsterdam	Apeldoorn Conference
3–4 July 2003	Gibraltar	Bilateral
3–5 September 2003	Oslo and Helsinki	Bilaterals
14–15 September 2003	Kiev	Bilateral
19–21 September 2003	Pontignano	Pontignano Conference
21–22 September 2003	Paris and Strasbourg	Bilaterals
29 September 2003	Brussels	General Affairs and External Relations Council
7–11 October 2003	Bucharest. Sofia and Hydra	Bucharest and Sofia: Bilaterals Hydra: Hydra Conference
16–17 October 2003	Brussels	European Council
13–15 November 2003	Madrid and Berlin	Madrid: Bilateral Berlin: BMW European Forum
17–18 November 2003	Brussels	General Affairs and External Relations Council
1–4 December 2003	Maastricht and Naples	OSCE Ministerial Council in The Netherlands and Euromed Conference in Italy
8 December 2003	Brussels	General Affairs and External Relations Council
11–13 December 2003	Brussels	European Council
12–14 January 2004	Ankara. Istanbul and Izmir	Bilateral
20 January 2004	Paris	Bilateral
26 January 2004	Brussels	General Affairs and External Relations Council
30 January 2004	Berlin	Bilateral
6–8 February 2004	Madrid	Bilateral
10 February 2004	Vienna	Bilateral
17–19 February 2004	Amsterdam	Bilateral
23–24 February 2004	Berne	Bilateral
27–28 February 2004	Venice	Aspen European Dialogue Conference
3–4 March 2004	Stockholm	Bilateral
5 March 2004	Skopje	Funeral of Macedonian President
25–26 March 2004	Brussels	Bilateral visit and to attend the European Council

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
1 April 2003	NATO SHAPE, Belgium	Meetings with UK Military Representation and SACEUR
12–14 April 2003	Tehran, Damascus	Bilaterals
26–29 April 2003	Baghdad	Central Iraq Conference
19–21 May 2003	Algiers	Bilateral
22 May 2003	Paris	Conference on Drug Routes
2–5 June 2003	Jakarta	Bilateral
6 July 2003	Palermo	Informal EU Trade Ministers Conference
19–21 July 2003	Beijing	Accompanying the Prime Minister and Trade Delegation on bilateral visit to China
22–25 July 2003	Bali	ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting
8–16 September 2003	Cancun	WTO Ministerial Conference
16 October 2003	Berlin	Bilateral
21–24 October 2003	Kabul	Bilateral
2–4 November 2003	Washington	Bilateral
8–12 December 2003	Islamabad and Karachi	Bilaterals
4–8 January 2004	New Delhi and Hyderabad	Bilaterals
26 January 2004	Cannes	Attend MIDEM (Music Industry event)
10–12 February 2004	Casablanca and Rabat	Bilaterals
15–18 March 2004	Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi	Bilaterals
22–23 March 2004	Warsaw	Bilateral

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
30 April 2003	Paris	OECD Trade Ministerial
16 May 03	Washington	Bilateral
15–15 July 2003	Jordan	Bilateral
3 September 2003	Vienna	Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Conference
15–18 September 2003	Morocco and Tunisia	Bilateral
23–25 September 2003	New York	United Nations General Assembly
29 September to 1 October 2003	Israel	Bilateral
8–9 October 2003	Iraq	Bilateral
22–24 October 2003	Madrid	Iraq Donors' Conference
18–20 November 2003	Lebanon	Bilateral
1–2 December 2003	Istanbul	Response to the terrorist attacks against the British Consulate General and HSBC Bank
4 December 2003	Brussels	NATO Foreign Ministerial
8–9 December 2003	Syria	Bilateral
21–23 January 2004	Occupied Territories	Bilateral
23–26 February 2004	Bahrain and Qatar	Bilateral
9–11 March 2004	Jordan	Bilateral
19–19 March 2004	Iraq	Bilateral

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
1–6 April 2003	Botswana and South Africa	Bilaterals
14–17 April 2003	Mali	G8 Meeting
5–8 May 2003	Dominican Republic	Bilateral

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
21–25 July 2003	Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone	Bilaterals
28 October to 5 November 2003	Kenya and South Africa	Bilaterals
2–8 December 03	Abuja	Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting
12–20 January 2004	Ethiopia. Djibouti and Eritrea	Bilaterals
3–6 February 2004	Washington and New York	Liberia Donors' Conference
23–24 February 2004	Paris	Bilateral to discuss Africa

Date	Destination	Purpose of trip
31 March to 1 April 2003	Washington	Bilateral
11–15 May 2003	Brazil and Colombia	Fundacion Euroamerica Conference
21 May 2003	Stockholm	G8 Global Partnership on WMD—Signing MNEPR Treaty
26–27 May 2003	Crete	Euromed Conference
12–13 June 2003	New York	Conflict Prevention Conference, International Peace Academy
18 June 2003	Madrid	Bilateral
22–27 July 2003	Kabul	Bilateral
6–21 August 2003	Papua New Guinea, Australia. New Zealand and Solomon Islands	Bilateral and attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum (New Zealand)
20–24 September 2003	New York	United Nations General Assembly bilateral meetings
9- 10 October 2003	Dublin	Address to Trinity College
16 October 2003	Rome	EU Ministerial meeting
26–31 October 2003	Mexico and Majorca	Mexico: Bilaterals Majorca: Launch of the Travel Foundation for Sustainable Tourism
14 November 2003	Washington	Bilaterals on Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Counter-Narcotics and UN Reform
29 November to 3 December 2003	Falkland Islands and Chile	Falkland Islands: meetings Chile: Bilateral
16–19 December 2003	Beijing and Hong Kong	Beijing: Bilaterals and a speech at the Central Party School Hong Kong: Bilaterals
13–18 January 2004	Guatemala and Belize	Joint trip with Spanish Minister Cortes to Guatemala to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Berger. Bilaterals in Guatemala and Belize.
25–26 January 2004	Stockholm	Stockholm International Forum preventing Genocide: Threats and Responsibilities
1–3 February 2004	Washington and New York	Washington: Bilaterals New York: Bilaterals and a speech on the UN
15–20 February 2004	Argentina and Uruguay	Bilaterals
2–5 March 2004	Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad	Jamaica: Round table with CARICOM and Bilaterals Barbados and Trinidad: Bilaterals
18 March 2004	Geneva	UNCHR

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