Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 774W, on Iraq, what form the second intelligence source reported in September 2002 took. [170513]
Mr. Straw: I regret that it would not be appropriate to comment publicly on the detail of this intelligence reporting. The security and intelligence agencies are not within the scope of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Part 1, Paragraph 6). An inquiry chaired by Lord Butler of Brockwell is currently examining the accuracy of the intelligence on Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction up to March 2003, and any discrepancies between the intelligence gathered, evaluated and used by the Government before the conflict, and what has been discovered by the Iraq Survey Group since the end of it.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2004, Official Report, column 581W, on Iraq, whether his reference to the intelligence that the Government understand was discussed with the International Atomic Energy Authority is to the second source referred to in paragraph 93 of the Intelligence and Security Committee's report, Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction. [171178]
Mr. Straw : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer 1 gave her today (UIN 170513).
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the countries of the Maghreb about assistance with the development of financial and banking institutions under the framework of the Euromed and Barcelona processes. [170306]
Mr. MacShane: We have no bilateral assistance programmes to the countries of the Maghreb, and have therefore had no direct discussions with them about assistance for the development of banking and financial institutions. But Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development officials do discuss such matters, and other aspects of economic development, with members of the EuroMed Partnership (which includes the countries of the Maghreb) under the economic and financial chapter of the Barcelona Process.
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to take forward the Euromed process in the context of (a) the G8 summit in June, (b) the US-EU summit in June and (c) the NATO summit in June, with specific reference to the countries of the Maghreb. [170307]
Mr. MacShane: As the Barcelona Process is an equal partnership between its 35 members (the EU, the Maghreb and Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority), it would not be appropriate to take the process forward in other fora. The Government will work with others to ensure that any discussions relating to the region with NATO, the G8 or at the EU-US Summit are consistent with the objectives of EuroMed. At the Istanbul Summit in June, Allies are expected to agree a package of measures to enhance security co-operation between NATO and the seven members of the Mediterranean Dialogue. We believe that by operating in its area of expertise, and focussing on practical co-operation, NATO's strengthened partnership will complement the Barcelona Process.
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to increase engagement with non-EU Mediterranean countries in the context of the Barcelona Process, with specific reference to the countries of the Maghreb. [170309]
Mr. MacShane: The Maghreb is a region of increasing importance to the UK. As part of the UK's engagement with the non-EU members of the Barcelona Process, we will host, jointly with Morocco, a EuroMed Conference to look at the social consequences of economic reform in Marrakech on 2021 May.
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between the EU EuroMed process and the US Greater Middle East Initiative. [170308]
Mr. MacShane: The Barcelona Process (or EuroMed Partnership) and the US Greater Middle East Initiative share common objectives of promoting stability and prosperity in the region. They seek to assist the region's development through broad-based reform. The Barcelona Process is a structured process of engagement and assistance across a broad range of issues with those countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean. The US initiative offers programme assistance in focussed areas to a broader range of countries in the Middle East region and beyond. The Government believes the Barcelona Process and the US Greater Middle East Initiative have complementary roles to play in the pursuit of common objectives.
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions his Department received in (i) the 200203 and (ii) this parliamentary session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month; [170768]
(2) what proportion of (a) ordinary written questions to his Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling, and (b) questions for a named day received a substantive answer on that day, in (i) 200203 and (ii) this parliamentary Session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month. [170769]
Mr. Straw: In the 200203 parliamentary Session my Department received 591 named day parliamentary questions (PQs) and 2,779 ordinary written PQs. My Department answered 74 per cent. of named day PQs on time and 76 per cent. of ordinary written PQs within five working days.
As of 4 May in the 200304 parliamentary Session my Department has received 250 named day PQs and 1,161 ordinary written PQs. My Department has answered 76 per cent. of named day PQs on time and 86 per cent. of ordinary written PQs within five working days.
6 May 2004 : Column 1736W
I have placed a copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office PQ statistics, broken down by month, for both parliamentary Sessions in the Library of the House.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to establish a visa application centre in Goa, India. [170400]
Mr. Mullin: There are currently no plans to establish a visa application centre in Goa. However, the situation is kept under review.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa application centres outsourced operations assisting British High Commissions. [170398]
Mr. Mullin: Our most developed and largest outsourced visa application centre scheme is in India, where there are 11 visa application centres. There are another three visa application centres worldwide that are similar to the outsourced operation in India. Two are situated in Bangladesh and one in Singapore. However, there are other types of outsourced visa operations worldwide, the most common being designated couriers or designated travel agents where applications can be submitted.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost is of operating visa application centres. [170399]
Mr. Mullin: All visa application centres are self-financing and are therefore of no cost to UK visas or the UK taxpayer.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last visited a visa application centre. [170401]
Mr. Mullin:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not visited a visa application centre, and has no plans to do so presently. Visa application centres accept visa applications only and then forward them to our visa sections. All visa application decisions are still made at a visa section of one of our missions.
6 May 2004 : Column 1737W
Next Section | Index | Home Page |