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Departmental Officials

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which former officials of the Department have asked for permission to join (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers. (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KPMG. [156902]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [pursuant to his answer, 3 March 2004, Official Report, c. 978W]: I have become aware that Sir Andrew Woods, ex-Ambassador to Moscow sought permission in April 2000 to join Ernst and Young, and took up the appointment in May 2000. This was listed in the Fourth Report of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. I am unaware of any former officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who since 1998 have asked for permission to join   PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche or KPMG.
 
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To locate individual requests from officials earlier than 1998 would incur disproportionate costs.

EU Constitution

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money, and what assistance in kind, his Department is giving to   support the Conference on the proposed EU Constitution organised by the Federal Trust and scheduled to take place on 1 and 2 July 2004; and how much money his Department (a) has committed and (b) plans to commit to support events which are favourably disposed towards UK accession to a treaty creating an EU constitution. [169390]

Mr. MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will provide a speaker and £2,000 to fund the associated lunch for the conference to take place on 1 and 2 July organised by the Federal Trust for Education and   Research and the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES). This is an academic event co-organised by the main coordinating body of academics interested in Europe (UACES), and seeks to debate rather than 'promote' the draft EU Constitutional Treaty. Agreement has not yet been reached on the EU Constitutional Treaty and decisions on funding of related events will be taken in due course.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what way the proposed European constitution takes into consideration cultural and religious diversity. [171308]

Mr. MacShane: Article 1.3.3 of the draft EU Constitution states that, as one of its objectives, "the Union shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity and shall ensure that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced". Article 1.51 makes it clear that while religion remains a matter for individual Member States, the Union equally respects the status of all religious and secular organisations.

European Council of Ministers

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a   statement on (a) the transitional arrangements for   voting and (b) the qualified majority voting requirements in the Council of Ministers. [171499]

Mr. MacShane: Under the terms of the 2003 Treaty of Accession, which came into force on 1 May 2004, the new Member States have been incorporated into the present system of voting in the Council of Ministers.

The allocation of votes when the Council is required to act by a qualified majority is as follows:

Belgium    5

Czech Republic    5

Denmark    3

Germany 10

Estonia    3

Greece    5

Spain    8

France 10

Ireland    3

Italy 10

 
10 May 2004 : Column 120W
 

Cyprus    2

Latvia    3

Lithuania    3

Luxembourg    2

Hungary    5

Malta    2

Netherlands    5

Austria    4

Poland    8

Portugal    5

Slovenia    3

Slovakia    3

Finland    3

Sweden    4

United Kingdom 10

For their adoption, acts of the Council require at least 88 votes in favour cast by at least two-thirds of the members.

This will continue until the new voting arrangements under the Treaty of Nice come into effect on 1 November 2004.

Gaza Strip

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning the effect of border restrictions on the ability of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to distribute emergency food aid to refugees in the Gaza Strip. [171119]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have made clear to the Israeli Charge in London and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel, our view that the restrictions placed on UN Relief and Works Agency aid operations at Erez crossings are inconsistent with Israel's acknowledgement that humanitarian assistance should be provided to the Palestinian population. We have urged the Israeli Government to ensure aid agencies have clear guidelines concerning access to Gaza and that restrictions are significantly eased. The EU Presidency was lobbied along similar lines.

Indonesia

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Indonesia concerning (a) the attack by masked gunmen on Christians at the Tabernacle Church in Kilo Village, Poso District, Sulawesi, (b) the murder of the Reverend Freddy Wuisan, (c) the shooting of Rosia Pilongo, the Dean of the Law Department of Sintuwu Maroso University, Silawesi, and (d) the shooting of Jhon Christian Tanalida close to Poso City, Silawesi. [168574]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British Ambassador in Jakarta last raised our concerns about the situation in Central Sulawesi, including the cases referred to at a meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Welfare on 20 April 2004. We continue to urge the Indonesian Government to do all they can to ensure the safety and security of communities that have been affected by the violence in Central Sulawesi.
 
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Together with our European partners we are in regular dialogue with the Indonesian Government and urge them to encourage religious freedom, maintain law and order and promote reconciliation in areas of conflict. We also seek opportunities to work with the Indonesian authorities on measures to resolve inter-communal violence in areas such as Sulawesi. We welcome the Indonesian Government's initiatives to bring peace to its troubled provinces.

Iraq

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many incidents of (a) unlawful destruction of property and (b) collective punishment there were in each month since the end of the original major conflict in Iraq, in the sector controlled by the British occupying forces. [168078]

Mr. Rammell: The UK strongly denies allegations that we have been involved in collective punishments, including the destruction of property, and would fully investigate any such allegation. Where property or land has been destroyed during the course of coalition activities we understand that the owners have been compensated.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether all public servants acting on behalf of the United Kingdom in Iraq after the hand-over of sovereignty will continue to enjoy legal immunity in Iraqi law. [170184]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We are finalising the detailed arrangements for the transition. An important element of those arrangements will be to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard the legal position of UK public servants after the handover of power to the Iraqi Interim Government.

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