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Nigeria

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Nigerian Government to curb the sectarian violence in (a) the city of Kano, (b) the town of Yelwa and (c) the state of Taraba; and if he will make a statement. [174557]

 
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Mr. Mullin: The British High Commission, together with the EU, has urged all parties to the disputes to exercise restraint, and has urged the Nigerian Government to exercise full respect for human rights and the rule of law in restoring order. The British High Commissioner travelled to Kano and his staff went to Plateau State to see the situation at first hand to make these points. We have offered humanitarian support to the relevant authorities.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the numbers of people killed in Nigeria as a result of (a) political, (b) religious and (c) ethnic violence in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement. [175194]

Mr. Mullin: The Nigerian Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution estimates that the total number of deaths from political, ethnic and religious violence between 1999–2003 is not less than 10,000.

We have expressed concern at the recent conflict in Plateau State in our public statement of 7 May, a copy of which together with the EU's statement on violence in Kano of 13 May, has been placed in the Library of the House. The British High Commission in Nigeria is in close touch with Federal and State authorities to press for a peaceful resolution to existing conflicts and longer-term reconciliation.

Organisation of American States

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) environmental and (b) economic impact of the proposed free trade pact between the United States of America and Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, to be signed at the Organisation of American States in Washington DC on 28 May; and if he will make a statement. [175113]

Mr. Rammell: No assessment has been made of the impact of this third-party agreement.

Sri Lanka

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which areas of Sri Lanka (a) the British High Commissioner and (b) a member of his staff has visited during the last 12 months; and what action has been taken by his Department following receipt of the reports made by him or his staff. [175165]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The British High Commissioner has visited the districts of Kilinochchi, Kandy and the Vanni during the past 12 months. Members of the British High Commission have visited the districts of Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kegalle, Moneragala, Kandy, Trincomalee, Batticoloa, Ampara, Ratnapura, Kilinochchi, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa. Jaffna. Sigiriya, Puttalam, Dambulla, Moratuwa, Hambantota, Galle, Matara and Diyatalawa. Their reports have been used to inform policy.

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed with   the Government of Sri Lanka human rights issues   within that country; and if he will make a statement. [175166]

 
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Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have not yet had the opportunity to discuss human rights issues with the new Sri Lankan Government. However I discussed the peace process, including the need to strengthen it with a credible and effective human rights enforcement machinery, last September with GL Peiris, then Minister for Constitutional Affairs, and government spokesman on the peace process. Officials at our High Commission in Colombo, including the High Commissioner, raise this issue with the Sri Lankan authorities on a regular basis.

Sudan

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role Libya has played in the situation in Darfur, Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [174837]

Mr. Mullin: We have no evidence of Libyan involvement in the situation in Darfur.

Tibet

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on (a) Tibetan autonomy, (b) the level of recognition of Chinese suzerainty over Tibet and (c) the Tibetan people's right to independence. [175498]

Mr. Rammell: Successive British Governments have regarded Tibet as autonomous while recognising the special position of the Chinese authorities there. This remains our position.

Turkey (EU Accession)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the requirements placed upon Turkey for accession to the EU; and if he will make a statement on progress being made by Turkey in that regard. [175153]

Mr. MacShane: The requirements for Turkey's accession to the EU are set out in the Copenhagen criteria of 1993, and are the same as apply to all EU Candidates. To this end, the European Council decided in December 2002 that: "If the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the European Union will open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay."

We welcome the adoption by Turkey of wide-ranging constitutional and legislative reforms to meet the Copenhagen political criteria. Seven Packages of Legislative Reform have been passed since 2002, overhauling Turkey's government, penal and legal system, and—in an iterative process with the EU (most
 
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recently at the 18 May Association Council)—ensuring that Turkey's domestic reforms converge with EU norms. Eleven constitutional amendments are currently being finalised. These include abolition of the death penalty in all situations, abolition of State Security Courts, and establishment of supremacy of international law over domestic law.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stressed the importance of effective implementation of reforms at the first UK/Turkey Summit on 17 May in Ankara, underlining the UK's strong support for Turkey's EU candidature and our determination to help Turkey comply with the Copenhagen political criteria in advance of December's European Council decision.

Visas

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for visas have been refused at British High Commission offices in (a) Pakistan, (b) Sri Lanka and (c) India during the last 12 months. [175159]

Mr. Mullin: The UK visas Central Reference System reports the following statistics for visa applications between 1 May 2003 and 30 April 2004.

	Received	Issued	Refused	Other(28)	Refused (percentage)
Pakistan	131,987	97,132	25,725	9,130	19.5
Sri Lanka	30,453	21,032	8,518	903	28.0
India	315,439	246,713	58,479	10,247	18.5

⁽²⁸⁾   Other includes withdrawn, lapsed and pending applications

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Answers (Envelopes)

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make it his policy to stop the practice of despatching one page parliamentary answers to hon. Members in large heavy-duty envelopes. [174767]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: During the present Parliament I have answered 244 parliamentary questions, 24 of which were tabled by my hon. Friend. A copy of each answer is sent to the Member who tabled the question in an A4 brown manila envelope (Banner product 901–5043). This envelope is 100 per cent. recyclable paper and is made from 80–100 per cent. recycled stock, with at least 60–85 per cent. being post-consumer waste. On one occasion, due to a lack of stock, a different A4 manila envelope (Banner product 901–5033), which is made to the same standards, was used to circulate an answer.

I have given instructions that answers should in future be sent in white "wallet" envelopes (Banner product 900–0015), which are 100 per cent. recycled.
 
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