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8 Jun 2004 : Column 305W—continued
Israel
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what punitive measures against the Israeli Government are available to him for non-compliance with the human rights clauses of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement. [177219]
Mr. Rammell: The penalties available to the EU if a breach of the Agreement occurs, which would not result in denunciation of the Agreement, are outlined in Article 86 of the Agreement. This article establishes a dispute resolution mechanism. The first stage would be for the concerned party to report the issue to the Association Council. If the Association fails to resolve the issue, the concerned party could then invoke an arbitration process. The arbitrators would decide a judgment and each party would be bound by that judgment. Article 90 further allows for either party to take appropriate measures if it is felt that the other party had failed to fulfil an obligation under the Agreement.
Article 2 of the EU/Israel Association Agreement states that:
"Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement."
Ivory Coast
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the situation in Cote d'Ivoire. [177097]
Mr. Mullin: The situation in Cote d'lvoire is worrying. The Linas-Marcoussis Peace Agreement (LMA) is in jeopardy following the sacking of three opposition Ministers by President Gbagbo, and the opposition's continued boycott of the Government.
The UK fully supports the LMA and has called on all parties in Cote d'lvoire to ensure its implementation. The UK is working with the Security Council, UN, EU and Economic Community of West African States to keep the LMA alive and to bring renewed stability to Cote d'lvoire.
Kuwait
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Kuwait authorities have made to representations to curtail Iraqi reparation payments to their country; what his response to the Kuwaiti position is; and if he will make a statement. [177439]
Mr. Rammell: We are conscious of the importance to Kuwait of its entitlement to compensation approved by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) for the huge losses occasioned by the Iraqi occupation. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, Iraqi payments to the UNCC Compensation Fund can be changed only by a decision of a sovereign Iraqi government and of the UNCC Governing Council.
Ministerial Travel
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175745]
Mr. Straw: There is no central record of non-RAF helicopter journeys made by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers. However, since the Financial Year 1996–97, FCO Ministers have made the following RAF helicopter journeys in the UK. This list excludes those made overseas.
| Minister | Date | Locations | Total journey time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | |||
| Secretary of State | 7 May 1996 | Northolt, Birmingham, Battersea | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Secretary of State | 1 August 1996 | Northolt, Battersea | 15 minutes |
| Minister of State, (Eastern Europe) | 18 February 1997 | Northolt, Battersea | 10 minutes |
| 1997–98 | |||
| Secretary of State | 21 July 1997 | Northolt, Highgrove, Battersea | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| 2002–03 | |||
| Secretary of State | 6 September 2002 | Northolt, Birmingham, Northolt | 1 hour 35 minutes |
No RAF helicopter journeys were made in the Financial Years 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2003–04.
Monaco
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his
8 Jun 2004 : Column 307W
Department has made of the practice in Monaco of holding prisoners on remand for extensive periods without charge in the context of the Monegasque Government's desire to join the Council of Europe. [177081]
Mr. MacShane: Monaco is committed to introduce new laws as part of the process of joining the Council of Europe. As well as undertaking to sign the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) upon accession, and to ratify this Convention and Protocols 1, 4, 6, 7 and 13 within a year of accession, the Government of Monaco has also undertaken to submit the necessary Bills aimed at defining arrangements for: police custody; pre-trial detention; the provision of grounds for negative administrative decisions; and the expulsion of foreigners and suppression of forced exile. These measures will help ensure the compatibility of Monaco legislation with the ECHR and its Protocols.
Once Monaco joins the Council of Europe we will work within the Council of Europe to monitor Monaco's honouring of their accession commitments and obligations, including this requirement to introduce domestic legislation to ensure conformity with the standards of the Council of Europe.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the fairness of the judicial process in Monaco in the context of the Monegasque Government's desire to join the Council of Europe. [177082]
Mr. MacShane: The Government welcomes Monaco's application for membership of the Council of Europe, providing Monaco honours the commitments set out by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. These include Monaco signing upon accession to the Council of Europe the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
North Korea
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information has been received (a) by his Department and (b) by the United Kingdom mission to the United Nations in respect of the nuclear programmes in North Korea, following the visit of the UN Special Envoy, Maurice Strong, to Pyongyang on 22 May. [177069]
Mr. MacShane: Mr. Strong gave a briefing to diplomats based in Pyongyang before his return to New York. The briefing was general in nature, and did not go into detail about the discussions that he had with his North Korean interlocutors. Our Embassy in Pyongyang passed details about the briefing to the relevant departments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. To date, Mr. Strong has not passed any information to the Mission to the United Nations.
Private Security Contractors
Harry Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many private security contractors are employed by the UK to protect its interests, individuals and agencies in (a) Iraq and (b) other countries abroad; in what roles they are
8 Jun 2004 : Column 308W
employed; under which budget heads, including those of other Departments, the costs fall; what the current annual cost is on those budget heads where the main costs fall; and if he will make a statement. [177077]
Mr. Rammell: On Iraq, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Kilfoyle) on 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1573W.
Many of our overseas missions employ private security contractors but the detailed information requested on the numbers involved is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs. The majority of these contracts provide personnel to work as static guards at our missions and at staff accommodation in countries where the security situation warrants that level of protection. In some of our high-risk posts we use contract guards to provide a quick reaction force and to act as individual bodyguards. The costs of these contract guards fall under administration and programme budgets, which are devolved to regional and functional directorates within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The directorates then disburse funds to posts. Not including Iraq, approximately £6 million was allocated to fund contract guarding in the financial year 2003–04.
Stephen Troth
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the French Government regarding discrimination against Stephen Troth on the grounds of nationality. [177083]
Mr. Mullin: We are not aware that Stephen Troth has made any allegations of discrimination on the grounds of nationality and we have made no representations to the French Government on this matter.
Since Mr. Troth's arrest in Monaco in 2001, our consular staff in London and Marseille have followed his case closely. Our primary role has always been to ensure Mr. Troth's welfare. Our Consul-General in Marseille and Honorary Consul in Monaco visited Mr. Troth several times and our consular staff have provided Mr. Troth and his family assistance wherever they properly could and have recommended that Mr. Troth and his family continue to be guided by their lawyer on legal matters.
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