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Cuba
Mr. Dhanda:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has
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made of the impact of US sanctions against Cuba; and what representations he has made to the US Administration about the most effective means of promoting transition to a pluralist democracy in Cuba. [178841]
Mr. Rammell: We do not believe that sanctions offer the most effective means of promoting the transition to a pluralist democracy in Cuba. Our position, which is well understood by the US Administration, is one of constructive engagement and dialogue. This is clearly set out in the EU's Common Position on Cuba which was adopted in 1996, and which has been regularly re-affirmed since.
Deaths (British Citizens)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each country in which more than five British citizens were killed or murdered between 1999–2000 and 2001–02. [177606]
Mr. Mullin: The countries in which more than five British Citizens were killed or murdered between 1999–2000 and 2001–02 are as follows:
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Consular statistics are compiled on a yearly basis from April to March.
Iran
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Iran over the arrests and indiscriminate detention of students in the country. [177717]
Mr. Rammell: Ministers have on a number of occasions discussed with their Iranian counterparts the Iranian authorities' treatment of student demonstrators. EU Foreign Ministers made clear their deep concern at the arrest of several thousand students during the most recent large-scale demonstrations in July 2003. The EU has raised our concerns about individual student detainees in sessions of the EU/Iran human rights dialogue.
Iraq
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement his Department will have in negotiating the use of Iraqi oil assets. [177889]
Mr. Rammell: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1546) of 8 June 2004 reaffirms the right of the Iraqi people to exercise full authority and control over their financial and natural resources from 30 June 2004.
UNSCR 1483 of 22 May 2003 determined that revenue from the sale of Iraq's oil is to be paid into the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). As determined in UNSCR 1546, upon dissolution of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) on 30 June, funds in the DFI will be disbursed solely at the discretion of the Government of Iraq. DFI funds are to be used in a transparent and equitable manner through the Iraqi budget to benefit the Iraqi people. Before this time, as determined in UNSCR 1483, DFI funds are to be disbursed at the discretion of the CPA, in consultation with the Iraqi Interim Administration.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reference the draft United Nations resolution on Iraq recently proposed by the United Kingdom and the United States makes to paragraph 20 of Resolution 1483; what the implications of this is for (a) payments required to be made by Iraq and (b) payments required to be made to Kuwait; and if he will make a statement. [178142]
Mr. Rammell:
United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1546, adopted unanimously on 8 June 2004, provides for the continuation of the
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arrangements for the sale, audit, and handling of proceeds to the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), as established in paragraph 20 of UNSCR 1483.
UNSCR 1546 also provides for the continued payment of five per cent. of Iraq's oil revenues into the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) Fund, as established in paragraph 21 of UNSCR 1483. The conditions for the review of this arrangement remain as in UNSCR 1483, i.e. the current arrangements continue unless an internationally recognised, sovereign Government of Iraq and the Governing Council of the UNCC decide otherwise.
The remaining 95 per cent. of Iraq's oil revenues will continue to be handled through the DFI, and will continue to enjoy the privileges and immunities given to it under UNSCR 1483. The Iraqi Interim Government will have sole control over disbursements from the DFI.
Kuwait, and other states, whose claims against Iraq as a result of the 1990 invasion of Kuwait are accepted by the UNCC, will continue to receive the compensation due to them. This arrangement is subject to change only if the conditions for reviewing the five per cent. transfer of oil revenues to the UNCC—as outlined above—are met.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the statement of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 31, on Iraq, when he expects to receive the results from the US Administration of their investigation into the deaths at Makr-al-Deel on 18 to 19 May. [178869]
Mr. Rammell: The US investigation into the deaths at Makr-al-Deel continues. We have no indication of when it will be completed.
Korea
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent initiatives to open up new road and rail links between North and South Korea; and what contribution the Government are making to this process. [177999]
Mr. Rammell: We welcome constructive efforts by North and South Korea to promote normal communications between the two countries. The opening of road and rail links is a positive development but, as a bilateral issue between those two countries, the Government have made no contribution.
Libya
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the United Nations the issue of compensation by Libya for victims of their sponsored terrorism in the United Kingdom. [176404]
Mr. Rammell: There are no plans to raise this issue in the United Nations at this time.
Sudan
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Secretary of State for International Development's letter of
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25 May 2004 to the hon. Member for Buckingham, what the response was of the Sudanese Foreign Minister to the representations made to him about the activities of the Janjaweed militias in Darfur. [177385]
Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn), and I pressed the Sudanese Foreign Minister on the need to rein in the Janjaweed militias when he visited London on 11 May. The Sudanese Foreign Minister agreed, and said that his Government was taking steps to disarm these militias, and to reintegrate them into society. In the longer term he saw a political settlement as the best way to ensure a sustainable solution to the problems in Darfur.
During his visit to Sudan on 6 to 8 June the Secretary of State for International Development pressed the First Vice-President, among others, on the need to rein in the Janjaweed militias.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Secretary of State for International Development's letter of 25 May 2004 to the hon. Member for Buckingham, if he will list the issues of detail to be determined for progress to be made from the framework agreement between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to the comprehensive peace agreement envisaged for the parties. [177402]
Mr. Mullin: The principal remaining tasks are agreements on ceasefire and security arrangements and on the modalities of implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Ceasefire Monitoring Commission on Sudan to begin its work. [177403]
Mr. Mullin: The AU-led Ceasefire Commission for Darfur has now started to deploy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) met members of this Commission in Darfur on 7 June. We hope that the bulk of this deployment will be completed in the next few weeks. We are currently working to identify a suitable British candidate to join the Ceasefire Commission and have already made a financial contribution of £2 million.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what dialogue the British Government have had with the (a) Sur, (b) Masalit and (c) Zaghawa ethnic groups in the Darfur area of Sudan. [178003]
Mr. Mullin: We try to maintain regular contact with all Darfur groups, and in particular those affected by the conflict. Our embassy in Khartoum have met with members of each of these three groups.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what monitoring the British Government are undertaking of outrages in Darfur, Sudan; [178004]
(2) what British representation there will be in the numbers of military observers pledged to maintain the ceasefire in Darfur, Sudan. [178018]
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Mr. Mullin: We see the deployment of the African Union (AU) ceasefire monitoring team as key to improving the security situation and addressing civilian protection. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development met with military observers from the AU team during his visit to Darfur on 7 June. The AU plan to deploy a full team of 120 observers as quickly as possible. The UK will contribute one of the six observers requested from the EU, and we hope other contributing nations will send their observers soon. The Government of Sudan have promised full support for the monitors, and the UK has provided £2 million to help the AU team to set up. In addition, the UN plan to deploy human rights monitors throughout Darfur with UK financial support.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further action his Department is taking to help resolve the situation in Sudan through the United Nations and prevent further human rights abuses. [178105]
Mr. Mullin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Jim Cunningham) on 10 June 2004 (UIN 176616).
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