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Zimbabwe

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will authorise the entry of Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [179037]

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Dr. Gideon Gono, Governor of Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank, was not prevented from entering the UK under the terms of EU sanctions. [178767]

Mr. Mullin: Because he is not on the list of individuals subject to an EU travel ban and we see no advantage in acting unilaterally.

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports of involvement in illegal foreign exchange deals involving the Zimbabwe regime of Dr. Gideon Gono, Governor of Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank. [178768]

Mr. Mullin: We are aware of these reports. Zimbabwean foreign exchange regulations are a matter for the Zimbabwe Government, and allegations of corruption are a matter for their police.

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received that Gideon Gono, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (a) is a fundraiser for ZANU PF and (b) intends to enter the United Kingdom for fundraising purposes. [179036]

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the fund-raising visit to the UK of Dr. Gideon Gono, Governor of Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank. [178766]

Mr. Mullin: We understand that during Dr. Gono's visit he is encouraging Zimbabwean émigrés to remit money to Zimbabwe through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe rather than through other means.

Bangladesh

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Bangladesh on protecting the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in that country. [178133]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We continue to be concerned about the situation of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Bangladesh, and raise this regularly with the Bangladeshi Government. I did so with the Bangladeshi High Commissioner in London during his introductory call in January. The British High Commission in Dhaka raises the subject regularly, most recently when our High Commissioner met the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister on 19 May. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn), raised our concerns about the general law and order situation with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on 25 May in Shanghai.
 
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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Bangladesh Government concerning the security situation in the country with reference to attacks on and harassment of opposition party members; and if he will make a statement. [178187]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I discussed the worrying political situation in Bangladesh with the Bangladeshi Finance Minister Saifur Rahman in London on 10 March. I stressed the importance of all parties adopting a constructive approach and working together to allow Bangladesh to address the key issues it faces. Officials at our High Commission in Dhaka regularly raise our concerns about human rights and law and order with the Bangladeshi Government, most recently when our High Commissioner called on the Foreign Minister on 19 May. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) also raised these issues with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on 25 May in Shanghai.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the bomb attack in Bangladesh which injured the United Kingdom High Commissioner. [178188]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his press statement of 21 May, we were deeply shocked to hear of the events in Sylhet earlier that day in which three people died and some 50 were injured including our High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Choudhury. A copy of the press statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. We extend our sympathies to all the victims and their families. Mr. Choudhury was visited in hospital by the Foreign Secretary and I visited twice. I am plesed to report that Anwar is recovering well and has now been discharged from hospital. Officers from the Metropolitan police visited Sylhet soon after the event in order to assist the Bangladeshi police with the investigation, which is still on-going. We are very grateful to the Bangladeshi authorities for the support we have received, and will, of course, be following the progress of the investigation closely.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the assassination of Bangladesh member of parliament Ahsanullah Master. [178189]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We noted with concern the murder on 7 May of Ahsanullah Master MP. We understand that a police investigation has been launched, and urge the Bangladeshi authorities to make every effort to bring those responsible to justice. We also urge the main political parties in Bangladesh not to let this assassination worsen their relationship. We encourage all parties to adopt a constructive approach and work together to help Bangladesh to address the challenges that it faces.

Conflict Prevention Pool

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the
 
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Government will be included in the Conflict Prevention Pool; and what the priorities are of the Conflict Prevention Pool. [178891]

Mr. Rammell: A review of the Government's work on Conflict Prevention in 1999–2000 concluded that delivery would be improved by bringing together in a more co-ordinated way the existing activities of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in this field. The Government therefore set up joint FCO/DfID/MOD Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools in 2001.

The pools were set up with the aim of reducing the number of people around the world whose lives are affected by violent conflict and, ultimately, of cutting the number of conflicts that occur.

Activities of these two pools seek to harness the expertise available within the three Departments across a wide range of sectors including development, security reform, public administration, good policing and equitable justice systems.

By 2006, DfID, FCO and MOD, together and with others, will work to:

(i) resolve existing violent conflicts and prevent new conflicts in priority countries and regions eg Afghanistan, Balkans, Former Soviet Union, Middle and Near East, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Great Lakes, Sudan, Angola, and Nigeria

(ii) address the national and regional causes of conflict by:

strengthening local conflict management eg through improved governance and security sector reform in priority countries and regions

improving local peace support capacity in co-operation with international partners eg the development of a GS-Africa Peace Support Operations plan

(iii) improve the international community's response to conflict by:

strengthening UN Conflict Management capacity eg improving peacekeeping deployments

mobilising and supporting coherent bilateral and international action at UN, G8, EU, Commonwealth, and other forums including NEPAD

implementing agreements to reduce the proliferation of small arms and light weapons eg international and national action plans

(iv) tackle the Economic and Financial Causes of Conflict eg by mobilising national and international agreement to increase oil revenue transparency and corporate social responsibility.

East Timor-Australia

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what line the United Kingdom recognises as the boundary line between East Timor and Australia. [178473]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: There is currently no agreed maritime boundary between East Timor and Australia. We hope they will work together to find a mutually acceptable solution. We welcome reported comments by the Prime Minister of East Timor, Mr. Alkatiri, that East Timor is "open to creative solutions" and by the Australian Foreign Minister James Downer that Australia is "open to fresh ideas".
 
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