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International Criminal Court

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to oppose the renewal of UN Security Council Resolution 1487; and if he will make a statement. [177720]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 58W.

Iraq

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are in place to help protect Iraq's cultural heritage after the planned official handover of power in Iraq on 30 June. [178126]

Mr. Rammell: Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) advisers to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture have been working hard to enable the Ministry to assume responsibility for its own administration. It has now done this and we welcome the reappointment of Mufid al-Jazairi as the Minister.

The Ministry has begun implementation of an Archaeological Site Protection Plan and the CPA and Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage are working together to build an archaeological site patrol force.

In the past year the CPA has also instituted security measures at the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, and believes that these measures will suffice to protect it in future. Security upgrades have been undertaken in the Mosul Museum. No other archaeological museums now contain original objects.

We expect to see future exchanges between Iraqi and international conservationists highlight further areas for co-operation between experts.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has asked the United States Central Intelligence Agency if it will give permission for the release of communications made by the CIA to Her Majesty's Government in respect of reservations held by the CIA over claims that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger, following the public testimony by the CIA Director George Tenet on 11 July 2003. [178727]

Mr. Straw: I am withholding details of intelligence exchanges with the CIA under exemptions 1 (b) and (c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his written answer of 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 1636W, on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), whether, in his meeting with the President of the ICRC in Geneva on 18 March, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (a) was made aware of and (b) raised the issue of allegations concerning the treatment of prisoners in Iraq by Coalition forces other than British forces. [179099]

 
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Mr. Straw: The President of the ICRC, Dr. Kellenberger did mention briefly to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) in their meeting on 18 March that the February ICRC report contained allegations concerning treatment of detainees by forces other than UK forces, though naturally the part of their discussion which covered detainees in Iraq focused on specific allegations against UK forces. The Minister discussed the concerns raised by Dr. Kellenberger with officials on his return to London. Officials had already received assurances that US investigations were under way into allegations of abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, columns 748–49W, on Iraq, what inquiries are being conducted by the Coalition Provisional Authority into the prison facilities specified in the International Committee of the Red Cross report. [175773]

Mr. Rammell: The Coalition Provisional Authority is not responsible for the US and UK detention facilities which were the subject of the ICRC report.

Israel

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consequences beyond public censure the Government has raised with Israel in respect of alleged breaches of the Geneva conventions. [178582]

Mr. Rammell: We have raised Israeli violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention repeatedly both in public and in private, bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and at the Conference of States Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention held in Geneva in 2001. Respect for international humanitarian law is an essential feature of our efforts to bring peace to the region based on the roadmap.

The most serious consequence of such breaches is their negative impact on prospects for achieving the lasting peace which most Israelis want to see.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to report human rights abuses committed by Israel in Gaza to the EU Association Council. [178796]

Mr. Rammell: 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."

Where we have concerns over Israeli actions on human rights grounds we raise these concerns with the Israeli government both as the UK and through the EU. Following the recent violence in Gaza, EU Foreign Ministers said that Israeli Defence Force actions were "disproportionate and in conflict with international law and also with Israel's obligations under the Roadmap."
 
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The EU also uses the opportunity to raise issues of concern, including human rights, at the EU/Israel Association Council. The EU will consider in the autumn what issues to raise at the EU/Israel Association Council scheduled to be held at the end of this year.

Middle East

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet the (a) Palestinian Authority and (b) Israeli Government to discuss peace in the Middle East. [178132]

Mr. Rammell: We are in constant contact with both parties at all levels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean will continue to meet senior representatives of the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government as appropriate.

Mr. Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will continue to promote the roadmap as the way forward in the Middle East. [178190]

Mr. Rammell: Yes. The Government are committed to progress towards peace in the Middle East based on the Quartet's (UN, EU, US, Russia) roadmap.

Ministerial Expenses

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) his Department and (b) other Government Departments paid for travelling and other expenses in connection with the attendance by the Minister for Europe at meetings in the course of the composition and signing of the Party of European Socialists document entitled "Political Declaration, High Level Policy Group on Globalisation: Europe 2004, Changing the Future"; whether he was accompanied to those meetings by officials from his Department or any other Government Department; and whether any officials from his Department or any other Government Department arranged the Minister for Europe's travel plans. [178746]

Mr. Straw: No.

Saudi Arabia

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal assistance was given by his Department to the five Britons arrested in relation to bombing incidents in Saudi Arabia in 2000 during their incarceration in that country; and what the cost of that assistance was. [178936]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 15 June 2004]: The men detained in Saudi Arabia, as in other consular cases, were put in contact with local lawyers who provided independent legal assistance. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not provide any legal assistance, nor did it provide funding for legal assistance, but we did provide the most extensive consular support.

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