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8 Jul 2004 : Column 839W—continued

Savings Credits

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answers to the hon. Members for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) and for Northavon (Mr. Webb), 22 June 2004, Official Report, columns 1308–11W, if he will set out the contribution to net costs from the abolition of savings credits for those years on the assumptions given. [181997]

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the following table.
£ billion

	Saving from SC abolition for those aged 80 or over	Saving from SC abolition for those aged 70 or above	Saving from SC abolition for those aged 75 or above
2006–07	0.4	0.7	0.6
2007–08	0.5	0.8	0.6
2008–09	0.5	0.8	0.7
2009–10	0.5	0.9	0.7
2010–11	0.6	1.0	0.8
2011–12	0.6	1.0	0.9
2012–13	0.7	1.1	0.9
2013–14	0.7	1.2	1.0
2014–15	0.8	1.3	1.1
2015–16	0.8	1.4	1.1

Notes:
1. Figures are for Great Britain in 2004–05 price terms, using the GDP deflator index, rounded to the nearest £100 million.
2. The savings credit is abolished for those above each age specified in each question from April 2006 with no payments to existing pensioners and no new recipients after 2006. The savings from savings credit are calculated using the Department's policy simulation model for 2006–07.
3. In modelling these options it is assumed that the proportion of savings relative to gross state pension costs in the first year is constant in subsequent years; therefore these figures should not be treated as forecasts of savings credit expenditure for different age groups.
4. The savings given reflect the changes to savings credit expenditure and do not include the effects of other benefits which may be affected by the abolition of the savings credit.





 
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Indian Ocean Territories

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision he has put in place to monitor activity on Diego Garcia to ensure full implementation of the Ottawa Convention; how many breaches have been reported since 1 January 2001; what mechanisms are in place to deal with possible breaches and when these arrangements were last revised; and if he will make a statement. [182542]

Mr. MacShane: The Government have made clear to the US authorities that the UK would be unable to allow the US to bring anti-personnel landmines onto Diego Garcia because that would place the UK in breach of its obligations under the Ottawa Convention. In response, the Government have received assurances from US officials that no anti-personnel landmines are stored on Diego Garcia and that the US will continue to respect the UK's international treaty obligations. There have been no reported breaches since the UK became a State Party to the Ottawa Convention on 1 March 1999.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Convention of Human Rights applies to the British Indian Ocean Territories; and if he will make a statement. [182541]

Mr. Rammell: The European Convention on Human Rights does not apply to the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Territory has no settled population and there are no plans to extend the Convention to the Territory.

Bulgaria

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether BAe Systems has been asked to co-operate with an investigation by the Military Appeal Investigation Court in Bulgaria into the tender procedure for refurbishment of helicopters. [182654]

Mr. MacShane: The British embassy in Sofia has not been contacted by the Military Appeal Investigation Court about such an investigation. The embassy has been in contact with BAe Systems, who have told us that they have not been contacted either.

China

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to urge the Chinese authorities to release all aid workers who have been imprisoned for helping North Korean refugees hiding in China, with particular reference to Takayuki Noguchi. [182554]

Mr. Rammell: We are concerned by reports of individuals being imprisoned by the Chinese authorities for helping North Korean refugees. In the case of Takayuki Noguchi, Japanese officials have requested his swift return to Japan. It is likely that he will be released in August at the end of his sentence.
 
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We regularly raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese, including at the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, the latest round of which was held on 13 and 14 May. I also raised the issue in my meeting with Zhang Zhijin, the Deputy Director of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, in March.

We continue to urge China to observe its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Chinese Government maintain that North Koreans who enter China illegally are economic migrants and not refugees. A long-standing bilateral agreement with North Korea enables China to repatriate these border crossers.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to use the arbitration clause in its bilateral treaty with China as a means of pressing the Chinese authorities to permit the UNHCR full access to North Korean refugees in China. [182555]

Mr. Rammell: The UK believes that China should treat refugees in accordance with the 1951 Convention on the status of refugees to which it is a contracting state. We continue to urge China to allow the UNHCR access to the border areas and to observe its obligations under the 1967 Additional Protocol to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

We fully support the UNHCR's efforts on behalf of North Korean refugees in China and we regularly raise this issue with the Chinese during our biannual human rights dialogue, the latest round of which was held on 13/14 May. The Bilateral agreement between China and the UNHCR was signed on the establishment of a UNHCR country office and UNHCR consider that it is not intended as a mechanism to discuss asylum issues.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to urge the Government of China (a) to recognise North Korean refugees in China as refugees and (b) to end the policy of forcibly repatriating these North Koreans. [182556]

Mr. Rammell: We regularly raise the issue of North Korean border crossers with the Chinese including at the latest round of the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue on 13/14 May 2004. I raised the issue of North Korean border crossers in my meeting with Zhang Zhijin, the Deputy Director of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party in March.

We are concerned by reports of the forced repatriation of North Koreans by China and have urged China to fully implement the provisions of the 1951 Convention on Refugees, and co-operate closely with the UNHCR to help resolve disagreement over the status of North Korean border-crossers.

The Chinese Government maintains that North Koreans who enter China illegally are economic migrants and not refugees. A long-standing bilateral agreement with North Korea enables China to repatriate these border crossers.
 
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Cyprus

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 55W, on Cyprus, for what reason the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus London Representative Office will not be upgraded. [179522]

Mr. MacShane: The UK's policy of not formally recognising the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" has not changed.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2004, Official Report, column 55W, on Cyprus, what steps the Government have taken within the European Union to promote the amendment of legislation restricting trade and communications with Northern Cyprus. [179541]

Mr. MacShane: Following discussion amongst EU Foreign Ministers at the 26 April General Affairs and External Relations Council, the Council agreed to "put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community". The UK gave its full support to this language, which provides the basis for the EU's on-going efforts to open up trade and communications with the north of Cyprus. The Commission was invited to bring forward comprehensive proposals to this end.

On 28 April the EU agreed a new regulation on trade across the Green Line aimed at encouraging trade between the two communities in Cyprus. The UK is continuing to work closely with the Commission as it formulates its proposals on trade with the north and works to ensure effective implementation on the ground of the provisions of the Green Line Regulation.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report, column 56W, on Northern Cyprus, for what reason HM Government will not take steps to promote the repeal of UN Security Council Resolution 541. [179557]

Mr. MacShane: UN Security Council Resolution 541 remains valid. We therefore have no reason to take steps to repeal it.

Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report, column 56W, on Cyprus, if HM Government will (a) request the President of the UN Security Council to issue an invitation to Turkish Cypriot elected leaders to address the Security Council and (b) support an invitation from the UN Security Council for Turkish Cypriot elected leaders to address the Security Council under Article 32 of the Charter. [179558]

Mr. MacShane: We have no plans to make such a request. As made clear in the previous answer, we would have no objection to elected leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community being invited to the UN Security Council in that capacity.
 
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