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Bangladesh

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the ambassador of Bangladesh to the Court of St. James's in connection with corruption in Bangladesh. [182783]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I discussed our concerns over governance and law and order issues in Bangladesh with the high commissioner of Bangladesh His Excellency Mofazzal Karim on 22 January. Officials at our high commission in Dhaka and officials from the Department for International Development regularly raise corruption issues with the Bangladeshi authorities. Our high commissioner raised our concerns with the Foreign Minister on 19 May. Donors including the UK also raised corruption issues at the Bangladesh Development Forum on 9 and 10 May. We were encouraged that the Bangladeshi Parliament passed a bill to form an independent anti-corruption committee
 
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in February. We look to the Bangladeshi Government to appoint members to this committee as soon as possible so that it may begin its vital work and to support it in that work.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 15 June 2004, Official Report, columns 32–34WS, on the British Indian Ocean Territory, what estimate he has made of the value of the underwriting by the United Kingdom Government which would be required for the resettlement of the island. [182080]

Mr. Rammell: The feasibility study found that long-term resettlement would be highly precarious. Our assessment, based on comparative costs in other Overseas Territories, is that the initial resettlement costs would be of the order of £5 million in start-up costs and £3 million to £5 million annually thereafter. But these estimates may be overly optimistic and the costs may well be higher.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the International Committee of the Red Cross has (a) visited Diego Garcia since 1 January 2001, (b) been asked to visit Diego Garcia and (c) requested that it might visit Diego Garcia; and if he will make a statement. [182544]

Mr. Rammell: The International Committee of the Red Cross has not visited Diego Garcia at any time. It has neither requested a visit, nor been asked to make a visit.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission an independent feasibility study to look at the environmental impact of the military base on Diego Garcia and the surrounding archipelago; and if he will make a statement. [182545]

Mr. Rammell: The US have produced a Natural Resources Management Plan for Diego Garcia, and we published the Chagos Conservation Management Plan in October 2003. Environmental issues are regularly discussed by the UK and US Governments.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the terms are of the lease of Diego Garcia to the US military with regard to (a) monetary terms and (b) contractual agreements; what mechanisms are in place to end the lease if dispute over the contract were to occur; and if he will make a statement. [182578]

Mr. Rammell: There is no lease of Diego Garcia to the United States military. However, in 1966 the United Kingdom concluded an agreement with the United States on the use of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Under the initial agreement of 1966, the whole territory is to remain available for the defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years from 1966, and thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless either party has given prior notice to terminate it. An agreement
 
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concluded in 1976 regulates the establishment and functioning of a United Defence Facility in Diego Garcia and matters incidental thereto.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) US Naval personnel, (b) US Air Force personnel and (c) other US military personnel are stationed on Diego Garcia in a (i) permanent and (ii) temporary capacity; and if he will make a statement. [182579]

Mr. Rammell: The current US military population on Diego Garcia consists of:

US Navy 827 (permanent), 25 (temporary)

US Airforce 12 (permanent), 740 (temporary)

US Army 2 (permanent), 1 (temporary)

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK judicial bodies have unrestricted access to the Diego Garcia military base; when such access last occurred; and if he will make a statement. [182580]

Mr. Rammell: Under the 1976 United Kingdom/United States Exchange of Notes concerning the US Defence Facility on Diego Garcia, access to Diego Garcia is in general restricted to members of the forces of the United Kingdom and of the United States, the Commissioner and public officers in the service of the British Indian Ocean Territory, representatives of the Government of the United Kingdom and of the United States and, subject to normal immigration requirements, contractor personnel.

There have been no recent requests by a United Kingdom judicial body to visit Diego Garcia.

Burma

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position in relation to the treatment of the (a) Karen, (b) Karenni, (c) Chin and (d) Kachin peoples of Burma; and what recent representations have been made to the Burmese Government on their treatment. [182751]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Burma and in particular the suffering of ethnic groups.

The UK co-sponsored a widely supported resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21 April that condemned human rights violations suffered by ethnic groups in Burma. We fully support the efforts of Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and have called on the military regime to co-operate fully with him and allow him to visit Burma regularly.

We regularly raise our concerns on human rights with the Burmese authorities, most recently when I met the Burmese ambassador on 1 June.

We will continue to raise our concerns at every suitable opportunity.
 
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Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action the Government has taken to secure the release from house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. [182752]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have repeatedly called on the Burmese regime to fully release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and to allow them to play an active role in national reconciliation in Burma. Most recently I raised these issues when 1 met the Burmese Ambassador on 1 June.

Energy Supplies

Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the commitment outlined in Foreign Office Strategy to diversify UK energy supplies; and what steps his Department is taking to promote exports from West Africa of energy products to the UK. [183204]

Mr. Rammell: The White Paper "UK International Priorities—a strategy for the FCO" identifies the promotion of international diversification of supply as an important means of achieving the long-term efficiency and stability of the international energy market.

West Africa is of growing significance as a supplier to the international energy market. The FCO is therefore working to promote peaceful political and economic reform and to improve investment regimes and energy sector management in this and other regions. A good example in West Africa is the adoption by Nigeria, the largest oil producer in the region and host to substantial British investment, of the principles of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This initiative addresses the lack of accountability and transparency in the energy sector.

The FCO is also promoting the security of UK and global energy supplies by promoting sustainable energy production and consumption. The establishment of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership is a good example of our work in this area.

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