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Departmental Accountancy Practice
Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the Finance Director of (a) the Department and (b) the Government Communication Headquarters is; what accountancy qualifications each Director holds; and on how many occasions there has been a qualified opinion on (i) the resource accounts and (ii) other accounts of each in the last five years. [183425]
Mr. Rammell: The Finance Director of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is D R Todd. While he does not have an accountancy qualification, the Chief Accountant is I D Morgan and he is a chartered management accountant. In addition, the Head of Internal Audit and the Head of Financial Planning and Performance are chartered accountants and report directly to the Finance Director. The accounts have had a qualified audit opinion on one occasion (2001–02) in the last five years. The audit opinion on the 2003–04 accounts will be available later in the year.
It is GCHQ's long-standing policy not to name individual members of staff. The GCHQ Director of Policy and Plans has overall responsibility for finances. He has no formal accountancy qualification but he has access to a fully qualified team of accountants.
Since 1999 GCHQ accounts have been expressed in terms of resource accounting. GCHQ's Resource Accounts for FYs 1999–00, 2000–01 and 2001–02 were qualified by the National Audit Office, but the FY 2002–03 accounts were not qualified. GCHQ continues to improve its accounting practices and systems.
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Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the nature was of the consultation between the organising board of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and his Department; what response his Department gave; and if he will make a statement. [182957]
Mr. Rammell: The decision to invite musicians from the Chinese People's Liberation Army to participate in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a matter for the Tattoo organising board. Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised the Director of the Tattoo that although there were sensitivities surrounding the decision, participation was in accordance with defence diplomacy activities.
Foreign Policy
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research his Department has commissioned on the impact on UK foreign policy of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy proposals set out in the draft European Union Constitution. [184020]
Mr. MacShane: The outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference met our objectives with respect to the Common Foreign and Security Policy in the Constitutional Treaty. These objectives were to ensure that CFSP remains in the hands of member states and is decided at unanimity, whilst supporting proposals to increase the coherence and effectiveness of EU external action. The Government therefore has not commissioned separate research on the proposals for CFSP.
Iran
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the USA on social, political and foreign policy developments in Iran. [183590]
Mr. Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discusses Iran with the US Secretary of State and other senior Administration officials frequently. We share with the US serious concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, attitude to the fight against terrorism, human rights record and approach to the Middle East Peace Process.
Iraq
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the two directives issued by Mr. Paul Bremer in Iraq on 26 and 27 June relating to foreign contractors in Iraq apply; whether the directives apply equally to all foreign contractors in Iraq; to what extent such contractors will now be subject to Iraqi laws; whether there are exceptions to this; and whether there are different (a) arrangements and (b) liability for private security firms operating in Iraq and other contractors. [183132]
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Mr. Rammell: The regulations applying to foreign contractors and foreign security contractors in Iraq are as set out in CPA Order 17 and CPA Memorandum 17, which can be found on the CPA website at www.cpa-iraq.org.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what circumstances the two directives issued by Mr. Paul Bremer on 26 and 27 June authorise the use of force by contractors; to whom they would be responsible for doing so; what opinion has been expressed by the new Iraqi Government about the directives; how they will be implemented; whether they can be changed by the Iraqi Government; how and with whom Iraqi people can pursue claims against contractors; whether the UK Government was consulted about the directives; what input was provided by the UK; and if he will make a statement. [183133]
Mr. Rammell: The regulations applying to foreign contractors and foreign security contractors in Iraq are as set out in CPA Order 17 and CPA Memorandum 17, which can be found on the CPA website at www.cpa-iraq.org. The Order and Memorandum were discussed between Coalition members, including the UK, and with the Iraqi Interim Government prior to their enactment. CPA Orders and memoranda will remain in force until revoked by an Iraqi Government.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the unemployment level was in (a) Iraq as a whole and (b) the area of Iraq under UK responsibility on the last day of the occupation. [183292]
Mr. Rammell: In the absence of a labour force survey or unemployment benefits in Iraq, neither the Iraqi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs nor the Coalition Provisional Authority were able to collect accurate unemployment data. Estimates of the percentage of the working age population that is unemployed and under-employed vary between 10 per cent. and 25 per cent.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Iraqi Government on the protection of Mesopotamiam archaelogy and antiquities. [183455]
Mr. Rammell: Officials of Her Majesty's Government have regular discussions with the Ministry of Culture on the subject of the protection of Mesopotamian archaeology and antiquities.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) spoke to the Iraqi Minister of Culture on 10 June to offer her support and has since written to him in similar terms.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many prison facilities are maintained by the occupation powers in
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Iraq for the detention of prisoners of war; how many (a) male, (b) female and (c) child prisoners are detained in each facility; and how many detainees have been released since April. [175963]
Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
The only such facility run by the UK in Iraq is the detention facility in Shaibah. At 30 June 2004, there were 50 internees in this facility, of whom one was under 18 years of age. No women were interned.
32 internees were released in April, 56 in May and 26 in June.
Travel Costs
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the travel costs were of civil servants in (a) his Department and (b) its related agencies in each year since 1997. [183905]
Mr. Rammell: Costs of travel of civil servants in the FCO were as follows:
| Overseas | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 8,392,638.41 | 926,617.74 |
| 1997–98 | 8,958,084.29 | 869,842.26 |
| 1998–99 | 10,279,393.92 | 815,173.24 |
| 1999–2000 | 9, 484,426.58 | 966,637.06 |
| 2000–01 | 9,866,667.15 | 1,048,670.89 |
| 2001–02 | 11,446,108.54 | 1,055,879.66 |
| 2002–03 | 10,061,979.87 | 1,238,242.38 |
| 2003–04 | 10,410,603.52 | 1,428,115.92 |
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United Nations
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on reforming the United Nations; and when he next plans to meet his United Nations Security Council counterparts to discuss UN reform. [184022]
Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House on UN reform on 11 November 2003, Official Report, columns 199–208, and the "United Kingdom in the United Nations" Command Paper (Cmnd 5898) published in September 2003, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The Government are firmly committed to reform of the United Nations. As an active UN member, the UK conducts regular exchanges with the UN and other member states on reform. We are working to create a more efficient United Nations, better equipped to meet the challenges of the modern world and deliver the objectives established in the Millennium Declaration.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers frequently discuss UN reform with their Security Council counterparts and will attend the United Nations General Assembly in September where they will discuss a variety of UN issues, including reform.
The Security Council does not have primary responsibility for reform of the UN system and therefore discussions of these important issues also take place with the wider UN membership.