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Postal Ballots

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have been registered for a permanent postal vote in each constituency in the UK in each of the last three years. [185644]

Mr. Leslie: This information is not collected centrally. Individual Electoral Registration Officers may keep historical records of the number of postal voters in their registration area, though separate records are not kept of long-term postal voters and those for one election only. It is possible to apply for a postal vote at any time, and figures are not maintained on a yearly basis. Available statistics show that at the 2001 general election, 1,758,055 postal votes were issued in total (3.9 per cent. of the electorate) compared to 937,205 (2.1 per cent. of the electorate) at the 1997 general election.

Press Officers

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much his Department spent on press officers, broken down by grade, in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the last year for which figures are available. [185823]

Mr. Lammy: I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Public Records

Lynne Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many files that have passed the normal 30-year closure period laid down by the Public Record Act 1958 have not been published. [184358]

Mr. Leslie: 121,923 files more than 30-years-old have been identified by the National Archives as being either closed or retained by Departments. 97,446 of these files are closed, the majority of them in order to protect personally sensitive information.

Public Relations

Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the salary costs to the Department were for employees working in public relations and publicity in each year since 1997. [183844]

Mr. Lammy: Since 12 June 2003, when the Department for Constitutional Affairs came into existence, until end March 2004 salary costs to my Department for employing public relations (all press officers) and publicity staff was £736,626.
 
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Asia and Europe Meeting

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the decision by the EU to cancel forthcoming Asia and Europe Meeting (ASEM) meetings due to the proposed participation of the Burmese regime. [185550]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary agreed with EU colleagues that the two ASEM meetings which were due to be held in July and in September would have to be postponed, as the EU could not participate without the 10 new EU member states, who are not yet members of ASEM.

The 10 new EU member states have applied to join ASEM at the Hanoi Summit in October, along with Cambodia, Laos and Burma. The Foreign Secretary and EU colleagues recently endorsed the appointment of Mr. Hans van den Broek as Special Envoy of the Presidency, to consult ASEM partners on an acceptable and feasible solution to handling Burma in the context of ASEM enlargement.

Burma

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the ongoing State Peace and Development (SPDC) offensives in Karen and Karenni states in recent weeks; and if he will now make urgent representations to the SPDC regime in Burma concerning those offensives. [185571]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We welcome the oral ceasefire agreement between the SPDC and the Karen National Union (KNU) and hope that this will lead to a lasting peace settlement. But we remain concerned that offensives continue.

We regularly raise our concerns on human rights in Burma with the Burmese regime including the suffering of ethnic groups such as the Karen and Karenni, most recently when I met the Burmese ambassador on 1 June.

Human rights violations have been highlighted by successive highly critical UK and EU co-sponsored UN Resolutions, most recently at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21 April. This referred to the violations of human rights suffered in particular by persons belonging to ethnic minorities, women and children, especially in non-ceasefire areas and the situation of the large number of internally displaced persons as well as the flow of refugees to neighbouring countries. It emphasised the obligations of Burma under international law to pursue through dialogue and peaceful means the immediate suspension and permanent end of conflict with all ethnic groups in the country and to conclude a ceasefire agreement with the KNU.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will strengthen sanctions against the Burmese regime. [185597]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Our policy remains as set out in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 24 May 2004, Official Report, column 1357W.
 
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Cameroon

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the arrest of BBC staff by the Cameroon authorities. [185668]

Mr. Mullin: Two BBC journalists were arrested in the Bakassi peninsula earlier this month. One was South African, the other Cameroonian. At the request of the BBC, the British High Commission in Yaounde made enquiries of the Cameroonian authorities on 12 July. The Cameroonian authorities had given the journalists permission to travel in Cameroon, but it was unclear whether their permits included the Bakassi peninsula. Partly as a result of our intervention, both journalists were released on 16 July.

Chagos Islands

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 24 June 2004, Official Report, column 1528W, whether persons detained by the US armed forces arriving in the Chagos islands require entry permits. [185658]

Mr. Rammell: The United States authorities have repeatedly assured us that no detainees have at any time passed in transit through Diego Garcia or its territorial waters, or have disembarked there. The Government are satisfied that these assurances are correct. The issue of entry permits for detainees arriving in the Chagos islands does not therefore arise.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes there have been in the commitment by the UK Government to the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in (a) monetary terms, (b) assistance in kind and (c) manpower under UN Security Council Resolution 1493 compared to UN Security Council Resolution 1279; what changes have taken place since 28 July 2003; and if he will make a statement. [185680]

Mr. Rammell: UK assistance to the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has increased since UN Security Council Resolution 1279 of November 1999, as exigencies have dictated. Figures for 1999 are not readily available, but available figures from 2001 to UN Security Council Resolution 1493 of July 2003 show that UK commitment to MONUC has:

In monetary terms, increased from £10.7 million in 2001–02 to £18.5 million in 2002–03. In the period after Resolution 1493, i.e. in 2003–04, the UK's monetary contribution amounted to £33.8 million. It is expected to total approximately 28.7 million in 2004–05. These figures are for the UK's assessed contribution to MONUC through the UN only.

In addition to the UK's assessed contribution to MONUC through the UN, the UK also gives additional and voluntary assistance to MONUC's peacekeeping activities. In 2001–02, the UK contributed £588,000 in additional assistance to MONUC, and £669,000 in 2002–03. In the period after Resolution 1493, i.e. in 2003–04, the UK contributed £1.8 million (including
 
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£1.1 million to an EU peace support operation). The UK will likely contribute an additional £1 million to the peacekeeping effort in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2004–05.

In terms of manpower, the UK had six officers in MONUC from 2000 to 2003, now reduced to five. The UK currently has five troops serving with MONUC. The UK also contributed a Royal Engineer squadron and two aircraft to the EU peace support operation to DRC (an interim measure lasting from June-September 2003). Also as part of the EU operation, the UK deployed staff to assist in the operation's headquarters in Paris and Entebbe. In total, the UK contributed 120 staff to the operation.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are authorised to be deployed with the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo under UN Security Council Resolution 1493; how many are deployed; and if he will make a statement. [185681]

Mr. Rammell: UN Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003), of 28 July 2003, authorised an increase of the military strength of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) to 10,800 personnel. As of 31 May 2004 (the most up-to-date figures available), MONUC's military strength stood at 10,715 uniformed personnel.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals (a) he, (b) members of his Department and (c) other members and representatives of the UK Government have made for a UN Security Council Resolution (i) to extend and (ii) to modify the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; when he expects such a resolution to be passed; and if he will make a statement. [185682]

Mr. Mullin: We are in regular discussion with the Secretariat of the United Nations about the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC). We await the UN Secretary-General's report and recommendations for the future of MONUC, due on 15 August. We will consider these carefully. We expect a Security Council resolution on MONUC to be passed before the end of September.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has (a) sought and (b) had with (i) his EU member state counterparts, (ii) EU officials, (iii) his US counterpart, (iv) his African Union member state counterparts, (v) UN officials, (vi) other Foreign Ministers and (vii) members of non-governmental organisations concerning the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; what suggestions for change of the mandate were put forward during these meetings; and if he will make a statement. [185684]

Mr. Mullin: I discussed ways to improve the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (MONUC) effectiveness with African leaders and other members of the international community at the African Union Summit on 6 July and also during my visits to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in June. UK officials have also discussed this with EU
 
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partners, US and UN officials. We have received recommendations from NGOs on modifying MONUC's mandate. Possible options include increased troop numbers and a clarification of MONUC's mandate under Chapter VII. We await the Secretary-General's report and recommendations for the future of MONUC, due on 15 August. We will consider these carefully.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the five main contributors to the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo are in terms of (a) military observers, (b) military contingent, (c) monetary contribution and (d) contribution in kind; and if he will make a statement. [185685]

Mr. Rammell: The five main contributors of Military Observers to the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), as of 31 May 2004 are:

Country	Numbers contributed
India	33
Kenya and Nigeria	(54)28
Romania, Russia, Tunisia, Uruguay and Mali	(54)27
Pakistan	26
Malawi	24

⁽⁵⁴⁾ Per country.

The five main contributors to the MONUC military contingent, as of 31 May 2004 are:

Country	Numbers contributed
Uruguay	1,800
Bangladesh	1,309
South Africa	1,269
Nepal	1,226
Pakistan	1,066

The five main monetary contributors to MONUC, based on the UN's scale of assessment for July 2004 are:

Country	Percentage of costs contributed
USA	26.7
Japan	19.5
Germany	8.6
UK	7.4
France	7.3

The information as to amounts of contribution in kind is not readily available. But the main five contributors of civilian police to MONUC, as of 31 May 2004 are:

Country	Numbers contributed
Niger	19
Turkey	13
Benin	12
Cote d'Ivoire, France and Serbia and Montenegro	(55)11
Burkina Faso and Mali	(55)10

⁽⁵⁵⁾ Per country.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made concerning the impact of the
 
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United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the security situation for civilians in (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo and (b) the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. [185686]

Mr. Rammell: The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has contributed significantly to an improved security situation throughout the country, including in the east, where it has increased its presence. But there is still work needed to further improve humanitarian agencies' access to vulnerable populations and to help secure the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs). MONUC is also working with international donors to establish a functioning police and judicial system.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the impact of and (b) which parties are participating in resource exploitation and smuggling to support the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement. [185692]

Mr. Mullin: Resource exploitation has been a significant contributing factor to conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UN Expert Panel reports on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the DRC, published in 2002 and 2003, provided information linking exploitation and conflict, and named several countries and companies alleged to be involved.

The UK supports initiatives to combat illegal resource extraction such as the Kimberley process and supports international efforts to help the Transitional National Government in the DRC rebuild its capacity to manage its natural resources in an efficient and transparent manner.

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