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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Culture
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to promote British culture. [186952]
Mr. Mullin: The British Council is our principal agent for promoting British culture overseas. It aims to promote the UK's creative ideas and achievements through a range of programmes in the fields of arts, science and education.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also funds the BBC World Service and the Chevening Scholarship Programme, both of which play a part in promoting British cultures and values.
Burma
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) the British ambassador to Burma and (b) other British embassy staff in Burma have attended events in Burma hosted by Orient Express or its regional representatives. [187229]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We have no record of the British ambassador to Burma, nor other British embassy staff in Burma, attending any events hosted by Orient Express or its regional representatives in 2003 or 2004.
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Consular Services (Employment)
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what key jobs in consular services (a) are vacant and (b) have been unfilled for more than three months in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for difficulties in filling key jobs. [187397]
Mr. Mullin: There are no key consular jobs unfilled in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Consular Directorate at the present time. To provide information on possible vacant consular jobs overseas could be provided only at disproportionate costs. However, the FCO's Human Resources Directorate endeavours to ensure that UK-based consular officer replacements arrive to coincide with UK-based departures from posts overseas. When this is not possible it is Consular and Human Resources Directorates' policy to ensure that temporary cover is provided during the interim period. We also endeavour to provide temporary cover for key locally engaged consular slots.
During a consular emergency overseas Rapid Deployment Teams are sent out to assist the post(s) concerned. The most recent deployment was to Salzburg following a serious coach crash in August.
Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest position in respect of the adapted Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty; which countries have signed and ratified it; when he expects it to come into force; and if he will make a statement. [187131]
Mr. MacShane: The Adapted Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) was signed by the following 30 States Party at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul on 19 November 1999; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus. Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Moldova. Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic. Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States. Of those States Party only Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have ratified the Adapted CFE Treaty. The Russian Duma voted to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty on 25 June 2004, but to date documents of ratification have not been submitted by the Russian Federation to the Treaty Depository (the Netherlands).
The Adapted CFE Treaty cannot come into force until all 30 signatories have ratified it. We, along with NATO allies, are fully committed to the entry into force of the Adapted CFE Treaty. But we will not ratify until the Russian Federation has met the commitments it made, when the Treaty was signed, concerning Russian armed forces in Georgia and Moldova. Once those commitments have been met we would hope for a speedy ratification and subsequent entry into force of the Adapted CFE Treaty.
Cuba
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations
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he has made to the Cuban authorities concerning their treatment of (a) Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and (b) Jorge Luis Garcia Pérez (Antunez). [185768]
Mr. Rammell: We regularly raise human rights cases—including these two—with the Cuban authorities in London and in Havana. We have been monitoring their situation and health, and embassy staff maintain close contacts with local human rights groups involved in their cases and with friends and family of the individuals. Dr. Biscet visited the British embassy in November 2002 shortly before his arrest, and our embassy staff last met his wife, Elsa Morejon, on 14 July. We are aware of considerable public interest in the fate of both prisoners.
UK policy on Cuba is governed by the EU Common Position, which has human rights enshrined as its key principle and which was reaffirmed on 14 June. The EU regularly issues statements condemning the imprisonment of human rights activists and other political prisoners. Mostly recently, on 15 July 2004, we again called on the Cuban Government to release all political prisoners.
British Indian Ocean Territory
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the government of the British Indian Ocean territory is funded; and if he will make a statement. [187614]
Mr. Rammell: The government of the British Indian Ocean territory is funded mainly by the sale of fishing licences, although there is also a small amount of revenue from the sale of stamps, fines and related charges, and administrative fees.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) monetary payments and (b) monetary discounts were received by the UK Government from the US Administration or affiliated bodies in return for the agreement governing the joint use of Diego Garcia by the two countries in (i) 1966 and (ii) 1976; and if he will make a statement. [187611]
Mr. Rammell: The United States Government agreed in 1966 to contribute half of the total cost, up to a limit of £5 million, of setting up the British Indian Ocean Territory by waiving to that extent research and development surcharges for the United Kingdom purchase of the Polaris missile system. No payments or discounts were made in respect of the establishment of the United States Defence Facility in Diego Garcia in 1976.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the US Administration's Natural Resources Management Plan for Diego Garcia in the Library. [187612]
Mr. Rammell: The US Natural Resources Management Plan for Diego Garcia, currently under revision by the US authorities, is not a public document.
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans have been made to allow tourists travelling with the Wexas travel company to visit the waters of the Chagos Archipelago; and if he will make a statement. [187609]
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Mr. Rammell: A visit to some of the outer islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory has been arranged under the auspices of Wexas International primarily in order to monitor the natural environment of the islands.
Drug-related Arrests (Overseas)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have been detained overseas for drug-related offences in each of the last five years. [187592]
Mr. Mullin: According to consular records the number of British citizens detained overseas for drug-related offences in the following years was:
| British citizens detained | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 1,156 |
| 2000–01 | 1,054 |
| 2001–02 | 1,268 |
We then ceased to collect this information in this way, and now collect data each year on the total number of those in prison for drugs offences. The totals are:
| On 31 March | Total number imprisoned |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,290 |
| 2004 | 1,312 |
These figures therefore do not refer only to new detentions.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were detained overseas for drug related offences in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by country. [187593]
Mr. Mullin: As at 31 March 2004, there were 1,312 British Nationals detained overseas for drug related offences, who had requested consular assistance. The following table breaks down this figure by country in alphabetical order:
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Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) age group and (b) sex was of each British person detained overseas for drug-related offences in the last year for which figures are available. [187594]
Mr. Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently keep figures according to the age and sex of British Nationals detained for drug-related offences overseas. But the total number of British Nationals detained overseas for drug related offences, who have requested consular assistance was, as at 31 March 2004, 1312.
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