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Pakistan

Mr. Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the UK's diplomatic relations with Pakistan and (b) the state of democracy in Pakistan. [186749]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK enjoys a close and warm relationship with Pakistan which is strengthened by our historical links, and by our having more than 800,000 British Citizens of Pakistani origin. Pakistan is a key ally
 
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in the global war against terrorism and the UK continues to work closely with the Government of Pakistan to counter this threat.

We engage with Pakistan at all levels on a wide variety of subjects including defence, drugs, judicial cooperation, migration, and economic and development issues. The UK and Pakistan have formalised some of these engagements through the Joint Judicial Cooperation Working Group and the Defence Cooperation Forum. During the current three year period (2003/04—2005/06) we expect to give over £200 million in aid to Pakistan. There have been several high level visits to and from the UK.

We warmly welcome the ongoing progress in Pakistan's transition to democracy. The decision by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group in May this year to readmit Pakistan to the Councils of the Commonwealth was taken in recognition of the progress made in restoring democratic principles. The recent election of Shaukat Aziz to the National Assembly and his subsequent confirmation as Prime Minister is a further positive development. We look forward to working closely with the new Prime Minister of Pakistan and his government.

Qualified Majority Voting

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether provisions concerning structured co-operation within the Common Foreign and Security Policy are to be decided by qualified majority voting under the European constitution. [187035]

Mr. MacShane: The voting procedures for Structured Cooperation are laid out in article III-213 of the constitutional treaty. Qualified Majority Voting in Structured Cooperation is only for procedural issues—how member states join and leave the group. The text makes clear that unanimity of participating states will be required for all other decisions.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether intellectual property or foreign direct investment moves from unanimity under article 133 TEC to qualified majority voting under article III-217(1) and III-217(2) of the European Constitution. [187036]

Mr. MacShane: Article 133 TEC established the Common Commercial Policy (CCP), allowing the Community to make trade agreements on behalf of the member states, covering trade in goods, services, and the commercial aspects of intellectual policy. Apart from a limited range of exceptions, decisions under it are taken by QMV.

Its successor in the European constitution, III-217, allows the EU also to make agreements covering foreign direct investment, and narrows slightly the scope of the exceptions from QMV covering intellectual property and trade in services.

The Government are content with this. They made clear in the White Paper published in September 2003 (Cm 5934) that they favoured moves to reduce barriers in international trade, provided that this did not lead to an increase in the internal powers of the Union, and
 
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that, as now, voting arrangements for such agreements mirrored those required for the adoption of equivalent rules internally. Both principles are set out in the treaty. The latter principle is set out at III-217(4). III-217(6) makes clear that the CCP does not affect the division of competences between the Union and the member states, and cannot in itself lead to legislative or regulatory harmonisation among the member states.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment his Department has made of Amnesty International's report of 19 July entitled "Darfur: Rape as a Weapon of War: sexual violence and its consequences"; and if he will make a statement; [187270]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the charge of culpability levelled against the Government of Sudan by Amnesty International's report of 19 July entitled, "Darfur: Rape as a Weapon of War: sexual violence and its consequences"; and if he will make a statement. [187271]

Mr. Mullin: We read with grave concern reports by Amnesty International of rape being used as an apparently deliberate tactic in the Darfur region. Medecins Sans Frontieres, the UN High Commission for Refugees and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs have also reported cases of rape. These reports underline the urgent need to improve the security situation in the region, in order to prevent these abuses from continuing.

We have also made clear that those responsible for such atrocities must be brought to justice. UN human rights monitors, whose deployment we helped finance, are now in Darfur investigating allegations of human rights abuses, including rape. We have made clear to the Government of Sudan that they must do all they can to facilitate the work of these monitors. The Government of Sudan have established three committees on rape allegations. We will follow their investigations closely During his recent visit, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also secured the agreement of the Sudanese Government to grant Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch visas to visit Darfur.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received regarding the Sudanese Air Force's activities in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [187272]

Mr. Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this issue with the Government of Sudan during his visit to Khartoum in August. He also raised it with African Union monitors in Darfur who said that they had no evidence of air strikes by the Government of Sudan air force since June. We will continue to monitor the situation and to press all sides to respect the ceasefire.

Taiwan

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to
 
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support Taiwan as (a) a member and (b) an observer of the (i) World Health Organisation and (c) World Health Assembly; and if he will make a statement. [187600]

Mr. Rammell: There are difficulties over Taiwanese involvement in a UN forum where statehood is a prerequisite for full membership. We would consider with our EU partners any proposals for Taiwanese involvement in the World Health Organisation which took account of these difficulties.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to promote within the EU Taiwan's case for deeper involvement in the (a) World Health Organisation and (b) World Health Assembly. [187601]

Mr. Rammell: Ireland, speaking on behalf of all EU Member States at this year's World Health Association, expressed the EU's hope that the WHO Secretariat, and others organising technical meetings and working groups under WHO auspices, would show flexibility in finding mechanisms to allow Taiwanese medical and public health officials to participate in these activities. The Government fully endorse this view and will continue to look at ideas for finding that flexibility.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the efforts of Taiwan to play a constructive and appropriate role in (a) international health affairs and (b) international humanitarian issues; and if he will make a statement. [187602]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him today (UIN 187601).

The Government welcomes Taiwanese assistance in international humanitarian issues through appropriate channels and in keeping with Taiwan's status.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Spain, (b) the United States of America and (c) Equatorial Guinea, concerning allegations of corruption and money laundering levelled against Teodoro Obiang Nguema and his family; and if he will make a statement. [187274]

Mr. Mullin: We are aware of the allegations against President Obiang and his family. We take all such allegations seriously and have raised our concerns on governance with the Equatorial Guinean authorities. We discuss developments in Equatorial Guinea with a range of international partners.

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