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Oil-for-Food Programme

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the inquiry into allegations of corruption in the Oil-for-Food Programme. [188346]

 
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Mr. Rammell: The first report of the UN independent high-level inquiry into allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the Oil-for-Food (OFF) Programme, issued on 9 August, provides background information on the OFF Programme and the status of the inquiry, including its terms of reference and staffing details. A copy of the report is available on the OFF website: www.iic-offp.org/documents/IICSR.pdf. The report does not draw any substantive conclusions. We hope that the independent inquiry will issue a second report, on the role of UN staff and contractors, by the end of 2004. The UK continues to support the UN inquiry into the allegations of corruption of the OFF Programme. We are co-operating fully with the inquiry.

People's Mujahedin Organisation

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the findings of the Coalition authorities on the activities of the People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran personnel in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. [187551]

Mr. Rammell: The status of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq was, until 28 June, a matter for the US authorities and has since then been the responsibility of the Iraqi Interim Government. We understand that each of the residents of Ashraf has been informed about his or her status.

Private Military Companies

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to bring forward legislation to introduce a regulatory regime for private military companies. [188354]

Mr. Rammell: There is an important and legitimate role for the private sector in providing security in post-conflict situations, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan. National armed forces do not always have the capacity to provide security to the international community's reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in these difficult security situations.

The growth in the size and importance of the UK private security industry operating overseas strengthens the case for regulation of this sector. Developing such regulation is a complex undertaking, as set out in the Government's Green Paper "Private Military Companies", published on 12 February 2002. There are a number of difficult questions of definition in deciding how to approach such regulation. The cost of regulation is also potentially high, for both Government and industry.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has instituted a further detailed review of options for regulation over the next few months The Government will keep Parliament fully informed of its thinking in this area.

Terrorism

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the efforts of the Government of Saudi Arabia to track down and bring to justice suspected terrorists; and if he will make a statement. [188074]

 
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Mr. Rammell: The Government of Saudi Arabia have made clear their determination to fight terrorism. A number of suspected terrorists have been arrested and others killed in exchanges of fire with the Saudi Authorities. We are cooperating closely with the Saudi authorities in the fight against terrorism.

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the assessment of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in its report Foreign Policy aspects of the War Against Terrorism, published on 21 July, that Iraq has become a battleground for al-Qaeda. [188072]

Mr. Rammell: We will publish our full response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's report in the usual way by means of a Command Paper in due course. We continue to believe that most attacks in Iraq are the work of elements of the former regime and other disaffected Iraqis, although international jihadists have also been involved in attacks in Iraq.

Western Sahara

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on progress towards a referendum in Western Sahara. [188410]

Mr. Rammell: We seek a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination. We believe UN efforts to find a solution to the dispute should be maintained.

The next Secretary-General's Report on the Western Sahara will be published in October, This will cover the negotiations undertaken by the UN Special Representative to Western Sahara, Alvaro de Soto, since he was tasked with taking UN efforts forward in June 2004.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Administration on Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara. [188411]

Mr. Rammell: We have regular discussions with the US Administration on the question of Western Sahara. These have focused on ensuring that the UN process leads to a fair and lasting solution to this dispute that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed the Western Sahara with the Government of Spain; and what his policy is on the Joint Franco-Spanish Strategy in the territory. [188412]

Mr. Rammell: We have regular discussions with the Spanish Government on the question of Western Sahara. These have focused on ensuring that the UN process leads to a fair and lasting solution to this dispute that provides the people of the Western Sahara with an opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination,
 
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We welcome new initiatives intended to resolve the Western Sahara dispute. It is important that UN efforts to resolve this dispute are maintained and any proposed initiatives are carried out in conjunction with UN efforts to find a solution.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues on Zimbabwe the Government are considering taking to the United Nations General Assembly; and what progress has been made. [188620]

Mr. Straw: Since 2001, we have tabled resolutions on Zimbabwe at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, but they have been defeated by no-action motions. We are currently discussing with our EU partners what action to take at the UN General Assembly this autumn.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carer's Allowance

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the UK are paid carer's allowance; and how many applications have been rejected in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [188306]

Maria Eagle: The latest available information is that as at 31 May 2004 some 425,455 carers in Great Britain were being paid a carer's allowance ¹ , and that in the six months ending 30 June 2004 ² some 32,700 claims for the allowance were disallowed.

Information about claims for, and recipients of, carer's allowance in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Sources:

¹ DWP Information and Analysis Division 100 per cent. sample at 31 May 2005.

² DWP Carer's Allowance Unit Management Information Statistics. The figure includes some 27,000 claims that were disallowed because the person being cared for was not receiving an attendance allowance, or the care component of disability living allowance paid at the middle of higher rate, or the equivalent rates of constant attendance allowance paid under the Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit scheme or the War Disablement Pension scheme. Reliable data for the number of claims disallowed before 1 January 2004 are not available.

Employment Zones

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population live in an Employment Zone. [186423]

 
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Jane Kennedy: We estimate that approximately five million people live in Employment Zone areas, representing just under 9 per cent. of Great Britain's population.

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