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European Constitution Treaty

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the clause in the proposed European Constitution Treaty, Cm 6289, which prevents terrorists from being sent to the nation where the crime is committed if the death penalty is in force in that nation; and what action he would seek to take to deal with such alleged terrorists. [190642]

Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.

HMG do not consider that there will be any changes to the current situation regarding expulsion of terrorist suspects. In that respect the provisions of the Charter simply reflect existing ECHR provisions. Article ll-52(3) of the Charter makes clear that rights in the Charter that correspond to rights in the ECHR shall have the same meaning and scope as the ECHR rights.

Iran

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the destruction of cultural heritage of the Bahá'- faith that has taken place in Iran, with particular reference to the (a) Resting Place of Quddus and (b) House of Mirza Buzurg. [193130]

Mr. Rammell: We have serious concerns about the persecution of the Bahá'-s in Iran, and about the destruction of Bahá'- property including at these two sites. We have raised our concerns with the Iranian authorities, both bilaterally and with EU partners, on many occasions. We have also urged the authorities to return the remains of Quddus to the Bahá'- community for reburial elsewhere.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart in respect of charging or releasing the senior members of Saddam Hussein's former Government detained without charge or trial by the United States. [191666]

Mr. Rammell: We are in regular contact with the US about detention issues. The cases of those senior regime members interned by the US in Iraq will be reviewed by the joint US-Iraqi Review Panel as with all other cases. Those who no longer pose an imperative threat to security will be released, unless they are suspected of having infringed Iraqi or international law, in which case they will be passed to the Iraqi authorities. 12 senior former regime members were charged on 1 July 2004 in the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. All 12 are being held by the Iraqi authorities as criminal detainees. The charges against them are currently being investigated.

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to his oral statement on Iraq of 12 October 2004, Official Report, columns 151–55, what evidence caused him to accept reports in July 2000 in the Iraq Ba'ath party newspaper Al Thawrak that claimed victory over UN sanctions; [191784]
 
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(2) what evidence caused him to accept the claim in August 2001 by the then Iraqi Foreign Minister that UN sanctions efforts had collapsed. [191798]

Mr. Rammell: These were direct quotations from the report of the Iraq Survey Group, Key Findings. Regime Finance and Procurement, page 3, a copy of which was attached to the copies of the Statement by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, deposited in the Vote Office on 12 October.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with the Secretary General of the UN during his visit to London on 19 October on alleged corruption at the UN during the Oil for Food Programme in Iraq. [193175]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 25 October 2004]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed a number of Iraq-related issues with the United Nations Secretary-General, during his visit on 19 October. They did not discuss the allegations of corruption in the Oil for Food Programme, since these are being investigated by an independent inquiry appointed by the UN Secretary-General in April. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials maintain regular contact with the inquiry team.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 October 2004, Official Report, column 469W, on Iraq, if he will make a statement on the length of time between the start of the UK and US occupation of Iraq and the official withdrawal of the 45-minute claim. [193591]

Mr. Straw: Coalition forces crossed the border into Iraq on 20 March 2003. The intelligence referred to was formally withdrawn on 7 October 2004 and I notified the House in my statement of 12 October 2004, Official Report, column 152.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding (a) has been and (b) is planned to be disbursed by the occupying powers in Iraq to (i) the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions and (ii) other trade union bodies; and if he will make a statement. [192715]

Mr. Rammell: In February this year the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) organised a fact-finding mission, partly funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which looked at the state of trades unions in Baghdad, Basra and northern Iraq. We understand that ICFTU is now developing proposals for assisting the fledgling trade union movement. The Department for International Development has also received requests to support trade unions in Iraq from UNISON and from the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions and is in discussion with them over possible assistance.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Iraqi Interim Authority concerning rights of trade union membership and activity in the public sector; and if he will make a statement. [192716]

 
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Mr. Rammell: The transitional administrative law, which came into force on 28 June, made provision for the right of all Iraqis to join unions. We understand that 12 unions have already been set up and four open conferences have been held.

Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK abstention at the UN Security Council concerning Israeli military action in northern Gaza. [192721]

Mr. Rammell: The UK abstained on the Security Council Resolution on Israeli military action in Gaza because the text on which we were called to vote gave the impression that fault lies only on the Israeli side. It is our view that the responsibility for taking steps to end violence lies with both sides. We proposed amendments that would have seen the Security Council resolution acknowledge Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism and make clear that the international community's concerns are about actions disproportionate to the threat. We also proposed that the resolution call on the Palestinian Authority to take firm action against acts of terrorism and their perpetrators. Unfortunately the sponsors of the text refused to accept our amendments.

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on flights by its military aircraft over Lebanese territory; and if he will make a statement. [192752]

Mr. Rammell: We raise the issue of overflights regularly with both the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Israeli Defence Forces, including the Israeli Air Force.

The UK Government have called on all parties to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon under the control of the Government of Lebanon, and to honour their commitments under UNSCRs 425, 1553 and 1559.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities regarding the deaths of Palestinian schoolgirls Ghadir Mokheimer and Iman Al-Hasan. [192753]

Mr. Rammell: We have made representations at every level to the Israeli authorities of our concern over the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza, and the number of civilian casualties, particularly children, which have resulted. Our embassy in Tel Aviv has raised specifically the case of Iman Al-Hasan, who was shot 20 times on her way to school. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also mentioned this tragic case in his statement of 13 October on the ongoing violence in Gaza. A copy of the press release is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. We have not raised the case of Ghadir Mokheimer specifically.

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