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India/Pakistan

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help improve relations between India and Pakistan. [199821]

Mr. Alexander: Encouraging India and Pakistan to work towards a durable settlement of all their outstanding issues, including Kashmir, remains a key priority for the UK. As a close friend of both countries, the UK warmly welcomes the ongoing detente between India and Pakistan, and applauds the countries' shared commitment to a second round of formal composite dialogue talks, which began at the end of November. The UK has regular contact with senior Indians and Pakistanis. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary met the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in London on 20 September. The Foreign Secretary also met Pakistani Foreign Minister Kasuri on 23 September during the
 
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UN General Assembly in New York. President Musharraf met senior Members of the Government when he visited the UK on 6–7 December. The UK will continue to play a prominent part in the international efforts to encourage continued progress, taking into account the sensitivities on both these countries.

Indonesia

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to promote dialogue between the people of West Papua, and the Government of Indonesia, about the conflict in West Papua; and if he will make a statement. [200978]

Mr. Alexander: We, along with other members of the international community, support Indonesia's territorial integrity, but have continued to make clear to the Indonesian Government our view that long term solutions to regional conflicts can only be achieved through negotiation and consultation with all concerned, and with strict regard for human rights.

In October, EU ministerial representatives visited Indonesia and raised our concerns about the situation in Papua with both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hasan Wirayuda.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Indonesia concerning attacks on unarmed civilians by (a) Kopassus and (b) other Indonesian military forces in the Puncak Jaya region of West Papua; and if he will make a statement. [201016]

Mr. Alexander: Together with our European partners, we regularly raise our concerns about the situation in Papua. On 28 October, EU ministerial representatives visited Indonesia and met with the newly elected President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hasan Wirayuda. Both expressed their view that two of the key issues for the new Indonesia Government were a resolution to the problems in Papua and the promotion and protection of human rights throughout Indonesia. We are concerned about reports of violence in the Puncak Jaya region in recent weeks. We will monitor the situation closely.

Iranian Nuclear Programme

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the agreement made between the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany and Iran over the Iranian nuclear programme will be verified; what additional resources have been committed to verifying the agreement; and if he will make a statement. [201625]

Mr. MacShane: Iranian compliance with the terms of the Agreement will be verified by means of comprehensive inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This work will be resourced through the IAEA safeguards budget, recently enhanced at the General Conference of the IAEA.
 
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My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement on Iran to the House on 29 November Official Report, columns 359–360.

Iraq

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what distinction the Government make between insurgents and terrorists in Iraq; and if he will make a statement; [201877]

(2) how many (a) insurgents and (b) terrorists are estimated to be operating in Iraq. [201878]

Mr. Straw: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Rammell) gave on 7 December 2004, Official Report, columns 489–90W.

Mordechai Vanunu

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding Mr. Mordechai Vanunu. [201279]

Mr. Mullin: We are aware that Mordechai Vanunu was re-arrested on 11 November for allegedly divulging classified information and for violating the terms of his release. Our embassy in Tel Aviv raised this issue with Israeli officials on 2 December and asked them to clarify the position of Mr. Vanunu. The Israelis confirmed that Mr. Vanunu was released (under the original terms of his release in April) after seven days under house arrest.

Niger

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the UK Government's claim that Iraq tried to obtain uranium from Niger on the UK's relations with Niger. [201932]

Mr. Mullin: We are not aware of any negative impact on the UK Government's relations with Niger.

Simon Mann

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with officials in Harare concerning the imprisonment of Mr. Simon Mann and other British nationals. [201351]

Mr. Mullin: None. Simon Mann is a dual British/South African national. As such, and at his request, the South African Embassy are providing consular assistance. At Mr. Mann's request, and with the approval of the Zimbabwean authorities, our consular staff in Harare have, however, visited Mr. Mann in prison and will continue to do so on a regular basis. We have one other British national currently on remand in Zimbabwe awaiting trial, to whom we are providing appropriate consular assistance.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has been
 
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informed of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers in his Department since its implementation. [201299]

Mr. Straw: I am aware of no breaches of the Code of Conduct.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004; [201429]

(2) if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201454]

Mr. Straw: None. All Special Advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

Tibet

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese Government over their treatment of the people of Tibet, with particular regard to the death sentence on Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche; and if he will make a statement. [201904]

Mr. Rammell: We and EU partners have raised in a series of demarches with the Chinese authorities our serious concerns about the way in which the trial of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche was conducted, the lack of transparency and the commutation of the death sentence. The most recent EU demarche took place on 25 November 2004. The case was also included on our list of individual cases of concern at the UK China Human Rights Dialogue round which took place on 22 November in Beijing. I raised the case bilaterally with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in December 2003.

I raised Tibet issues with Assistant Foreign Minister Li Hui during my visit to China in October and with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui during my visit to China in July.

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