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Kashmir

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Governments of (a) Pakistan and (b) India regarding talks about Kashmir. [204253]

Mr. Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Kashmir with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts during their leaders' recent visits to the UK. The Prime Minister also spoke with President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They conveyed the UK's full support for the ongoing composite dialogue between India and Pakistan and urged both countries to seek a lasting resolution to the issue of Kashmir, which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Jamaica

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will undertake a study of the security implications for Jamaica of a sudden
 
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reduction in the price paid by the European Commission for sugar from African, Caribbean and Pacific producers. [203554]

Mr. Rammell: There are no plans to implement such a study. However, we are keenly aware of the potential impact of the EU sugar regime on Jamaica and other African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. That is why we support the EU Commission's work to produce a credible and properly funded action plan to help mitigate negative consequences. To assist the Commission in this, the Department for International Development has commissioned from the Overseas Development Institute a report entitled "Forthcoming changes in EU sugar/banana markets: a menu of options for an effective EU transitional assistance package". This report should help those countries affected by reform to determine their priorities for a transitional package.

In order to address particular security concerns in the region, I visited Jamaica in October to adopt the UK/Caribbean Regional Security Cooperation Plan. The purpose of the plan is to assist Jamaica and other countries in the region, to implement reforms to their security sectors in order to be better able to respond to the growing challenges posed by increased criminality and drug trafficking.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with the Jamaican Government on the security implications for Jamaica of a sudden reduction in the price paid by the European Union for sugar from African, Caribbean and Pacific producers. [203562]

Mr. Rammell: In recognition of the impact that reform of the-EU sugar regime will have on African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar producers, the European Commission has undertaken to initiate dialogue with the affected ACP countries, including Jamaica, on the basis of an action plan. This will be used to define appropriate accompanying measures. These are to include financial assistance and help with diversification where restructuring and improvements in competitiveness in the sugar sector are not sustainable. .

The UK and Jamaica have discussed the impact of EU sugar reform on Jamaica, including the security implications, at a high level. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas) and I have visited Jamaica in the past two months and discussed sugar reform. In addition, two Jamaican Ministers and the chair of Jamaica's Sugar Industries Board raised concerns about the implications of EU sugar reform during discussions at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development in November 2004.

Nigeria

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether the previous Nigerian regime's use of financial instruments in the City of London was in accordance with international money-laundering conventions. [203766]

 
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Mr. Rammell: Investment in the City of London by the previous Nigerian regime was the subject of a report published by the Financial Services Authority in 2001. The report followed a three-month investigation, which established that 23 banks had accounts linked to either General Abacha, his family members or close associates. Of these, 15 banks were found to have significant control weaknesses. Eight of the banks had corrected these weaknesses after the accounts were opened and seven were ordered to take action to rectify control weaknesses.

Earlier this year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office contributed to the provision of technical assistance to the financial authorities in Nigeria in the areas of anti-money laundering and related financial crime. We have also recently agreed to participate in a large assistance programme to strengthen the Nigerian Government's anti-corruption capacity.

Pakistan

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the deaths in police custody of (a) Nasir Masih and (b) Samuel Masih. [203219]

Mr. Alexander: The British Government takes a serious view of all violent incidents involving persecution and of all other forms of religious intolerance and discrimination in Pakistan.

We believe that collective action through the European Union (EU) is the most effective way of tackling these issues. The last EU demarche to the Pakistani Government which expressed our concerns on Human Rights was in May this year. The case of Samuel Masih specifically was raised in this demarche.

More recently our High Commission in Islamabad has contacted the Public Safety Commission where the incident involving Nasir Masih took place. An inquiry is taking place into this case and local officials have undertaken to keep our High Commission informed of developments and to ensure that, subject to inquiry findings, appropriate action is taken against the police involved.

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning rapes and assaults committed upon minority women and girls in Pakistan, with particular reference to the Christian girls named Neha and Sharee Komal assaulted in April and May respectively. [203220]

Mr. Alexander: Although we have not so far made specific representations to the Pakistani Government on the deeply concerning cases of Neha and Sharee Komal, the Pakistani authorities are aware that we closely monitor all cases of violent incidents which involve the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

We have raised our concerns on these issues with the Pakistani authorities, along with EU colleagues, on a number of occasions, most recently in May this year.
 
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Rockall Continental Shelf

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in resolving the Rockall continental shelf dispute with Denmark and Iceland. [204472]

Mr. MacShane: We continue to try and reach agreement with Iceland, Ireland, and Denmark (who represent the Faroes) about a division of the continental shelf in the Northeast Atlantic in the area known as the Hatton-Rockall Plateau. The most recent technical and legal exchange of information between the four states took place in November in London. A follow up meeting is scheduled to take place in the Faroe Islands in May 2005.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203503]

Mr. Straw: No, if by "speeches" the hon. Member means ones given in a public forum. Advisers in my Department make plenty of oral contributions in meetings, including ones organised by external bodies and abroad.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997. [203912]

Mr. Straw: No.

Sri Lanka

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are making to encourage the peace process in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [202530]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 16 November 2004, Official Report, column 1339W.

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