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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Afghanistan
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome has been of investigations undertaken by US authorities into deaths of two people detained by US authorities at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan in December 2002; and if he will make a statement. [208774]
Mr. Rammell: A US Army Criminal Investigation Division investigation has recommended that charges be brought against 26 soldiers. We understand that the appropriate US military authorities are considering that recommendation.
China
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to European counterparts concerning an EU-wide demarche to the Government of China on the recent arrest of Pastor Zhang Rongliang; and if he will make a statement. [208393]
Mr. Rammell:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 13 January 2005, Official Report, columns 634–35W.
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Departmental Advertising
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which Muslim newspapers the Department advertises; and what kinds of advertising the Department places in Muslim newspapers. [201699]
Mr. Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not currently advertise in any specific Muslim newspapers. In the past we have placed recruitment advertisements in the Muslim News and Q News, but found that the response rate was disappointing and that we attracted more minority ethnic applications when advertising in the mainstream publications.
Centre Point Group, who administer our recruitment campaigns, also place advertisements with Works for Me, the Voice and the Ethnic Media News (covering Eastern Eye, India Weekly, Asian Times, Caribbean Times, African Times and New Nation). We also have a range of diversity projects that run throughout the year to raise awareness of the FCO and opportunities to work with us.
Departmental Equipment
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many items of electrical equipment were used by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) cost and (b) number of each type of item. [205736]
Mr. Rammell: As at 31 March 2004, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's fixed asset register showed that it had the following classes of electrical equipment available for use:
These items may be single or grouped assets with an individual value of £3,000 or more. Collating a full record of electronic items of less than £3,000 in value held by the Department's global network of posts could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Diego Garcia
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements US military forces have for access to the British territory of Diego Garcia; and for how long these arrangements are programmed to continue. [208680]
Mr. Rammell:
Under the Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom and United States concerning the Availability for Defence Purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory of 30 December 1966 (Cmnd. 3231), the whole territory is to remain available to meet the possible defence needs of the two countries for an initial period of 50 years from 1966, and thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless either party has given prior notice to terminate it. A further Exchange of Notes
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concluded in 1976 (Cmnd. 6413) regulates the establishment and functioning of the facilities of the United States in Diego Garcia and related matters.
Diplomatic Representation (Middle East)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget for diplomatic representation to countries in the Middle East is for the current financial year; and what the budgetary allocation is to each country. [208401]
Mr. Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Middle East and North Africa Directorate's budget (administration, capital and programme) for diplomatic representation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries for the current financial year is £32,597,369. MENA countries and their individual budgets are:
International Labour Organisation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work his Department has undertaken with the International Labour Organisation to promote independent trade union representation among the people of Iraq. [207718]
Mr. Rammell: The Transitional Administrative Law, which came into force on 28 June 2004, made provision for the right of all Iraqis to join unions. We understand that at least 12 national trade unions have already been set up and four open conferences have been held. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions organised a successful fact-finding mission in early 2004, partly funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which looked at the state of trade unions in Baghdad, Basra and northern Iraq.
The Government continues to support the active role the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is playing in Iraq and has contact with the ILO on Iraq as one of the agencies working as part of the International Reconstruction Fund for Iraq. An ILO sponsored conference on Jobs for the Future of Iraq took place in Amman in December 2004. Industrial relations were raised in the outstanding issues paper prepared for the conference, and a panel convened on industrial relations, tripartism and social dialogue. The conference
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concluded with an action plan on employment creation in Iraq. The implementing partner for these activities is the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs together with the ILO.
Iraq
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will be entitled to vote in the Iraqi election on 30 January in Falluja; what the anticipated number on the electoral roll in that area is; what arrangements are in place for those who fled the recent fighting to vote; and if he will make a statement. [207247]
Mr. Rammell: Residents of Falluja will be able to vote at polling stations throughout the province of Al Anbar, and in designated centres in Salahadin province and West Baghdad. The number of eligible voters in Al Anbar province is estimated to be 574,000. The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq are developing contingency plans to deal with those people displaced following the military action in Falluja. We understand that these arrangements will be publicised nearer to the elections.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work his Department has undertaken in Iraq since 1 July 2004 to promote the benefits of trade union membership. [207717]
Mr. Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows closely trade union issues in Iraq and supports the Department for International Development (DFID) activities in this area. Requests to support trade union activity in Iraq from UNISON and the International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR), in partnership with Iraqi organisations, have been approved under DFID's Civil Society Fund (CSF). In addition, a proposal from the Trades Union Congress has been received for consideration under the CSF.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Her Majesty's Government's policy is on the closure by the Iraqi interim Government of Al-Jazeera offices; whether his Department's representatives in Iraq have made representations on this issue at official meetings; and if he will make a statement. [208835]
Mr. Rammell: We have repeatedly made clear to the Iraqi interim Government the importance we attach to media freedom in Iraq and the need to strengthen the institutions established by the Coalition Provisional Authority to ensure this. We will continue to do so.
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