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Immigration Cases

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the High Commission in Islamabad sent to the Home Office the case papers on Mr. I. H., husband of Mrs. S. B. of Aylesbury, reference number ISB/747450. [215727]

Mr. Mullin: I regret that I cannot provide this information as it is not our practice to disclose details of individual entry clearance cases in a public forum. However, I have written to the hon. Member.

International Criminal Court

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the proceedings brought to the International Criminal Court since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [215416]

Mr. Rammell: The International Criminal Court has launched two formal investigations at the request of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but as yet there are no proceedings arising out of these investigations.

Iran

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) Iran's current nuclear capability and (b) the future progress of its nuclear programme. [214450]

Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply Igave to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 236W.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards Iran. [215682]

Mr. Rammell: Our policy towards Iran, like that of the European Union, is one of constructive but critical engagement. We maintain a robust dialogue on issues of concern such as Iran's nuclear programme, human rights record, approach to the fight against terrorism and attitude towards the Middle East Peace Process.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to support the reform movement in Iran. [215683]

Mr. Rammell: Supporting reform across the Middle East region, including Iran, is a priority for the Government. We are promoting reform in Iran through: engagement with Ministries, the Judiciary, and civil
 
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society within Iran, including through the EU-Iran Human Rights Dialogue; project work on good governance, rule of law and advancement of women; and action at the UN, including most recently co-sponsoring with other EU countries a General Assembly resolution in December 2004 expressing serious concern at the human rights situation in Iran and calling for change.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had concerning Iran's nuclear programme. [215770]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has frequent discussions with his French and German colleagues concerning Iran's nuclear programme. The issue is also always on the agenda for discussions with a wide range of Ministers from other states.

Most recently, the Foreign Secretary held lengthy discussions with the US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza Rice on 4 February. The Foreign Secretary and Dr. Rice made public statements on the discussions at a press conference following their meeting. The transcript of the press conference is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk.

Discussions at senior official level with representatives of the Iranian Government continue on a regular basis.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of people detained by Coalition forces in Iraq but not recorded on Camp Cropper prison rolls and not presented to the International Committee of the Red Cross; and if he will make a statement. [211391]

Mr. Rammell: When US detention facilities were first established in Iraq there were administrative lapses that resulted in errors in the recording of detainees, but remedial action was taken to ensure these were corrected. We are aware of allegations that some detentions were deliberately not recorded. We have raised this with the United States authorities who assured us that there were no unrecorded detainees. All detainees at British facilities are recorded fully.

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) is able to visit any US and UK detention facility. They also have access to prisoner records. The ICRC produces regular reports based on visits they make to coalition detention facilities. We address promptly any concerns raised by the ICRC. We also encourage the US to do the same, including concerns raised over the recording of detainees held by coalition forces.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received concerning the possible involvement of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro with the overseas assets of the Saddam Hussein regime; and if he will make a statement. [212199]

Mr. Rammell: We are not aware of any information received by the Government concerning the involvement of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro with the overseas assets of the Saddam Hussein regime.
 
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Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the electoral register in Iraq. [214108]

Mr. Rammell: The electoral register in Iraq was compiled by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI). Excerpts from the register were displayed prior to the 30 January elections to enable anybody to challenge the accuracy of the information it contained. Whether to publish the consolidated voter register is a matter for the IECI.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department made of the percentage of the adult population of Iraq that was registered to vote. [214109]

Mr. Rammell: Preliminary estimates indicate that over 85 per cent. of the adult population were registered to vote in the elections on 30 January.

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his statement of 31 January 2005, Official Report, columns 573–91, on Iraq, what the nationality was of the insurgents detained in Iraq for offences in connection with the elections. [214148]

Mr. Rammell [holding answer 4 February 2005]: We do not have detailed information about the nationality of insurgents detained in Iraq for offences in connection with the elections. As with other terrorist attacks in Iraq, insurgents involved in such offences would likely include a proportion of foreigners. By way of illustration, the Iraqi Interim Government has said that all the eight suicide bombers involved in attacks on the day of the elections were foreign—four Sudanese, two Syrians, one Indonesian and one Saudi Arabian.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what part officials from UK Government departments have had in the (a) management and (b) monitoring of reconstruction funds in Iraq. [215147]

Mr. Rammell: As a Coalition partner in Iraq the UK Government was a member of the Programme Review Board (PRB), established by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to enable emergency or unanticipated extra-budgetary spending requests—including for reconstruction projects—to be brought to a joint Iraqi-CPA body for assessment and authorisation. A senior UK Government official attended PRB meetings on behalf of the UK. Minutes of the PRB are available online at http://www.cpairaq.org/budget/program_review_board.html.

The UK was also instrumental in setting up the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB), to oversee the auditing of Iraq's oil revenues and their management by the Coalition in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483 of 22 May 2003. UK officials had no direct role in the monitoring or auditing of reconstruction funds in Iraq. The auditing function of the CPA was carried out by officials and professionals supplied by other members of the Coalition, who worked alongside the firm of international auditors employed by the IAMB to undertake the audit of CPA management of the Development Fund for Iraq on behalf of the IAMB.
 
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Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department was first informed of the mismanagement of reconstruction funds in Iraq. [215148]

Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. MacShane) gave to the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr. Simmonds) on 4 February 2005, Official Report, column 1202W.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK-based private contractors enjoy immunity from prosecution under local Iraqi law. [215476]

Mr. Rammell: Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Order 17 continues to govern the status of certain foreign private security contractors in Iraq. These include private security contractors who are providing security services to Diplomatic Missions, the Multinational Force, International Consultants and other contractors defined in the Order, and their personnel. Such contractors will be immune from Iraqi legal process with respect to acts performed by them pursuant to the terms of a contract. Contractors must, however, respect Iraqi laws. Private security companies must comply with all CPA Orders and Memoranda. CPA Memorandum 17 obliges all such companies operating in Iraq to obtain a Business License from the Iraqi Ministry of Trade and an Operating License from the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior (MOI). The MOI monitors the actions of such companies and can revoke their Operating License. The contracting state has the right to waive the immunity of such companies.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will submit a declaration to the United Nations Security Council, in pursuance of Paragraph 23 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (1991) of 8 April 1991, formally to end sanctions against Iraq. [215502]

Mr. Rammell: Comprehensive sanctions against Iraq,as imposed by UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 661 (6 August 1990) and amended by subsequent relevant resolutions, were lifted by UNSCR 1483 (22 May 2003). However, the Security Council has continued to judge the situation in Iraq a threat to international peace and security. UNSCR 1483, passed in 2003, retained an arms embargo, with certain exemptions; imposed a freeze on assets outside Iraq of the former Iraqi regime and certain associates, and an obligation on member states to transfer these funds to the Development Fund for Iraq; and prohibited trade in stolen Iraqi cultural property.

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