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European Constitution

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to translate the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe into (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots. [203691]

Mr. MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to translate the EU constitutional treaty into Gaelic or Scots.

Gaelic Language

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans his Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217094]

Mr. Straw: The UK Government have committed themselves to the principles of protecting and promoting specified regional minority languages, including Gaelic, through their ratification of the Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

We have no current plans to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but FCO officials, if approached, are ready to work with the Bord na Gàidhlig to explore what scope exists for facilitating the use of the Gaelic language.
 
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GCHQ

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when child care vouchers will be made available to staff at GCHQ; and if he will make a statement. [216452]

Mr. Straw: GCHQ has committed itself to making child care vouchers available to staff as part of its overall package of benefits. The plan is to introduce child care vouchers as part of a thorough overhaul of the pay system currently being negotiated with the trade union. The intention is to introduce child care vouchers no later than April 2006.

Global Conflict Prevention Pool

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what proportion of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool has been spent on human rights since its inception; [217320]

(2) what proportion of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool has gone on mine clearance. [217321]

Mr. Rammell: The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) was established in 2001. From 2001–02 to 2004–05 £276 million has been allocated to the GCPP strategies. There are 15 regional and thematic GCPP strategies, each running a large number of individual projects.

The Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) is now the main Foreign and Commonwealth Office vehicle for funding human rights projects. In financial year 2004–05, the GOF is supporting human rights projects worth approximately £13 million, up from about £11 million in 2003–04. We expect this to increase still further in 2005–06.

The GCPP only funds de-mining and human rights activities if they clearly form an integral part of a conflict prevention strategy. However, the human rights impact of every GCPP project is considered during the project selection process. Specific details relating to de-mining and human rights activities funded under GCPP strategies are not held centrally. As a result, the information could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Haiti

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the security situation in Haiti of MINUSTAH since 1 June 2004; and if he will make a statement. [216401]

Mr. Rammell: The security situation in Haiti has improved over recent months, thanks to the deployment of the UN stabilisation force MINUSTAH. MINUSTAH is now operating at full strength, and this should be an important factor in helping to provide the more secure environment needed for Haitian elections at the end of 2005. But further progress is needed—disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration need to be accelerated.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received regarding the killing of police
 
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officers in Clercine neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince on 7 February; how many similar incidents have been reported since September 2004; and if he will make a statement. [216402]

Mr. Rammell: We have received reports on the killing of four police officers in the Clercine neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince on 6 February. Despite improvements since the departure of former President Aristide in February 2004, the security situation in Haiti remains tense. There have been a number of violent incidents over recent months, many of which have involved armed groups of ex-military personnel. The UK has supported the UN's role in providing a stabilisation force, and has lobbied for the disarming of gangs.

Iraq

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) nationalities and (b) identities of the foreign (i) suppliers and (ii) financiers of the Iraqi military procurement programme during Saddam Hussein's regime; and if he will make a statement. [212174]

Mr. Rammell: During the course of UN weapons inspections in the 1990s, the inspection teams did, on occasion, bring to the notice of the Government details of equipment uncovered in Iraq that had been supplied by UK firms. Similarly, Iraq's Full, Final and Complete Declaration produced in December 2002 under UN Security Council Resolution 1441 also listed a number of companies and individuals as suppliers of materials to Iraq. The circumstances surrounding the supply and/or financing of supplies were investigated at the time by the relevant UK authorities and any appropriate action taken.

The Government have not undertaken any investigation into supplies by, or financing from, companies or individuals from other countries. Any such investigation is the responsibility of the authorities of those countries.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with (a) the US Administration, (b) the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority and (c) others on the management of reconstruction funds in Iraq (i) prior to the establishment of those funds and (ii) since the report of the US Government auditors; and if he will make a statement. [215154]

Mr. Rammell: The UK had discussions with the US Administration and other coalition partners over the text of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483 of 22 May 2003, which noted the establishment of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) as the account into which Iraq's oil revenues would be paid. Following establishment of the DFI the UK Government had discussions with the US Administration and officials in the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) over the terms of reference for the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB), mandated under UNSCR 1483 to oversee the auditing of Iraq's oil revenues and their management by the coalition.
 
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The UK has not had discussions with the US or Iraqi Administrations following the report into CPA operations and programmes by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). Under UNSCR 1546 of 8 June 2004, as of the end of the occupation and the dissolution of the CPA on 28 June 2004, control over management of the DFI passed to the Iraqi Administration. UNSCR 1546 also provided for continuation of the IAMB'S oversight function until the Iraqi Government decides otherwise.

In addition to discussions on the DFI, the UK Government have worked closely with other Governments, the UN and the World Bank over the establishment and management of the UN and World Bank managed International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, which provides a channel for donor country support to the reconstruction of Iraq. The UK Government also have regular discussions with other bilateral donors to promote the co-ordination of international assistance to Iraq.

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what percentage of the total Iraqi adult population is estimated to have voted in the recent election; [215829]

(2) what the official estimate is of the percentage of registered voters who voted in the recent election in Iraq. [215830]

Mr. Rammell: There has been no recent, reliable population census in Iraq. In preparation for the January elections, around 14 million adult Iraqis were included in a passive registration conducted by the Public Distribution System using Oil for Food Programme records. The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq announced the provisional final election results on 13 February and said that 8.45 million people voted on 30 January, 58 per cent. of the registered voters.

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