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Sudan

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps (a) the UK and (b) the UN are taking to assist the reform of Sudanese criminal law to bring it into line with international human rights and humanitarian law. [218668]

Mr. Mullin: Under the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Sudanese Government have committed itself to complying fully with international human rights treaties. The CPA sets out rights and freedoms to be enjoyed under Sudanese law, including the rights to fair trial and equality before the law. The UK plans to play a leading role supporting reform of the Sudanese justice sector. We have committed £7.2 million for a programme which will include training for police and the establishment of key commissions to support the implementation of the Peace Agreement. We are also funding programmes through the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Christian Aid and the Sudanese Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) to support legal aid training and to raise awareness of human rights standards.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is leading the UN's effort to strengthen the rule of law in Sudan. They are focusing on training and capacity building. The UK has provided funds for UNDP to appoint two legal experts to work on legal reconstruction and reform, and to co-ordinate donor support in this area. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) is also implementing programmes for the promotion and protection of human rights in the administration of justice. It is important to seize the opportunities offered by the CPA to make progress on human rights in Sudan.

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps (a) the UK and (b) the UN is taking to ensure that the Sudanese Government adheres to its obligations under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. [218669]

Mr. Mullin: We have made clear our commitment to helping the parties implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed on 9 January 2005, in Nairobi.

We regularly press the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army to establish the Government of National Unity and the necessary Commissions to take the CPA forward. We have also committed £100 million in humanitarian and development aid to Sudan for the coming financial year, and supported signature of the EU's Country Strategy Paper, which unlocks a progressive release of funds to Sudan based on successful implementation of the Agreement.

The UN Security Council is currently discussing a draft resolution, which includes plans for a UN Peace Support Operation (PSO) of up to 11,000 personnel to south Sudan. The PSO will monitor compliance with the
 
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terms of the CPA and will include a number of civilian experts to assist the parties in implementing the agreement.

Uganda

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the chances for future stability in Uganda, with particular reference to the recent statement on the issue by British High Commissioner Mr. Adam Wood. [218272]

Mr. Mullin: Given Uganda's past experience, it is crucial that the current process of constitutional change is widely perceived as legitimate, and carries the confidence of the Ugandan people and Parliament. We have urged that Parliament should be given the opportunity to vote on proposed amendments individually and in the spirit of constitutional provisions for change.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the visit to Uganda by the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and (b) the level of support by President Museveni for the Iranian nuclear programme. [218285]

Mr. Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr.Hancock) today (UIN 218287).

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the visit to North Korea by the Ugandan Defence Minister Mr. Amama Mbabazi and (b) the extent of Ugandan support for North Korea's nuclear programme. [218286]

Mr. Mullin: The Defence Minister may have been exploring military procurement. We have helped Uganda undertake a comprehensive defence review. We are now concerned that all Uganda's defence spending—including its classified budget—should reflect the priorities identified in that review.

We do not consider that Uganda can offer significant support on nuclear issues.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the visit to Uganda by the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and (b) the extent of Uganda's support for the Iranian nuclear programme. [218287]

Mr. Mullin: The two Presidents, in their public statements, discussed Iranian investment in Uganda. Inward investment is important to Uganda. It needs to be based on sustainable financial arrangements that benefit the economy. We do not consider Uganda has significant support to offer on nuclear issues.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to dissuade African countries from supporting President Mugabe's land reform policies in Zimbabwe. [218288]

 
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Mr. Mullin: We want to see the return of democracy, prosperity and the rule of law in Zimbabwe and are working with our international partners to that end. In this context we have raised, and continue to raise, Mugabe's disastrous land reform policies with other African countries.

WORK AND PENSIONS

APW Pension Scheme

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether pensioners who will retire after the wind-up of the APW pension scheme will qualify for the deemed buyback of guaranteed minimum pensions and have these benefits backdated to the date at which they retired at age 65. [218995]

Malcolm Wicks: Pensioners who retire after the wind-up of the APW Pension scheme may qualify for deemed buyback, providing the amount of scheme rights that are available in respect of the member (the Actual Transfer Value) is less than the amount required to restore State Scheme rights to the level they would have been had the member never been contracted-out (the Technical Amount).

For those who qualify and opt for deemed buyback the state pension will be uprated from the effective date" (as defined in regulation 1(2) of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) (Amount Required for Restoring State Scheme Rights and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1397). The effective date" is the date that the Secretary of State determines, for the purposes of Deemed Buyback, the extent to which the resources of the pension scheme are insufficient to meet the liability for the cash equivalent of the member's rights under the scheme.

Benefit Overpayments

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received in response to proposals to change the rules relating to overpayments of benefit resulting from changes in circumstances which have been reported to his Department but have not been acted upon. [212340]

Mr. Pond: Where there has been a full and correct disclosure of changes of circumstances, overpayments arising as a result of the Department failing to action a reported change are not recoverable under social security legislation.

We have no plans to change the rules relating to such overpayments.

Congestion Charge

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on congestion (a) charges and (b) penalty charge notices by the Department since the commencement of the congestion charging scheme. [213815]

Maria Eagle: Where a congestion charge is incurred in the course of official business, the Department meets this cost. The information on cost is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
 
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The Department incurs no costs relating to penalty charge notices incurred by civil servants.

For information on congestion charges and penalty charges incurred by vehicles provided to Departments by the Government Car and Despatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr.Milburn) on 28 February 2005, Official Report, column 957W.

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