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Nepal

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will support a resolution at the Commission on Human Rights calling for the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Nepal to monitor the human rights situation; and if he will make a statement. [223853]

Mr. Straw: The UK is closely involved in negotiations at the UN Commission on Human Rights this year, as we were last year when we contributed significantly to a chairman's statement. We remain equally engaged this year in the new political context following the King's take-over of power on 1 February and his suspension of fundamental rights. We remain deeply troubled by all abuses carried out against the ordinary people of Nepal, both by the state and the Maoists, and remain committed to improving the human rights situation in Nepal. We are seeking to do this through a number of means, including by continuing to fund human rights organisations and remaining engaged with the Nepalese National Human Rights Commission. We are also seeking to effect change through the UN Commission for Human Rights and are currently working with our international partners to find the best way to take this forward. Unless radical progress is made in the short term, we will be looking to secure a robust statement calling for the release of all political prisoners, the restoration of fundamental rights and an appropriate mechanism for human rights monitoring. The final position is still evolving in negotiation with our international partners.
 
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Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to encourage Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory states to sign and ratify additional protocols; and whether it is his policy that adherence to additional protocols should be set as the standard for verifying compliance with the Treaty. [223330]

Mr. MacShane: The Government use every opportunity bilaterally and multilaterally to encourage universal acceptance of the International Atomic Energy Agency Additional Protocols (AP) and for recognition that, together with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, the AP is now the nuclear verification standard. We would like to see the AP accepted as a future condition of supply of sensitive nuclear materials.

Nuclear Proliferation

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances he would make public information received from friendly foreign intelligence services on nuclear proliferation activities. [224010]

Mr. Straw: Intelligence information is made public only in exceptional circumstances, and in the case where it has been received from a foreign security or intelligence service this would be done only with their agreement.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Secret Intelligence Service commissioned the chemical defence establishment at Porton Down to conduct experiments with the chemical LSD on service personnel; when these experiments took place; what the outcome was of the trials; how many service personnel were tested with LSD; how many Porton Down scientists were tested with LSD; and if he will make a statement. [220430]

Mr. Straw: In 1953 and 1954 the Secret Intelligence Service commissioned Porton Down to conduct tests on military service volunteers, and also on Porton Scientists themselves, to examine their reactions to LSD. The Government's defence interest in LSD began in the early 1950s because of its perceived potential as an incapacitant and/or interrogation aid. The 1953–54 LSD tests were but a small part of the continuing Porton Down volunteer test programme. The conclusion of the tests was that LSD had no demonstrable value for intelligence purposes.

Uganda

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs when the People's Redemption Army (PRA) in Uganda was formed; what installations the PRA has attacked; and if he will make a statement. [223795]

Mr. Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 
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(Chris Mullin) gave on 9 March 2005, Official Report, column 1896W to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).

United Nations (Secretary-General's Report)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Government will make to Chapter three of the Secretary-General of the United Nations' Report, In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights For All. [224135]

Mr. Rammell: We have warmly welcomed the publication of the Secretary General's report issued on 21 March In Larger Freedom", and the bold reform proposals it makes. It is consistent with UK priorities for the Millennium Review Summit in September.

We are engaging actively with partners and with the UN on implementation of the report, including on many issues highlighted in Chapter III: Freedom from fear. We want to encourage agreement on a substantial package of UN reforms, including on the proposed Peacebuilding Commission and on strengthening the UN's response to the threat of terrorism.

We have also embarked on a public consultation exercise throughout the UK with the UN Association, to ensure that members of the public and civil society are given the opportunity of feeding in their views.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received concerning the fundraising mission to the UK earlier in 2005 of Dr. Ghulam Adam from Zimbabwe; what action his Department has taken to ensure there has been no breach of the European Union's restrictive measures against Zimbabwe; and what action can be taken against individuals who may have donated money in contravention of the EU restrictions. [223866]

Mr. Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received uncorroborated reports earlier this year that Dr. Adam had previously been in the UK conducting fund-raising for ZANU-PF. Fund-raising for a political party is not in itself a breach of EU sanctions on Zimbabwe. These sanctions provide that

'no funds or economic resources shall be made available directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed',

a list which includes individual leading members of the Zimbabwean regime and of ZANU-PF but not the party itself. An offence would therefore have been committed only if the object or effect of the fund-raising was to give funds directly or indirectly to persons subject to the sanctions, and we have not received actionable evidence to that effect. We refer all credible allegations that the EU sanctions may have been broken to the relevant UK authorities. Those responsible for breaching sanctions are liable for prosecution.
 
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HEALTH

A and E Departments

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the compliance target for the maximum four-hour accident and emergency waiting time has been set at 98 per cent. [222806]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The 98 per cent. operational standard was set to allow sufficient flexibility for clinicians to manage the small minority of patients who clinically require more than four hours in accident and emergency. It followed a wide consultation with clinicians and their representative organisations.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to undertake unannounced inspections of hospitals accident and emergency departments to monitor compliance with the four-hour waiting time target. [222831]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The national health service collects data for every patient who attends accident and emergency (A and E) showing performance against the four-hour target. There are clear reporting standards, set through national guidance, and there are rigorous checks at both local and national level to ensure that the data returns are robust. The Department also deploys a number of improvement teams who work directly with A and E departments and who are able to provide additional assurances about the quality and reliability of performance reporting. We do not consider that any additional checks are needed.

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