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UK Military Lawyers

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list UK military lawyers who have been based in Iraq since the start of recent military operations; and what the role and function has been of each. [210353]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 24 January 2005]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Veterans Agency

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for financial years (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 the Veterans Agency spent in Scotland (i) in monetary terms and (ii)as a percentage of the total personnel budget; and if he will make a statement. [214252]

Mr. Caplin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
 
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Veterans Lapel Badge

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons veterans of Suez and other conflicts since the Second World War are ineligible to receive the Veterans Lapel Badge inscribed with the words HM Armed Forces Veterans; and if he will take steps to include this group of former servicemen and women amongst those eligible for this badge. [222937]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 21 March 2005]: All veterans who served in the First or Second World Wars, and widow(er)s whose spouse served during those wars and died as a result of service in the armed forces and who are accordingly in receipt of a war widow(er)'s pension are currently entitled to receive a Veterans Badge. Also, with effect from 1 February 2005 servicemen and women who now leave the Service, subject to certain conditions, are also entitled.

When the demand from World War veterans has been satisfied, we plan to extend eligibility to other veterans as resources allow. It is envisaged that this will be done on a chronological basis, dealing first with veterans of the inter-war years and those who served in the 1940s after the end of the Second World War. Veterans who served in the 1950s, which includes those who served in Korea and Suez, will be included in the following tranche.

Vote Registration (Service Men)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department has taken to increase the number of servicemen that are registered to vote. [220210]

Mr. Caplin: As I assured the hon. Member for Chichester during the Adjournment debate on 8 December last year, we have worked closely with the Electoral Commission to improve awareness in the service community of the options to register to vote.

The answers to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr.Soames) on 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 1575W, and the hon. Members for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray) and Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 13, and 7 February 2005, Official Report, column 1169, respectively to questions during the Defence Debates, also explained that an internal information campaign began at the end of January.

A Joint Service Defence Council Instruction providing full information and practical help to service personnel on how to register and explaining the various voting options open to them was also published at the same time.

Welsh Language Scheme

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board; and on what date the scheme was implemented. [211329]

Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's Welsh language scheme was approved by the Welsh Language Board on 15 June 1999 and came into being on that date.
 
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Except where otherwise agreed with the Welsh Language Board, the commitments in the scheme were implemented from the date it was approved.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

China

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese Government on the rights of religious minorities; and if he will make it his policy to exert pressure on China to increase religious freedom. [213231]

Mr. Rammell: We are concerned about religious freedom in China, including the treatment of religious minorities, and monitor the situation closely. During his most recent trip to China in January 2005 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised progress on the ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which contains provisions on freedom of conscience and religion. The case of house church leader, Pastor Zhang Rongliang, was also discussed.

We raise a number of concerns about religious freedom at our biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, the last round of which was held in Beijing on 22 November 2004.

Constitution for Europe

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a copy of the proposed Constitution for Europe available in every public library in the United Kingdom. [224895]

Mr. MacShane: A copy of the commentary on the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe has been sent to all central libraries and European Public Information Centres in the UK. The commentary contains the full text of the treaty itself as well as an introduction and analysis of the text, line by line. The full text of the EU constitutional treaty and commentary are available free at www.europe.gov.uk.

Correspondence

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes of 1 February 2005 about transporting a fishing boat hull mould from RAF St. Mawgan to Sri Lanka. [220885]

Mr. Alexander [holding answer 9 March 2005]: I regret the delay, however the hon. Member's letter was transferred to the Department for International Development. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development replied to the hon. Member on 4 April.

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 26 January regarding a constituent, reference GV100/97610/MD. [224771]

Mr. Mullin: A reply to my hon. Friend was sent on 6 April. I apologise for the delay in responding.
 
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Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to answer the letters from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton, with regard to (a) Mr. Rashid, dated 14 February, (b) Mrs. Iqbal, dated 18 January, (c) Mrs. B. Reid, dated 23 February, (d) Mr. Fernando, dated 18 January and (e) Hira Khalid, dated 19 January. [224866]

Mr. Mullin: In regards to my right hon. Friend's correspondence concerning Mr. Rashid, Mr. Fernando and Mrs. B. Reid, I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 6 April 2005, Official Report, column 1486W.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 18 January concerning Mrs. Iqbal on 6 April.

I replied to my right hon. Friend's correspondence on Hira Khalid on 1 April.

Disaster Victim Identification

Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures he has established for disaster victim identification following a major overseas incident. [224855]

Mr. Mullin: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Ethiopia

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ethiopian Government in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005. [224829]

Mr. Mullin: We hold regular discussions with the Ethiopian Government. I have spoken with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles on many occasions since the beginning of 2004, most recently on 24 February 2005. These discussions have focused on a range of issues, including: the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Dispute, human rights, poverty reduction and the forthcoming Ethiopian parliamentary elections on 15 May.

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Ethiopia. [224830]

Mr. Mullin: We continue to have concerns about the human rights situation in Ethiopia. In the Memorandum of Understanding we signed with Ethiopia in January 2003, the Government of Ethiopia made a commitment to protect the full range of human rights of all Ethiopians, especially the poor. We are supporting the implementation of this commitment through our regular dialogue with the Ethiopian Government, as well as carefully monitoring their performance.

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