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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Airline Failure (Repatriation Arrangements)

Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department have in place for repatriating UK citizens stranded abroad in the event of a major scheduled airline failure. [4591]

Dr. Howells: British embassies, consulates and high commissions overseas have up-to-date plans for helping British citizens affected by all types of consular emergency. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office strongly recommend that UK citizens travelling abroad take out comprehensive travel insurance.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Darling) is currently considering the issue of financial protection for air travellers, including the possibility of extending statutory protection to all UK-originating flights.

Azerbaijan

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations
 
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his Department has made to the Government of Azerbaijan regarding the arrest and detention of Mrs.Almas Guliyeva. [4229]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: We have been closely involved in the case of Mrs. Guliyeva since her arrest and detention earlier this month. Staff from our embassy in Baku have been in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Customs Committee, the police and Mrs. Guliyeva's lawyer. In addition, on 13 June our ambassador sought clarification from the Deputy Foreign Minister on whether the Azeri authorities intend to charge Mrs. Guliyeva. We await the authorities' response.

Shortly after she was detained, Mrs. Guliyeva fell ill, and has been hospitalised. consular staff from our embassy visited her both immediately after her detention and in hospital.

Diego Garcia (Terrorist Suspects)

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the status of terrorist suspects held on military bases in Diego Garcia. [4827]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The US authorities have repeatedly given us assurances that no terrorist suspects are being held on Diego Garcia, or have at any time passed in transit through Diego Garcia or its territorial waters. The British representative on Diego Garcia has confirmed this to be the case.

European Armaments Agency

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy that the creation of a European Armaments Agency, as proposed in the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, could be agreed without ratification of the Treaty. [4892]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The European Defence Agency was established in June 2004, following unanimous agreement by EU Heads of State and Government. The Government agreed with this decision as the European Defence Agency could be established under the current Treaty provisions, and we believed that the Agency would make a real contribution to enhancing the effectiveness of EU member states' military capabilities.

Former Yugoslavia

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the search for Bosnian war-crime suspects, with particular reference to (a) Radovan Karadzic and (b) General Ratko Mladic. [4050]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: We welcome recent progress in the search for fugitive war crimes suspects. In the last six months, 17 Bosnian Serb or Serbian indictees have been transferred to The Hague by the Governments of Serbia and of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina—there are now only 10 remaining fugitives. These include Radovan Karadzic and Ratko
 
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Mladic, who remain at large 10 years after the Srebrenica massacre, for which they are held most responsible.

The Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, in her most recent report to the United Nations Security Council, has commended the improvement in co-operation from the authorities in Belgrade and Banja Luka, who have re-iterated their commitment to full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. But the policy of encouraging voluntary surrenders, which they have pursued to date, appears to have reached it limits.

The UK, together with the international community, therefore continues to press for the transfer of all outstanding fugitive indictees, notably Karadzic and Mladic, as well as Gotovina, to The Hague. If they are unwilling to surrender voluntarily, the countries of the region should locate and arrest them.

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the search for the Croation war-crimes suspect General Ante Gotovina. [4051]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The latest report of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)—Carla del Ponte—the United Nations Security Council makes clear there are still serious deficiencies in Croatian efforts to locate and detain fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina. The report notes some positive developments, such as the adoption by the Croatian authorities of an Action Plan to improve co-operation, but reaffirms that Croatia cannot be said to be co-operating fully until Gotovina is in The Hague, or until the provision of information leading to his location and arrest.

The UK fully supports the Chief Prosecutor's assessment and continues to press for the transfer of all remaining fugitive indictees, in particular Karadzic, Mladic and Gotovina, to The Hague.

Hamas

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions he has given his diplomatic representatives in relation to contacts with Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [3511]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 13 June 2005]: In February my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary authorised working-level contacts in the normal course of business with Hamas elected representatives not directly implicated in violence. The Government will not have any contacts with the leadership of Hamas until they have dropped their commitment to the destruction of Israel and given up violence as a legitimate tool.

There have been two such meetings. One with the Mayor of Deir al-Balah on 7 March and the other with the Mayor of Qalqilya on 2 June. In both meetings British officials made clear HMG's demand that Hamas renounce violence and recognise Israel's right to exist. They also discussed the municipality services and budget and the political, economic and humanitarian
 
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situation with both mayors. No decisions were taken at either of these meetings, nor were there specific outcomes". No further such meetings are planned.

Hepatitis C

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department gives to those travelling overseas about the dangers of contracting (a) hepatitis C and (b) other infections from tattooing. [4397]

Dr. Howells: We do not provide specialist advice. However, as a part of its Know Before You Go" travel safety campaign and through its Travel Advice service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers general health-related advice and tips to British travellers going overseas. For example, the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk) carries a reference to the risks associated with tattooing in relation to HIV and AIDS.

The FCO website carries a link to the Department of Health website for more detailed information on health issues.

India

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh concerning the recent murders of Pastor Isaac Raju and Pastor K Daniel. [4697]

Dr. Howells: We have no plans to raise these, individual cases involving Indian citizens, with the Government of India. However we do engage with India on the wider issues raised by these cases in the course of our bilateral relationship.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Gujarat concerning the continuing activities of militant Hindu groups in (i)Andhra Pradesh state and (ii) India. [4698]

Dr. Howells: We have no current plans to make representations to the Indian Government or the Government of Gujarat about the continuing activities of alleged militant Hindu groups in India. But we do raise regularly, at various levels, the issues of political and religious freedom with the Government of India.

The Government had a policy of non-engagement with the Government of Gujarat, including Chief Minister Modi, since the atrocities of 2002 because of our strong concerns over what was the worst outbreak of religious related violence in India for over 10 years.

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