| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Oct 2005 : Column 506W—continued
Sustainable Development
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of the estate of his Department. [14534]
(2) what the most significant sustainable development impacts are in relation to the operation of his Department's estate. [14541]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions currently has an environmental management system in place, in line with the targets within the framework for sustainable development on the Government estate. Within an environmental management system significant sustainable development impacts must be assessed and for the Department these have been identified as the use of energy, paper, waste and travel. Progress is reported in the Department's annual sustainable development report.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made on his Department's sustainable development strategy. [14540]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has a sustainable development strategy, which covers the Department and all its Executive agencies. The strategy is managed by the sustainable development team, who co-ordinate the contributions from all agencies. It is actively communicated to staff via the departmental intranet site and feedback from staff is always encouraged. An annual sustainable development report is produced which contains details of progress made during the year, including details of our successes in using renewable energy, environmental improvements to the Departments' vehicle fleet and the installation of resource efficient equipment across the estate. The Department will publish a sustainable development action plan in December 2005, building on the work done to date and demonstrating how it will meet the commitments contained within the new UK strategy for sustainable development, published in March this year. Some of the Department's key successes to date include:-
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
"Security, Terrorism and the UK"
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has read the report, "Security, Terrorism and the UK", jointly published by the Economic and Social Research Council and Chatham House. [15024]
Dr. Howells: I can confirm that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has read the report. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he gave to the hon. Member for Louth and Horncastle (Sir Peter Tapsell) on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1104, stating that that he had carefully studied the report.
Belgium (UK Mission Bugging)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Belgian authorities in identifying who bugged the UK Mission in the Justus Lipsius Council of Ministers building in 2003; and if he will make a statement. [15737]
Mr. Straw: Since 14 October 2004, Official Report, column 372W, when my right hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs replied to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes), the Belgian authorities have been continuing their investigations. No results are so far available. We and the other EU member states concerned are co-operating with the Belgian authorities.
Burma
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking in response to reports of human rights abuses against the Karen, Shan and Karenni ethnic minorities of Burma. [16522]
Ian Pearson: Our ambassador in Rangoon has expressed to the Burmese Foreign Minister our serious concern over reports of human rights abuses in ethnic areas, and has drawn particular attention to the concerns expressed by hon. Members and Peers.
The UK works closely with its international partners to press for improvements to human rights in Burma. When the EU Troika, including the United Kingdom, met the Burmese Foreign Minister in Kyoto on 6 May they emphasised the need for the regime to enter into a constructive dialogue with ethnic groups to achieve lasting national reconciliation.
Discrimination and persecution on the basis of religious or ethnic background has been condemned in successive UK and EU co-sponsored UN Resolutions on Burma, most recently at the UN Commission on Human Rights in April. We fully support the efforts in this field of the UN Secretary General's Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro.
We will continue to raise our concerns at every suitable opportunity.
12 Oct 2005 : Column 508W
Colombia
Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Colombian Government on the deaths of trades unionists there; and what discussions he has had with the Colombian Government on implementation of UN recommendations on human rights. [15110]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: My noble Friend Lord Triesman, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, raised our concerns over human rights, including the deaths of trade unionists, with the Colombian Foreign Minister when she visited London with President Uribe on 14 July. He underlined the importance of swift investigations and provision of information by the Colombians when there were reports of human rights abuses. We continue to raise specific human rights cases with the Government of Colombia through our embassy in Bogota. We brought the case of the trade unionist Luciano Romero Molina to the attention of the Colombian authorities on 23 September. We will continue to monitor this case as well as others. Human rights remain at the centre of our policy towards Colombia.
The EU Council of Ministers' conclusions on 3 October underlined the willingness of the EU to discuss mid-year progress on the implementation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) recommendations within the framework of the G24, the group drawn from participants in the 2003 London meeting of international support for Colombia, in Bogota. We will continue to look for ways to encourage and assist the Colombian Government to improve the human rights situation in Colombia, including offers of support to help implement the UN recommendations.
G8 Summit
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost for the security fence at the G8 summit in Gleneagles was. [15658]
Ian Pearson: The policing of the G8 Summit was the responsibility of the Devolved Administration. Scottish Ministers have indicated that information on the policing operation, including the cost of the security fencing deployed, is intended for future publication later in the year.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the full accounts for hospitality for the G8 summit in Gleneagles. [15659]
Ian Pearson: The G8 Summit at the Gleneagles Hotel was a working event. The organisational costs, including those for catering and hospitality, will be released once all invoices and bills have been received and the figures finalised.
Paraguay
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions
12 Oct 2005 : Column 509W
he has held with the Government of Paraguay on (a) its relations with Bolivia and (b) its facilities agreement with the USA for the deployment of troops. [16208]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: None. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had the opportunity recently to meet his Paraguayan colleagues.
Somalia
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the trial in Somaliland of those alleged to be responsible for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Eyeington; and if he will make a statement. [15092]
Ian Pearson: The trial of those alleged to be responsible for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Eyeington and four other linked attacks on foreign nationals, which began in March 2005, is ongoing. The prosecution and defence teams have presented their cases to the court. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and Addis Ababa continue to monitor the trial and update the Eyeington family. A verdict hearing planned for 25 September was postponed until after the Somaliland parliamentary elections of 29 September due to security reasons. We are waiting for a new hearing date to be confirmed.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |