---

24 Nov 2005 : Column 2244W—continued

Gibraltar

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Gibraltar. [31070]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary currently has no plans to visit Gibraltar, but hopes to meet Peter Caruana, Gibraltar's Chief Minister, in London shortly.

Royal Visit (USA)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1488W, what contact Hank Dittmar and Katherine Horley of the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment had with his Department's staff during their Royal Highnesses' recent official visit to the United States; which events organised by the Government they attended; whether they accompanied their Royal Highnesses on the journey between Washington DC and New York; and if he will make a statement. [31661]

Dr. Howells: The senior visits officer at our embassy in Washington was in e-mail contact with Mr. Dittmar, and met Mr. Dittmar briefly at the National Building Museum event in Washington on 3 November. Mr. Dittmar was one of the guests at the Reception held that evening at our ambassador's residence. There is no record of equivalent contact with Ms Horley.

Neither Mr. Dittmar nor Ms Horley accompanied their Royal Highnesses on the journey from New York to Washington DC or on any other journeys.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005 to question 26865, what presents whose costs were taken from public funds, other than those given to President and Mrs. Bush, were presented by their Royal Highnesses during their recent visit to the United States; to whom they were given; and who purchased them. [31663]

Dr. Howells: A number of gifts were presented by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during the recent visit to the USA whose cost will be met from public funds. These include gifts to dignitaries and people from the host country who played a major part in the organisation of the visit, or were personally attached to their Royal Highnesses during the visit. Small gifts were also presented to Foreign and
 
24 Nov 2005 : Column 2245W
 
Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff who were closely connected with the visit. It is current practice for FCO staff to be presented with such a memento, normally a signed photograph or other small object, in recognition of their efforts and hard work during such Royal visits overseas The gifts are purchased on behalf of the household of the Prince of Wales, with the cost reimbursed by the FCO. No gifts were presented to representatives of the Prince of Wales' charities.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1488W, what the present purchased for President Bush from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was; who purchased it; where the present was purchased; and whether the cost was charged to (a) the Royal Household and (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. [31664]

Dr. Howells: The present was a first edition of a book written by Sir Winston Churchill and was purchased on behalf of the Household of the Prince of Wales from a London book dealer. In line with normal practice the cost will be reimbursed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as sponsoring department.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005 to question 26865, who purchased the present for Mrs. Bush given by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall; where the present was purchased; from whom it was purchased; and whether its cost was charged to (a) the Royal Household and (b) his Department. [31665]

Dr. Howells: The present was a Highgrove planter pot, purchased on behalf of the household of the Prince of Wales from the Highgrove shop. It was paid for by the Prince of Wales personally.

Tibet

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese government on human rights in Tibet. [30826]

Ian Pearson: We regularly raise human rights issues, including Tibet, with the Chinese Government. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Chinese Foreign Minister discussed Tibet-related issues at their meetings in New York in September 2005 and in London on 8 November 2005. Tibet was discussed at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in October.

Uzbekistan

Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the exemption of Islam Karimov and his family from the list of Uzbek officials banned from travelling to the European Union. [30702]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: We have not ruled out adding further names to the list of those subject to the EU's visa ban. When adopting the measures on 3 October, the EU recognised the need to maintain contacts with Uzbekistan. Inclusion of the President on
 
24 Nov 2005 : Column 2246W
 
the list would reduce prospects of continued dialogue. The measures introduced by the EU will be reviewed in the light of developments in Uzbekistan.

Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the EU travel ban on Uzbek officials; and what assessment he has made of the implications for the ban of Uzbek Interior Minister Almatov's presence in Germany. [30869]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The measures announced by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 3 October in relation to Uzbekistan came into force on 14 November. They clearly demonstrate the profound concern of the European Union (EU) about the situation in Uzbekistan and the EU's strong condemnation of the refusal of the Uzbek authorities to allow an independent international inquiry into the events in Andizhan in May.

The EU travel ban stands. Almatov's visa was issued before the travel ban came into effect. The travel ban allows for exemptions in cases of urgent humanitarian need. The German authorities checked that the medical case for the visa was urgent before deciding to issue.

Western Sahara

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the numbers of disappeared Sahawis following continuing Moroccan illegal occupation of the Western Sahara. [30605]

Dr. Howells: The Government have not carried out their own assessment of the number of individuals who have disappeared as a result of the Western Sahara conflict. The Government's position is to encourage the parties to co-operate fully with the International Committee of the Red Cross to account for the missing. We continue to encourage the parties to take concrete measures, within their areas of responsibility, to resolve the outstanding humanitarian issues.

The Government believe it is necessary to distinguish between the humanitarian and political aspects of this dispute and that resolution of humanitarian questions should not await the conclusion of a political settlement. The Government consider that progress on humanitarian issues would help improve the atmosphere for the political process.

Zimbabwe

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which diplomats from Zimbabwe have been declared persona non grata in each of the last five years. [30547]

Mr. Straw: None.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions in the last five years he has raised with the Zimbabwe Government the activities of the Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation in the United Kingdom; and what the result was in each case. [30548]

Mr. Straw: It is not the Government's policy to comment on intelligence matters.
 
24 Nov 2005 : Column 2247W
 

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) diplomats and (b) other staff have been located at the Zimbabwe High Commission in London in each of the last five years. [30550]

Mr. Straw: From 1 January until 17 November 2005 the embassy of Zimbabwe numbered 14 diplomats. There were 14 diplomats in 2004, 13 in 2003 and 15 in both 2002 and 2001. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not require diplomatic missions to inform them about numbers of locally employed staff. However, the embassy of Zimbabwe has informed the FCO that locally employed staff generally number 14 in any year.

Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the political situation in Zimbabwe. [30726]

Ian Pearson: We take every opportunity to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe with our international partners. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary most recently discussed the political situation in Zimbabwe with the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, on 30 October, and also with the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Zuma, at the EU South Africa Co-operation Council on 7 November.

---