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EU Committees

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation the United Kingdom has on the EU's Article 133 Committee. [30502]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Article 133 Committee is a council body established under Article 133 of the EC treaty to assist the Commission in the conduct of the EU's trade policy. The committee is attended by one representative of each EU member state as well the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU.

The Article 133 Committee meets weekly—once a month in full members format, with attendance by the senior trade official of each member state and three times a month in deputy members format, with attendance by less senior officials. It meets also, although less regularly, in specific sectoral formations, namely services, textiles and steel.

The UK's full member of the Article 133 Committee is Edmund Hosker, Director of World Trade, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The UK's deputy member of the Article 133 Committee is Ray Symons, Head of the EU Trade Negotiations Unit, DTI.
 
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EU Trade Policy Meetings

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the EU Commission to publish the minutes of EU trade policy meetings. [30497]

Mr. Douglas Alexander [holding answer 21 November 2005]: The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union publishes outcomes from the Article 133 Committee in accordance with Council Regulation 1049/2001 (Regulation of the European Parliament and Council regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents). These documents can be accessed through the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int. Outcomes from the Article 133 Committee that lead to proposals for EU legislation are agreed by the Council and subject to the normal procedures for parliamentary scrutiny.

European Court of Human Rights

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received a copy of the Internal Auditor's Report on the European Court of Human Rights; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [32372]

Dr. Howells: I can confirm that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received a copy of the Council of Europe's Internal Auditor's report on the European Court of Human Rights.

As the report is classified confidential by the Council of Europe, we are currently unable to place a copy in the Library. However, we are seeking permission from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to have this document de-classified. If this request is granted, it will allow us to place a copy of the report in the Library of the House.

Festivals

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department took to celebrate and promote the events of (a) Ramadan, (b) Diwali and (c) Chinese new year in 2005. [31169]

Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) took the following steps to celebrate and promote:

Ramadan: an evening reception at the FCO to mark Eid-al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) on 22 November 2005. I also hosted a lunch to mark Eid-al-Fitr.

Diwali: no event hosted by the FCO. However, an official attended a Diwali event hosted by the Hindu Forum Britain at the House of Commons on 27 October 2005 and officials attended a Diwali reception hosted by the Home Office on 14 November 2005. On 11 November a senior FCO official met the President of the Hindu temple at Bhaktivedanta Manor and lit a candle of remembrance on behalf of the FCO for victims of the recent New Delhi bombings.

Chinese new year: an evening reception at the FCO, hosted by my hon. Friend the then FCO Minister of State (Bill Rammell), on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, on 9 February 2005.

The FCO intends to host a multi-faith reception in early in 2006.
 
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Foreign Office Appointments (Advertisements)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Foreign Office appointments, other than the post of UK Ambassador to the Holy See, have been advertised in (a) The Economist, (b) The Guardian, (c) The Daily Telegraph, (d) The Independent and (e) The Times in the past five years; which of these were also advertised in national newspapers of Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [29589]

Dr. Howells: As the information requested is lengthy, a list will be placed in the Library of the House.

Global Fund

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the EU will be able to give further funding to the Global Fund under external action. [30263]

Mr. Thomas: I have been asked to reply.

The EU (including the EC) is the largest contributor to the Global Fund providing US$2.4 billion up to 2005. At the Global Fund replenishment conference in September 2005 a number of EU donors, including the European Commission, were unable to announce firm pledges for the full two-year period (2006–07) due to the timing of their budgetary procedures. Nevertheless US$2 billion was pledged by EU countries excluding the EC. The European Commission's 2006 budget is still being finalised and the Financial Perspectives governing the budget from 2007 are yet to be agreed. We expect the details of the Commission's communication about thematic programmes in the next Financial Perspectives, which proposes that a human and social development programme would address health including AIDS issues, will be discussed early next year.

The EU set out their political commitment to future financing of the Global Fund in the Council Conclusions of May 2005. DFID will continue to encourage donors to do as much as they can to substantially increase their contributions to the Global Fund. A follow-up conference will be held in June 2006 to secure additional pledges to meet the Global Fund's resource needs in 2006–07.

Human Rights

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what formal procedures are in place within his Department for taking into account for the purposes of UK foreign policy the human rights record of a country. [31864]

Ian Pearson: Human rights are mainstreamed" within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). British missions abroad, geographic and relevant functional departments in London, are asked to monitor the human rights situations of the countries they are accredited to or work with, and to reflect this in their policy advice to Ministers, their project work and wider engagement with those countries. Mainstreaming is underpinned by regular training on human rights issues for FCO staff, and by support and advice from the FCO's Human Rights, Democracy and Governance Group.
 
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Iraq

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the 13,500 detainees held by multi-national forces in Iraq are under the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement. [29046]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 November 2005]: Thenumber of security internees fluctuates due to the continuous review and release programme and the continuing need to detain individuals for imperative reasons of security. On 18 November 2005, the UK did not hold any individuals under the age of 18 years of the total (33) held by the UK. The US Government has told us that, on 14 November 2005, they were holding approximately 250 security internees who are aged under 18 years old.

Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many detainees held by multi-national forces in Iraq have been transferred to other countries; and to (a) which countries and (b) what authorities such detainees have been transferred. [29047]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 23 November 2005]: We are not aware that any security internees have been transferred from Iraq to other countries.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has apologised to his Israeli counterpart for the incident involving General Almog at Heathrow airport on 11 September. [31060]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with the Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in September this year. He stated that this had been a private prosecution and that the Government had not played a role in issuing the arrest warrant for General Almog. The Foreign Secretary apologised as a matter of courtesy.

We are committed to honouring our international obligations under the Geneva Conventions.

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