| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Dec 2005 : Column 2849W—continued
Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance Programme
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects being supported under the Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance programme for the promotion of democracy in (a) China, (b) the Balkans region, (c) Kenya, (d) Uganda, (e) Eritrea, (f) Russia, (g) Pakistan and (h) Burma; and what the (i) nature of support and (ii) level of funding is for each project. [35620]
Ian Pearson:
I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 19 December 2005 (UIN 35619) in which I set out the criteria for supporting projects that promote democracy. The latest details of relevant projects are set out in the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) Annual Report 2004–05 published as Command Paper 6665 in October 2005 which is also available on the FCO website at http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/KFile/
20 Dec 2005 : Column 2850W
GOFAnnualReport200405.pdf. Details of GOF projects supported in 2005–06 will be published in the next annual report.
Although the report refers to the inclusion of funding the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) within the GOF programme it did not provide details of individual projects. However, during this period WFD undertook projects in the Balkans region, Kenya, Uganda and Russia in line with agreed priorities in Eastern Europe and Africa. A copy of the list of these projects will be placed in the Library of the House.
Insurance Costs
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1482W to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) what the cost of insurance for (a) the silver set in Washington, (b) the two chandeliers in Istanbul, (c) the rug in Havana and (d) the Jaguar XJ 4.2s in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Islamabad and (iii) Cairo was in 2004–05. [38546]
Mr. Straw: The three vehicles are insured as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global third party insurance with Axa Insurance. It is not therefore possible to identify the costs of insuring individual vehicles under this policy. The cost of mandatory local third party insurance for the vehicles was:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Islamabad | 8.64 |
| New Delhi | 10.00 |
| Cairo | 16.00 |
The silver set, the chandeliers and the rug are not individually insured.
International Meetings/State Visits
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the international summits, conferences and state visits hosted by the Government in each year since 1997; and on what date each was held. [38502]
Mr. Straw: The following are details of the state visits hosted by the Government since 1997:
A further state visit from Brazil is planned from 8–9 March 2006.
Details of international summits and conferences hosted are not held centrally within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and can only be collated at disproportionate cost.
Interrogation
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) he, (b) his Department and (c) members and representatives of the UK Government have received reports of incidents of the technique known as waterboarding being used as an interrogation technique; and if he will make a statement. [38819]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, his Department and other members and representatives are aware of public reports that the technique known as waterboarding has been used as an interrogation technique. But they have received no information to corroborate those reports.
Iran
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the president of Iran, (b) his US counterpart and (c) counterparts in the European Union on the Iranian president's recent comments about Israel. [37952]
Dr. Howells: On 8 December, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, acting on behalf of the UK presidency of the European Union, condemned unreservedly the comments in which President Ahmadinejad denied that the holocaust had taken place and called for Israel to be moved to Europe. The European Council repeated this condemnation on 16 December. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed these remarks with the President of Iran. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has very regular discussions with his US counterpart on Iranian issues but it would be inappropriate to go into the detail of those conversations.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Iran. [38230]
Dr. Howells: We have serious concerns about Iranian policies in a number of areas, including its nuclear programme; approach towards terrorism; human rights record; and attitude towards the Middle East peace process. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent comments denying the existence of the Holocaust and calling for Israel to be 'wiped from the map' have been widely condemned by the international community, including the European Union and the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Iranian Government following the statement by President Mahmoud Admadinejad dismissing the Nazi holocaust as a myth. [38664]
20 Dec 2005 : Column 2852W
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, gave the noble Lord Dykes today [HL 2960].
Iraq
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 1072W, on Iraq, for what reasons the intelligence available to Lord Butler was not available to the Intelligence and Security Committee at the time of its 2003 inquiry. [38424]
Mr. Straw: The Butler Review and the inquiry conducted by the Intelligence and Security Committee had different terms of reference. Both had extensive access to intelligence material.
Israel
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1648W, on Israel, whether it is Government policy to apologise routinely when people from any country are arrested or threatened with arrest following private prosecutions. [38311]
Dr. Howells: It is not Government policy to apologise routinely when people from any country are arrested or threatened with arrest following private prosecutions.
Kenny Richey
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made of the US authorities regarding Kenny Richey who is under a death sentence in Ohio; what representations he has received from (a) campaign groups and (b) other organisations in relation to the case; and what assistance has been given to Kenny Richey's family to visit him in the US. [39197]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office(FCO) filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States (US) 6th Circuit Court of Appeal in September 2004 on behalf of Kenny Richey. Since then, the US Supreme Court has overturned that Court's decision that Mr Richey's conviction was unsafe, effectively reinstating the conviction. The FCO receives regular representations from various organisations and individuals who are concerned about Mr Richey's plight. We take all such representations seriously, and are in close and regular contact with Mr Richey's lawyers both in the US and the UK. Any representations made by the FCO on his behalf are made in consultation with Mr Richey and his legal team. We cannot provide assistance for Kenny Richey's family to travel to the United States, although FCO officials are offering them all appropriate consular support.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |