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20 Jan 2006 : Column 1703W—continued
European Union (Classified Documentation)
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the procedure for vetting personnel employed by the European Union with access to classified documentation released from the UK. [43424]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Candidates for European Union positions are required to complete a standard vetting form that is submitted to the competent agency of the applicant's member state. That agency then carries out the vetting process. The relevant EU institution is then informed of the outcome of the vetting.
Responsibility for vetting UK nationals for positions within the European Union institutions rests with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Identity Fraud
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training his Department has provided for (a) front desk and (b) administrative staff in relation to identity fraud. [41277]
Dr. Howells: Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) who work on the front desk undertake a three-week induction course, which includes a half-day at the National Documentation Forgery Unit for an overview of forgery detection techniques. ECOs who have previously worked for the Home Office as Immigration Officers (IOs) attend a shorter course, as they already have a basic forgery detection background. Once ECOs arrive at the overseas Visa Section, further forgery and fraud detection training is conducted on an ad hoc basis, either by an Airline Liaison Officer, a local visa forgery specialist or by a Risk Assessment Unit as applicable. Administrative staff provide support such as undertaking employment, bank and documentation checks. Some checks may require local language skills, which many of our administrative staff are able to offer. They do not, however, have any decision-making powers though they do, nevertheless, receive local training as appropriate.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff who work in consular sections abroad also deal with identity documentation. Those who have responsibility for issuing passports overseas are required to undertake a consular course, which includes a specific session, within the passport and nationality section, on detecting fraud. In posts where we are aware that applicants may try to obtain passports fraudulently, ad hoc, in-house, 'knowledge-sharing' sessions take place, which may also involve UKvisas and assistance from the local authorities.
20 Jan 2006 : Column 1704W
Israel
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2005, Official Report, columns 2485–86W, on Israel, (1) why he has no plans to raise the Government's concern about the damage caused by Israeli Defence Force low-flying aircraft in the Occupied Territories with the United Nations; and what the outcome was when the ambassador in Tel Aviv raised this issue with the Israeli Defence Force Chief of General Staff on 8 December 2003; [40618]
(2) why he does not plan to raise with the UN his concerns regarding the damage caused by Israeli low-flying aircraft in Gaza. [42757]
Dr. Howells: Our voting record at the United Nations will continue to reflect our concerns about the damage caused by low-flying aircraft over Gaza. The United Nations are fully aware of our concerns relating to this issue. The British ambassador to the United Nations, Sir Emyr Jones-Parry, will raise this at his next monthly statement at the United Nations Security Council open consultations.
During the ambassador's meeting with the Israel Defence Force Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Halutz, on 8 December 2005, they discussed low-flying aircraft over Gaza. The ambassador expressed our concerns over these actions. Lt. Gen. Halutz said that these actions would continue to take place but that they had taken into consideration the effect that the low-flying aircraft is having on the Palestinian population.
Syria
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was first informed of the information disclosed by Mr. Paul Bremer that President Assad of Syria encouraged Grand Ayatollah Ail al-Sistani to wage war on United States and United Kingdom forces; and what action he took. [42473]
Dr. Howells: It is the policy of the Government not to comment on the origin of information of this kind.
Uzbekistan
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the British ambassador to Tashkent on (a) human rights and (b) the treatment of political prisoners in Uzbekistan. [43603]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The British ambassador to Tashkent visited the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in December for meetings with officials on the political situation in Uzbekistan. In addition, an FCO official visited the country in December, including Andizhan.
Throughout 2005, the embassy has provided regular reports on human rights issues, including Andizhan-related trials, the detention of opposition figures and restrictions on non-governmental organisations. We continue to be concerned about Uzbekistan's human rights record and, together with the EU presidency and our other partners, have raised these concerns with the Uzbek authorities.