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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 6 February 2006

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the funds pledged during the London Conference on Afghanistan will be channelled into the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. [49267]

Dr. Howells: In total, US$77.5 million has been pledged by the international community to the Government of Afghanistan's Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. This includes US$60.1 million worth of assistance pledged during the London Conference on Afghanistan (31 January to 1 February) by the UK, US, Sweden and Korea.

The UK commitment of £30 million includes an initial £10 million from the Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit and £20 million from the Department for International Development.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of Afghan warlords opposed to the Taliban who are involved with the production and trading of narcotics. [48768]

Dr. Howells: No such estimate has been made. Given the complexity of the situation in Afghanistan, it would not be possible to collect the data necessary to make this assessment.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proportion of Afghan warlords who have (a) supported and (b) opposed the Taliban. [48769]

Dr. Howells: The term warlords" is most often used to describe militia commanders, or others exercising influence in the provinces, not appointed by the central Government. The vast majority of warlords opposed the Taliban regime, and many played an active role in the regime's overthrow in 2001, including in some cases by contributing forces to the Northern Alliance.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of warlords in the political order in Afghanistan. [48770]

Dr. Howells: The Government assesses that the negative influence of warlords" in Afghanistan's political process is gradually diminishing. Those who chose to embrace the new democratic process were required to cut all links with militia groups before putting themselves forward as candidates at the September 2005 parliamentary and provincial elections. Those who still remain outside the democratic process are finding their influence reduced by nation-wide

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disarmament programmes and the growing control exercised by centrally-appointed Provincial Governors and Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces. But this is a long process—democratic institutions, although now established, are fragile and the political process of resolving violent conflict will take time to have effect, though the Government of Afghanistan is determined to see it through.

Ascension Island

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights position of Ascension islanders in respect of (a) rights of abode, (b) ownership of property and (c) appeal rights in cases of deportation; and whether rights differ between native-born and immigrant islanders. [47242]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There is no indigenous population, or islanders", on Ascension Island. People working and living there do so for the duration of their contracts. None of those individuals currently working and living on Ascension, whether born on the island or not, has the right of abode or the right to own property. The human rights of those currently on Ascension Island are protected by those human rights instruments which have been extended to the island, including the European Convention on Human Rights. Procedures relating to deportation for breach of the immigration rules are governed by the Entry Control Ordinance. There is a right to make representations to the Governor against any deportation order.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the timetable he provided to the Ascension Island Council for the introduction of legislation regarding property, immigration and property rights. [47243]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government have provided no such timetable to the Ascension Island Council.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on access for civilian aircraft to Wideawake Airfield in Ascension Island; and if he will make a statement. [47244]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The agreement between the UK and US Governments relating to Wideawake Airfield, which came into force on 1 October 2003, provides for up to four non-scheduled civil aircraft movements (take-off or landing) per week. This facility has not been used on a regular basis. This is a matter for commercial decision by potential operators.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place in the last 12 months with the US Administration on changes in the Administration of the Ascension Islands. [47245]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There has been no change to the basis on which people work and live on Ascension Island. The administration of Ascension Island is a matter for the UK Government and the Ascension

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Island Administration. The UK has regular contacts with representatives of all organisations based on the island including the appropriate US authorities.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the reasons were for the rejection of a desk study into the Ascension Island Fisheries Protection Project; and what estimate was made of the cost of such a study. [47246]

Ian Pearson: A desk study on Ascension Island's fish resources was conducted in 1990. Another desk study would not add greatly to the information available from this earlier work (a further study would have cost approximately £30,000) and is not considered an appropriate use of Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the potential revenue from the sale of fishing licences for tuna in the seas around Ascension Island. [47327]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: Revenue accruing from the sale of fishing licences for Ascension Island was, up until 1 April 2005, combined with that for St. Helena. The figure for 2003–04, the most recent available, was approximately £128,000. Because of the level of uncertainty surrounding both the current state of the stocks of migratory fish in that part of the Atlantic and the intentions of distant water fishing fleets, Ascension Island has not sold any fishing licences since 1 April 2005. It is therefore difficult to estimate the potential revenue from the sale of fishing licences for Ascension Island.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Ascension Islanders have reached retirement or the end of their contracts in each of the last 10 years; and how many have been allowed to remain on the island thereafter. [47439]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There is no indigenous population, or islanders", on Ascension Island. People working and living there do so for the duration of their contracts. Figures on retirement or termination of contracts are a matter for the individual organisations based on the Island and are not centrally held. A small number, less than 5, have remained on the Island on the expiration of their contract. Their cases are under review.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations took place with Ascension Island User Organisations before the preliminary summit meeting between islanders and officials of Her Majesty's Government. [47440]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There is no indigenous population, or islanders", on Ascension Island. People working and living there do so for the duration of their contracts. The Government have regular contacts with representatives of the principle Use organisations as part of their ongoing work in administering Ascension Island.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the legislation to provide a right of abode and a right to own property on Ascension Island;

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and how much was spent by Her Majesty's Government in providing legal advice in preparation of the legislation. [47441]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: There are no plans to introduce legislation to develop a right of abode in Ascension Island. The cost of legal advice provided by the Constitutional Adviser on the Overseas Territories amounted to less than £2,500.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library representations he has received from the Ascension Island Council since the end of November 2005. [47442]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: I have placed a copy of the letter dated 7 December 2005 from Ascension Island Council in the Library of the House.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were (a) the names and (b) grades of the UK officials of Her Majesty's Government in the delegation which visited Ascension Island in November 2005. [47443]

Ian Pearson: The Head of Overseas Territories Department, Tony Crombie, a Senior Management Structure officer in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), together with two D6 officers and two B3 officers responsible for Ascension Island in the FCO, and officials from other UK Government Departments, made up the delegation visiting Ascension Island in November 2005.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Economic Study on Ascension Island which was commissioned in September 2005. [47444]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: A copy of the Economic Study by the Oxford Policy Management Group, which was completed in October 2005, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many new houses have been (a) started and (b) completed by the Ascension Island council since it was established. [47445]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Ascension Island council has approved the construction of four houses which are due for completion in 2006.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in the last six months on the future of Ascension Island. [47453]

Ian Pearson: Ministers and officials have had discussions with a range of interested parties, including Ascension Island councillors and other persons working and living on the Island, over the past six months.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many people have been (a) deported from and (b) required to leave Ascension Island (i) in each of the last five years for which records are available and (ii) since 30 November 2005; and to where they have been deported; [47454]

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(2) how many people have been (a) deported or (b) required to leave Ascension Island and removed to St. Helena (i) in each of the last five years for which records are available and (ii) since 30 November 2005. [47458]

Ian Pearson: There is no indigenous population on Ascension Island. People working and living there do so for the duration of their contracts. Employees whose contracts end, and are not renewed, are required by law to leave the Island. Figures are held by employer organisations, and we therefore do not have access to this information. The employment contracts usually place on the employer an obligation to return the employee to a specified location at the end of the contract. Approximately 70 per cent. of those working and living on Ascension Island originate from St. Helena. We are aware of two people being removed from Ascension Island. One was removed to the UK, the other to St. Helena.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation arrangements are in place for small business owners (a) deported from and (b) required to leave Ascension Island following his announcement of 30 November 2005. [47455]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government made no announcement on 30 November 2005. My noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, wrote to Ascension Island councillors on 19 January 2006 to set out the Government's policy. There is no right of abode on Ascension Island. Employees whose contracts end, and are not renewed, are required by law to leave the Island. We have no plans to change this. Those working on the Island are aware of these conditions when they are recruited. There is, therefore, no question of compensation. Almost all the individuals operating the approximately 15 small businesses on the Island are already employed by the main organisations based on Ascension, or the Ascension Island Administration, or are the spouses of these employees. They may therefore continue to remain on the Island as long as the relevant contracts last.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations were undertaken prior to his announcement of 30 November 2005 that the circumstances of inhabitants of Ascension Island were to be altered. [47456]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government made no announcement on 30 November 2005. There has been no change to the basis on which people work and live on Ascension Island.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation arrangements are in place for individual inhabitants (a) deported from and (b) required to leave Ascension Island following his announcement of 30 November 2005. [47457]

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Wideawake Agreement with the United States Government; and what is the current operational status of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island. [47459]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: Wideawake Airfield is a military airfield. The 2003 Agreement between the UK and US Governments concerning the use of Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island by civil aircraft not engaged in scheduled international air services provides the basis for non-scheduled civil flights (e.g. charter flights). This facility has not been used on a regular basis.

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