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Nigeria

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Nigerian Government about recent attacks on oil installations and oil workers in the Niger Delta; and what assistance the UK Government are providing. [47631]

Ian Pearson: We have been in close contact with the Nigerian Government about recent attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta, including the kidnapping of a Briton and three other expatriates on 11 January. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke personally to President Obasanjo of Nigeria on 21 January. We were delighted at the hostages' safe release on 30 January. More broadly, we maintain a close dialogue with the Nigerian federal and state authorities on security and development in the Niger Delta, which includes support for Nigeria's extractive industries transparency initiative and other measures to improve accountability and governance.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to strengthen the non-proliferation treaty in accordance with the December 2003 European Union strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and if he will make a statement. [48750]

Dr. Howells: The Council of the European Union's Six-monthly Progress Report on the implementation of Chapter III of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction" contains comprehensive details of steps being undertaken to strengthen the non-proliferation treaty. The report is published on the Council of the European Union's website at:

http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/06/st05/st05279. en06.pdf

Overseas Territories

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make each of the overseas territories eligible for EU and UK funding for infrastructure development to enhance resilience against natural and man-made disasters; and if he will make a statement. [46904]

Mr. Thomas: I have been asked to reply.

Funding for infrastructure development features prominently in both DFID and EU programmes to support the Overseas Territories. We have worked closely with the EU on a number of projects. Notable recent examples include new airports on Montserrat, Anguilla and Grand Turk and road infrastructure on Providenciales. DFID is also providing funding for an
 
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airport on St Helena to maintain access after the island's passenger and supply ship reaches the end of her working life in 2010. On Pitcairn, work to pave the Hill of Difficulty, the only access road from the harbour to the main settlement of Adamstown, and make essential repairs to the jetty and slipway was completed during 2005. In addition we are planning to fund jointly with the EU repairs to the harbour wall on Tristan da Cunha and the construction of a breakwater on Pitcairn.

DFID's programmes focus on those countries which still need development assistance along the path to self-sufficiency. We would normally look to the wealthier Overseas Territories to finance their priorities for capital expenditure from their own resources, including under normal commercial borrowing terms. The EU also largely focuses its development programmes on those Overseas Countries and Territories (OTC)s whose economic development is least advanced. Similarly, we would not expect EU grant funding for infrastructure to be available for those OCTs with ready access to commercial borrowing.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely (a) medium-term and (b) long-term impact of climate change on the vulnerability to natural disasters of each of the overseas territories; and if he will make a statement. [46906]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: A Department for International Development (DFID) commissioned report by the Tyndall Centre called the Impacts of Global Climate Change on the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) found that long-term weather characteristics are likely to change. It concluded that regional warming in the Caribbean could be as much as 6 degrees by 2100, and slightly less in the South Atlantic and Pitcairn.

The report identified common areas of concern as many OTs share similar characteristics. In particular, many are islands with populations reliant on a fragile natural resource base. The effects of climate change include severe tropical storms and hurricanes in the Caribbean and likely increases in the severity and frequency of low rainfall events and droughts in all areas. Global sea level rise is now projected to be as much as 0.9 meters by 2100 and in the medium-term raised sea levels will exacerbate the effects of more severe storms, directly affecting coastal infrastructure and tourism.

On 30 January the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published the book 'Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change'. Although not specifically directed at the impacts of climate change on OTs, the book discusses many of the potential impacts that OTs can expect to see in the future, such as degradation of marine ecosystems and increases in global sea levels.

As the international community makes efforts to tackle this global problem, the UK is keen to raise awareness in OTs of the impacts of climate change on their societies. For this reason the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and DEFRA have been working together to encourage OTs to be part of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The UK will build on this and share its
 
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knowledge and experiences through the UN's Inter-Governmental Panel Working Group looking at impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's expenditure on internal security and policing was for each of the overseas territories in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005; and what expenditure is planned for 2006. [47097]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The following table details recorded expenditure for internal security and policing in each of the overseas territories during the financial years 2003–04 and 2004–05. The 2005–06 figures are anticipated. Allocations have not yet been made for the next financial year. As a number of cross-territory (regional) policing and security initiatives are supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, these figures are also included. The following table does not, however, record local expenditure at post which may have been supported through the Governors'/Administrators' delegated funds.

Neither the British Indian Ocean territory nor the sovereign based areas of Cyprus have been included in the table as this funding is provided by the Ministry of Defence.
£

Territory	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Anguilla	148,629	152,327	361,879
Ascension Island	101,000	0	0
Bermuda	0	0	0
British Virgin Islands	345,039	141,399	8,198
Cayman Islands	0	20,843	45,000
Falkland Islands	6,326	0	0
Gibraltar	110,000	125,000	45,000
Montserrat	130,117	115,468	13,321
Pitcairn	(1)170,000	175,995	154,460
South Georgia	0	0	0
St. Helena	30,577	253,702	263,000
Tristan da Cunha	0	20,546	0
Turks and Caicos Islands	15,900	122,670	32,000
Cross territory (regional) funding	1,013,165	687,976	957,045
Total	2,070,753	1,815,926	1,879,903

⁽¹⁾ Estimate

The figures for 2002–03 are not included as they are not immediately available. I will therefore write to my hon. Friend with this information as soon as it becomes available and will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to involve local communities and Overseas Territories' Governments in decisions on policing and security strategies and resourcing in each of the Overseas Territories; and if he will make a statement. [47101]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The precise constitutional arrangements for policing and internal security differ from Territory to Territory. But a common thread is that law and order is, rightly, a matter of concern for the whole community. Governors routinely discuss matters relating to internal security, including policing, with their Territory's Government. It is the Territories'
 
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Government that apportions resources for the staffing and operations of the range of government activities, including policing. The Overseas Territories Law Enforcement Adviser, based in Miami, and other experts as appropriate, provide professional advice to Overseas Territories Governments and law enforcement agencies when necessary.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was contributed by (a) his Department and (b) Overseas
 
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Territories' Governments towards policing and internal security in each of the Territories for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [47102]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The following table details funding by both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Overseas Territory Governments on policing and internal security during the past three years. The information on Territory Government spending is not always directly comparable as there are differences in the way that they apportion internal security resourcing.
£

	2003 or 2003–04		2004 or 2004–05		2005 or 2005–06
Territory	Local government	FCO	Local government	FCO	Local government	FCO
Anguilla(2)	837,582	148,629	932,070	152,327	1,085,286	361,879
Ascension Island	168,138	101,000	176,317	0	n/a	0
Bermuda(2)	25,945,348	0	29,115,042	0	29,821,054	0
British Virgin Islands(2)	5,425,880	345,039	5,439,074	141,399	5,738,419	8,198
Cayman Islands	11,500,000	0	13,500,00	20,843	21,700,000	45,000
Falkland Islands	5,292,526	6,326	5,242,118	0	n/a	0
Gibraltar	8,600,000	110,000	8,400,000	125,000	n/a	45,000
Montserrat(2)	874,000	130,117	895,000	115,468	1,048,000	13,321
Pitcairn	0	(3)170,000	0	175,995	0	154,460
South Georgia(2)	1,360,000	0	1,448,000	0	1,597,000	0
St Helena	450,845	30,577	509,201	253,702	649,971	263,000
Tristan da Cunha(2)	9,802	0	11,136	20,546	9,801	0
Turks and Caicos Islands	4,441,661	15,900	4,601,270	122,670	5,390,482	32,000
Cross-territory (regional) FCO funding	0	1,013,165	0	687,976	0	957,045

⁽²⁾ Indicates that the Territory Government has provided financial data for a financial year from January to December.
⁽³⁾ Estimate.

I also refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him today (UIN 47097 and UIN 47101) to his questions numbered 47097 and 47101 for further information on the FCO's support for internal security and policing.

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