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13 Feb 2006 : Column 1509W—continued
India
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what timescale he expects for admitting India as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. [50710]
Dr. Howells: It is not possible to give a timescale on when India will be admitted as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Iraq
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government and its allies in Iraq have opened (a) direct and (b) indirect channels of dialogue with representatives of armed groups commonly referred to as the Iraqi insurgency. [51513]
Dr. Howells: Our policy remains, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated in June 2005, to bring as many people into the democratic process as possible. Iraq and its allies, including the UK, believe that an inclusive political process is critical for Iraq's future stability. To this end we maintain dialogue with all those who subscribe to this aim. There are elements of Iraqi society who appear to be irreconcilably opposed to the political process and determined to pursue their aims solely through violent means. We can have no dialogue with them.
Israel
Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2852W, on Israel, if he will make it Government policy not to apologise in any case where someone from another
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country is arrested or threatened with arrest as a result of a warrant issued by a UK court following private prosecution under international law. [49681]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary apologised as a matter of courtesy to Israeli Foreign Minister Shalom.
There are no plans to formulate a policy regarding when apologies are appropriate.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits Ministers from his Department have made to UK Overseas Territories in the last five years, broken down by (a) date, (b) country and (c) Minister. [49113]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Details of official visits by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers to each of the Overseas Territories in the last five years are as follows:
November 2003: Bill Rammell, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, stopped briefly at Ascension Island on his way to the Falkland Islands.
British Indian Ocean Territory
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
The Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus (Akrotiri and Dhekelia)
Non-proliferation (G8 Action Plan)
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in meeting the commitments to fund and expand the Global Partnership Against Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction contained in the G8 Action Plan on Non-proliferation of 10 June 2004; and if he will make a statement. [51317]
Dr. Howells: As a result of the June 2004 Action Plan, a further US$14 million has been pledged to the Global Partnership from seven new donor countries. Progress has also been made in expanding the recipient base of the Global Partnership:
During the UK G8 Presidency, discussions were held with nine countries of the former Soviet Union to discuss possible entry to the Global Partnership and to gather detailed information on potential projects;
The US and UK have made progress in developing project proposals for the redirection of scientists in Iraq and Libya;
Furthermore, during the UK G8 Presidency in 2005 substantial progress was made on a number of key areas of Global Partnership implementation. Particular areas of success under UK-managed programmes include the establishment of a new nuclear security programme, securing additional international pledges of £210 million to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, significant progress on decontamination at Andreyeva Bay in NW Russia, one of the largest depositories of spent nuclear fuel in the world, and implementation of a further £4 million portfolio of projects to provide sustainable, non-weapons employment for former nuclear scientists and technicians.
Full details of the UK programmes under the Global Partnership can be found in the 2005 Annual Report available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/nuclear/fsu/index.shtml.
Palestine
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Palestinian Authority's security services since the Palestinian elections; and if he will make a statement. [50500]
Dr. Howells:
The Palestinian Authority's security services have been undertaking their normal duties. It is important that the Palestinian security forces maintain law and order. Their ability, capacity, and will to do so
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remains in question. Wide-ranging security sector reform was vital before the elections and, it remains vital now.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authorities on the disarming of members of Hamas; and if he will make a statement. [50501]
Dr. Howells: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 7 February 2006, Official Report, column 735,
'we have been equally clear that those who take part in the democratic process have a responsibility to reject violence. The result therefore presents Hamas with a very clear choice. Last Monday, 30 January, the Quartet agreed that all members of a future Palestinian Government must be committed to non-violence, to a recognition of Israel and to an acceptance of previous agreements, including the road map. We, along with our EU partners, will continue to work with the Palestinians, the Israelis and the international community to make progress on the road map, to which both the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Government remain committed.'
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of Hamas militants being incorporated into the Palestinian Authority's security services; and if he will make a statement. [50502]
Dr. Howells: We have no indications at present of whether Hamas militants will be incorporated into the security services. We continue to monitor the situation closely with international partners.
As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 7 February 2006, Official Report, column 735,
'we have been equally clear that those who take part in the democratic process have a responsibility to reject violence. The result therefore presents Hamas with a very clear choice. Last Monday, 30 January, the Quartet agreed that all members of a future Palestinian Government must be committed to non-violence, to a recognition of Israel and to an acceptance of previous agreements, including the road map. We, along with our EU partners, will continue to work with the Palestinians, the Israelis and the international community to make progress on the road map, to which both the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Government remain committed.'
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Hamas militants in the Palestinian territories; and if he will make a statement. [50503]
Dr. Howells: We have not made a formal estimate of the number of Hamas militants in the Occupied Territories. The nature of the organisation, the problem of defining 'militants' and the fact that we have no contact with Hamas makes an estimate difficult.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether a cooperation agreement has been signed between the Palestinian Authority and the Iranian Government; and if he will make a statement. [50504]
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Dr. Howells: We are not aware of any cooperation agreements having being signed between the Palestinian Authority and Iran.
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