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Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 14 March 2006

PRIME MINISTER

Scotland Act

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has made a determination under section 87(3) of the Scotland Act 1998. [58332]

The Prime Minister: An announcement will be made in due course.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Darfur

9. Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in bringing to justice the perpetrators of human rights abuses in Darfur. [57935]

Ian Pearson: The international criminal court is proceeding with its investigation into events in Darfur. We will offer the court whatever assistance it requires. We call on the Government of Sudan itself to bring the perpetrators of human rights abuses to justice; to co-operate fully with the ICC; and to prevent further abuses.We are proposing to Security Council partners a list of individuals responsible for atrocities in Darfur, against whom UN sanctions should be imposed.

14. Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Darfur. [57940]

Ian Pearson: There has been further fighting in Darfur between the forces of the Government of Sudan and rebel groups recently, as well as between different militias and tribal groupings. There have been attacks on civilians, humanitarian workers and the AU monitoring mission. And the general level of banditry remains high.

We call on all the parties to respect the ceasefire and reach an early political settlement. We are taking the actions outlined by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Joint Economic and Trade Committee

15. Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current work programme of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee. [57941]

Ian Pearson: The Joint Economic and Trade Committee is a bilateral mechanism for businesses to raise issues of concern for action by the Indian and UK Governments. It aims to encourage the Indian
 
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Government to open more sectors to foreign investment and increase trade and investment opportunities for British business.

Indian and British businesses are participating in working groups for agribusiness, accountancy services, health care, hi-tech clusters, legal and financial services and infrastructure.

Iran

16. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Iran's nuclear programme. [57942]

Dr. Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave earlier.

22. Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Iran's relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. [57949]

Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave earlier.

Ethiopia

17. Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Ethiopian Government on disturbances in the country. [57943]

Ian Pearson: We remain concerned about the situation in Ethiopia. We have called on all sides to exercise restraint, avoid confrontation and violence, and respect the law.

Ministers and officials raise our concerns regularly. Since December, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, have all discussed developments with the Ethiopian Prime Minister personally.

Zimbabwe

18. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his EU counterparts to discuss EU sanctions against Zimbabwe. [57944]

Ian Pearson: At the 30 January General Affairs Council my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary joined his EU colleagues in renewing sanctions against Zimbabwe for a further year. This decision reflected the European Union's strong concern about the human rights situation and failure of governance in Zimbabwe. We remain in close touch with EU partners to maintain a firm international response to the crisis.

India

21. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Varanasi, India after the recent bombings. [57948]

Dr. Howells: The atmosphere in Varanasi is said to be tense, though there has been no significant violence following the bomb attacks on 7 March. The central
 
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Government in Delhi has appealed for calm and has offered police assistance to the state government of Uttar Pradesh. Religious leaders across the board have condemned the attacks. Our high commission in New Delhi will continue to monitor the situation.

Iraq

23. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Iraq. [57950]

Dr. Howells: Despite attempts by terrorists to derail the political process, Iraq's leaders recognise they have an opportunity to form a Government of national unity, committed to a common programme, promoting genuine power sharing and helping to overcome sectarianism.

We continue to urge them to agree the formation of such a Government as rapidly as possible. We understand the inaugural meeting of the Council of Representatives will be held on 16 March.

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of women's participation and representation in the Transitional National Assembly of Iraq. [57947]

Dr. Howells: Women play an important part in Iraqi politics and were well represented in the Transitional National Assembly. 70 have been elected to the new Council of Representatives. We hope women will be well represented in the new government.

Equal opportunities are enshrined in Iraq's new constitution. And President Talabani has pledged that state institutions will not neglect women's rights. We will continue to work to support this.

Ascension Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been allocated by the Government to promote scientific research and study on Ascension Island in each of the last seven years. [56866]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: During the last seven years there has been one scientific research project funded by the Government. This was a mapping and geographical information system project carried out on Ascension Island in 2004–05 at a cost of £48,900. This was funded through the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Department for International Development Overseas Territories Environmental Project fund.

Belarus

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Belarus regarding the arrest, imprisonment and intimidation of opposition leaders (a) Anatoly Lebedko and (b) Vincuk Viacorka in the period leading up to the presidential election on 19 March. [58533]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The intimidation of Anatoly Lebedko and Vincuk Vyachorka is just one example of a pattern of harassment of the opposition by the
 
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Belarusian authorities. The Government deplores such harassment and, in addition to action in Minsk, the UK regularly makes its concerns clear to Belarusian representatives at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna and via the EU in Brussels.

British Diplomatic Posts

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries in Africa do not have a UK ambassador based in that country. [58160]

Ian Pearson: There are currently 23 African countries where the UK does not have a resident ambassador or high commissioner. These are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Swaziland and Togo.

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