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Eritrea/Ethiopia

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part the UK is playing in the peace talks between Eritrea and Ethiopia. [58741]

Ian Pearson: We strongly support the US initiative aimed at resolving the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea and are in close touch with the US as this proceeds. In our bilateral contacts with the parties, we have urged them to respond positively, most recently when my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met the Ethiopian ambassador on 14 March. We welcomed the recent meeting of the Boundary Commission in London and the agreement to meet again in April.

Iran

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the deuterium-labelled compounds that are supplied by the UK to Iran under the humanitarian exemptions to UK sanctions on trade with Iran. [58230]

Mr. Straw: There have been none.

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the provision by the BBC of a 24-hour satellite television service broadcasting to Iran in Farsi. [59046]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 16 March 2006]: In October 2005, the BBC World Service announced that it intended to explore the development of a Farsi TV service as part of its 2010 strategy for a tri-media presence (radio, online and television) in its priority languages. The World Service maintains a regular dialogue with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about its priorities. This has included discussion of its aspiration to add TV to its radio and online services in Farsi.

Jericho Prison

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the decision to withdraw the UK monitors from Jericho prison was made after notice had been given to the House on 13 March of a written ministerial statement on occupied territories to be made on 14 March. [59564]

Dr. Howells: The decision to withdraw was taken before notice was given to the House of a written ministerial statement. The letter to President Abbas on 8 March made clear that if the Palestinian Authority (PA) did not come into full compliance with the Ramallah Agreement; make substantive improvements to the security of the monitors; or come to a new agreement with the Government of Israel, we would have to terminate our involvement and withdraw with immediate effect. Our consul general in Jerusalem called President Abbas' office four times between the letter
 
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being delivered and the withdrawal of the monitors, noting the urgency and importance of this letter. No action was taken by the PA.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any representative of the Government made contact with the Israeli (a) Government and (b) other agencies in the period between the decision to withdraw UK monitors was taken and the action taken by the Israeli Defence Force on 14 March 2006. [59565]

Dr. Howells: There was no collusion with Israel about the date of withdrawal of the monitors from the mission. As the Ramallah Agreement is between Israel and the Palestinian Authority we were obliged to inform Israel of the letter given to President Abbas. On 8 March, our ambassador in Tel Aviv informed the Israeli authorities that if the conditions laid out in the letter were not met, we would have to withdraw with immediate effect. No date or timing for withdrawal was provided to the Israeli authorities. We informed both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities immediately after we withdrew the monitors from the mission.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) developments and (b) intelligence prompted the final decision to withdraw UK monitors from the Jericho Monitoring Mission on 14 March 2006. [59566]

Dr. Howells: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 29 April 2002, Official Report, column661–69, it was the prime responsibility of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to ensure the personal security of the United States and United Kingdom monitors. Over the last months it became increasingly clear that the PA were unable to do this. While we are unable to comment on the specific nature of any intelligence, there were a number of developments which caused concern.

In 2005, we received two independent reports which noted that security for the monitors was not adequate. Towards the end of 2005 the risk to our monitors increased: the prison became overcrowded; there were riots inside and outside the prison; there were kidnaps of British nationals in Gaza and in December the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine kidnapped two teachers demanding the release of Ahmed Sa'adat, one of the prisoners. On 15 December 2005, we informed the PA that unless the safety of our monitors could be improved we would have to withdraw. We proceeded to raise this issue frequently with the PA leading to the letter being delivered to President Abbas on 8 March.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indications of the timing of the withdrawal of the UK monitors at Jericho prison were given to the (a) Israeli authorities and (b) Palestinian Authority following the joint UK/US letter of 8 March 2006 to President Abbas. [59567]

Dr. Howells: The letter to President Abbas on 8 March, made clear that if the Palestinian Authority (PA) did not come into full compliance with the Ramallah Agreement; make substantive improvements to the security of the monitors; or come to a new agreement with the Government of Israel, we would
 
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have to terminate our involvement and withdraw with immediate effect. Our consul general in Jerusalem called President Abbas' office four times between the letter being delivered and the withdrawal of the monitors, noting the urgency and importance of this letter. No action was taken by the PA.

As the Ramallah Agreement is between Israel and the PA we were obliged to inform Israel of the letter given to President Abbas. On 8 March, our ambassador in Tel Aviv informed the Israeli authorities that if the conditions laid out in the letter were not met, we would have to withdraw with immediate effect. Both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities were informed immediately after the monitors left the mission.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he made of the possible alternative measures to safeguard the lives and welfare of the prisoners detained at Jericho prison once the UK monitors had left. [59568]

Dr. Howells: We withdrew from the mission because the Palestinian Authority (PA) was unable to provide adequate security for our monitors. The PA was also responsible for the security of the Palestinian prisoners.

Once we had withdrawn our monitors and it became clear that Israel had taken action to detain the prisoners, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called Israeli Foreign Minister Livni to urge restraint. In addition, our ambassador in Tel Aviv also called the Israeli authorities on two separate occasions to ask for assurances that the prisoners would not be harmed.

The six prisoners are unharmed and are now being held by the Israeli authorities. Our ambassador in Tel Aviv spoke with the Israeli authorities on 15 March to: request access to the ex-Jericho prisoners by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); seek assurances that the prisoners would have access to lawyers; and that any trial for the prisoners would be fair and transparent.

Nigeria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding sectarian violence in Nigeria. [58804]

Ian Pearson: Hon. Members, members of the public and civil society and faith based organisations have written to us about sectarian violence in Nigeria. We regularly raise such incidents with the Nigerian Federal and State authorities. We also fund projects to build trust between the various communities in Nigeria, including the work of the International Centre for Reconciliation to promote understanding between Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria.

Sudan

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Sudan on the expulsion of Samaritans Purse from the Beja area; and what assessment he has made of the humanitarian implications. [58525]

 
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Ian Pearson: The non-governmental organisation 'Samaritan's Purse' have told us that they have not been expelled from Eastern Sudan, but that access to the Beja areas remain difficult. Numerous attempts to improve the effectiveness of the humanitarian response and reduce logistical constraints by accessing these areas from Sudan have not been successful. Eritrea remains the only point of access to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in these regions. We have made clear to all parties that humanitarian agencies must be given unimpeded access to conduct their work. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development discussed in detail the issue of humanitarian access with the Government of Sudan during his visit to Sudan on 21–23 February.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the African Union regarding support for a UN protection force for Darfur. [58815]

Ian Pearson: We have encouraged the African Union (AU) to support the transition of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to the UN. The AU's Political and Security Commission (PSC) decided on 10 March to support this in principle. The PSC also requested the Chairman of the AU to work closely with the UN Secretary General on joint planning for handover. We are discussing with the UN and the AU the possible size, mandate and composition of the mission. We are pressing for the handover to take place when AMIS' current mandate expires at the end of September 2005.

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he supports UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's request for extra troops to be sent under NATO or UN command to Darfur. [58903]

Ian Pearson: We support the early establishment of a UN operation in Darfur. The African Union's (AU) Political and Security Commission (PSC) decided on 10 March to support, in principle, the transition of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to the UN. The PSC also requested the Chairman of the AU to work closely with the UN Secretary General on joint planning. This planning is already underway, and an assessment mission is scheduled to visit Sudan on 31 March. Following this mission, discussion will start on the possible size, mandate and composition of the mission. We are providing an expert to the UN to assist with the task. We are pressing for the handover to take place when AMIS' current mandate expires at the end of September 2005.

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to try to prevent the problems being experienced in Darfur from crossing over into Chad. [58905]

Ian Pearson: We remain concerned by the security situation in Darfur and Chad, especially along the Chadian border. Rebel groups and militia from both Chad and Sudan regularly cross the border. As part of the African Union Mission in Sudan's (AMIS) deployment in Darfur, a component is deployed around the Darfuri refugee camps in Eastern Chad, and conducts patrols in border areas. The UK fully supports AMIS and we are providing more than £50 million to
 
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the mission. We welcome the peace agreement signed by the Presidents of both Sudan and Chad in Libya on 8 February. We call on the parties to honour it.

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