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Guatemala/Honduras

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of (a) Guatemala and (b) Honduras about the violent deaths of children and young people. [59742]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: Our embassy in Guatemala City has been active in raising awareness of childrens' rights issues with the Guatemalan and Honduran authorities both bilaterally and together with our EU partners. We press for all instances of violent deaths to be investigated thoroughly. The embassy has also worked closely with organisations dealing with childrens' rights in both countries, including the funding of a Consortium for Street Children project on police training on child protection in Guatemala and Save the Children/Casa Alianza projects aimed at improving the juvenile justice system in Honduras.

Hamas

Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage Hamas to renounce violence and recognise Israel. [60057]

Dr. Howells: In its statement on 30 January, the Quartet (EU, UN, US and Russia) agreed that all members of a future Palestinian government must be committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap. We have made this clear and support this approach.

Holy See (British Embassy)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the British ambassador to the Holy See about the closure of the offices of the British embassy in the Holy See; and if he will make a statement. [59476]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 16 March 2006, Official Report, columns 2461–62W. There has been no closure of the office of the British embassy to the Holy See. However, the office did move in July 2005 from its previous location on the Via Condotti to a site which also houses the office of the British embassy to Italy. The decision to move the offices was taken in response to security concerns about the exposed Via Condotti site.

The current ambassador to the Holy See took up his post after the decision to move the office had been taken and the move completed. The decision was taken after full consultation with all interested parties.

Human Rights

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in each of the 10 new EU countries with regards to protecting (a) women's rights, (b) gay rights and (c) human rights in general. [59917]

 
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Mr. Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets his colleagues from the 10 countries that joined the EU in May 2004, including every month at the EU's General Affairs and External Relations Council. In this forum, discussions on human rights and non-discrimination are primarily in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Government are committed to the promotion and respect of all human rights principles, within the EU and beyond.

India

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of India regarding (a) the position of women within society, (b) gender equality and (c) the treatment of victims of rape and sexual violence. [59385]

Dr. Howells: The most recent discussions were held in October 2005, when our Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi called on Dr. Girija Vyas, Chair of the National Commission for Women. Discussions covered topics such as the position of women within society and gender equality.

Gender equality is also a key focus for the current work of the Department for International Development in India. This issue needs to be addressed to ensure the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals are achieved.

Indonesia

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Indonesia in regard to the impending execution and the manner of the trial of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva and Marinus Riwu; and if he will make a statement. [60524]

Ian Pearson: On 14 November 2005, as EU presidency, we expressed to the Government of Indonesia the European Union's regret at the decision to carry out the executions, and urged the Indonesian Government to refrain from carrying out the executions, and to consider the abolition of the death penalty.

The current EU presidency, Austria, followed this up with the Government of Indonesia in January, in separate meetings with the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Attorney-General, and in a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia; what issues were discussed; and what representations he has made to him about the treatment of religious minorities in Indonesia. [60525]

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met President Yudhoyono in January 2005. They discussed post-tsunami reconstruction and the Middle East peace process.

We regularly raise the treatment of religious minorities with the Indonesian Government as part of our dialogue with them on human rights. We co-chaired with the Indonesian Government an international
 
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conference in Bali in July 2005 to promote inter-faith understanding and harmony and we have supported a number of projects in conflict areas that promote human rights and reconciliation.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Indonesia has ratified the United Nations International Covenants on (a) Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and (b) Civil and Political Rights. [60527]

Ian Pearson: The Indonesian Parliament ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 30 September 2005.

Interfaith Dialogue Conference (Indonesia)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers from his Department attending the Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Indonesia in July 2005 raised concerns about the trial and sentencing to death of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva and Marinus Riwu; and if he will make a statement. [60526]

Ian Pearson: We co-chaired with the Indonesian government an international conference in Bali in July 2005 to promote inter-faith understanding and harmony. We have also supported a number of projects in conflict areas that promote human rights and reconciliation. We did not specifically raise the case of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva and Marinus Riwu at the conference, but we raised the case on 14 November as EU presidency.

Iran

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what military equipment has been provided by the UK to Iran to assist in counter-narcotics operations in the last three years. [58244]

Mr. Straw: All applications to export military equipment to Iran are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria and other policies, taking into account the prevailing circumstances at the time.

We will not issue an export licence if approval would be inconsistent with national embargoes observed by the UK. The then Foreign Secretary's (Lord Hurd) and the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister's (Tony Lloyd) statements of 1 March 1993 and 28 September 1998 respectively, set out our approach in respect of Iran. We will not issue licences for the export to Iran of goods or technology on the Military or Nuclear List, except for goods essential for the safety of civil aircraft and air traffic control systems and certain radioactive substances for medical use. No licences will be approved for any equipment where there is knowledge or reason to suspect that it will go to a military end-user or be used for military purposes. On very rare occasions and with parliamentary agreement, exceptions are made where denying an export or gift would be against the spirit of the embargo.

In 2005, we agreed to license a gift of 50 sets of body armour to the Iranian Anti-Narcotics Police who work with HM Revenue and Customs officers to fight the
 
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trafficking of heroin and opiates. In 2003, we agreed to license the export of 250 sets of night vision goggles for use against heroin smugglers; the export was paid for by the United Nations Drugs Control Programme. On each occasion, notice of our intention to license these exports was placed before Parliament and no objections were raised. Details were also recorded in written ministerial statements of 15 March 2005, Official Report, columns 13–14WS, and 19 May 2003, Official Report, column 30WS.

We assess that around 60 per cent. of all heroin entering the UK transits Iran. Iran is actively involved in the fight against drug trafficking and seizes far more opiates than any other country in the world. We have regular constructive co-operation with Iran on counter-narcotics.

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential for the deuterium-labelled compounds supplied by the UK to Iran as exempted medical supplies to be diverted to purposes connected with a nuclear weapons programme. [58245]

Mr. Straw: There have been no applications for licences to export deuterium labelled compounds for medical use to Iran from the United Kingdom.

While it would be technically possible to extract deuterium from such compounds in quantities which could be of use in a nuclear weapons research programme, we assess that Iran would be very unlikely to use this route given the availability of much easier alternatives.

Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations the Government plan to make to the UN on possible sanctions on Iran. [59995]

Dr. Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2464W.

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