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18 Apr 2006 : Column 86W—continued
Nigeria
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with counterparts in the Nigerian Government on a proposed amendment to the Constitution which will allow President Obasanjo to seek a third Presidential term; and if he will make a statement. [62824]
Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Nigeria from 13 to 15 February and had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with senior Nigerians, including President Obasanjo. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said publicly during his visit that Constitutional change is a matter for the Nigerians and that we will continue to support the Nigerian Government's reform programme.
Official Engagements
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his official engagements undertaken on 21 March 2006; for which such engagements the ministerial car was used; and if he will make a statement. [61579]
Mr. Straw: Use of my official vehicles is in line with the Ministerial Code on Travel (copy in Library of the House).
For reasons of security all journeys in respect of any of my public duties (including non-ministerial ones) and almost every private journey are undertaken in official vehicles.
Palestinian Authority
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the steps being taken by the Palestinian Authority to protect foreign nationals and property in Gaza and the West Bank. [60499]
Dr. Howells: We were grateful for the steps taken by Palestinian security services to provide a safe exit for foreign nationals on 14 and 15 March. However, we are extremely concerned by the failure of the Palestinian Authority to take action against kidnappers or provide adequate protection for buildings connected with western interests in the West Bank and Gaza. It is disappointing that facilities designed to aid and support the Palestinian people, such as the library provided by the British Council, have been destroyed. We hope to re-open these facilities as soon as possible.
Peru
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the outcome of the Peruvian presidential election; and if he will make a statement. [62130]
18 Apr 2006 : Column 87W
Dr. Howells: The Peruvian Presidential election is scheduled to take place on 9 April. We are following the election campaign with close attention with a particular focus on the possible implications for our interests, including the substantial UK investments in the country. Whatever the outcome, we hope that we can continue to enjoy close and friendly relations with Peru.
Raoul Wallenberg
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to obtain from the Swedish Government as much information as is in their possession about the case of Mr. Raoul Wallenberg. [63054]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Swedish Government have been very open on this matter.
In 2001, a joint Swedish-Russian working group concluded a 10-year investigation into the fate of Raoul Wallenberg. The reports from both the Swedish and Russian sides are freely available on the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3105/a/l8447;jsessionid=aQgqvmN_L6g6). In this process, the Swedish Government also made public about 60,000 pages on the case of Mr. Wallenberg.
In 2003, a report into the Swedish Foreign Ministry's handling of the case was published. It is available with an English summary at http://www.regeringen.se/content/l/c4/14/55/eea4918e.pdf
In addition, the Reference Group for Support to Independent Research on Raoul Wallenberg, established by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in April 2002, twice a year allocates and approves funds for independent research projects on Mr. Wallenberg.
In light of the aforementioned, we have no plans to press the Swedish Government for further information on this matter.
18 Apr 2006 : Column 88W
Religious Freedom Panel
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a meeting of the Religious Freedom Panel was held in March. [63327]
Ian Pearson: Yes. The panel met on Thursday 23 March.
Rendition
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2006, Official Report, column 86W, on rendition, whether the requirement for permission is a legal requirement; and from which domestic and international law it derives. [61538]
Dr. Howells: The requirement is a legal one and is an aspect of the principle of State sovereignty over territory.
Royal Visits
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Queen has to visit (a) Commonwealth nations and (b) Overseas Territories. [62967]
Mr. Straw: At present, there are no immediate plans for Her Majesty the Queen to visit either Commonwealth countries or Overseas Territories, although we do of course envisage future visits. The Queen has recently returned from attending the Commonwealth Games in Australia and a State Visit to Singapore. In the previous 12 months, the Queen has visited Canada (May 2005) and Malta (November 2005).
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits have been made by members of the Royal Family to (a) Canada, (b) Australia, (c) New Zealand, (d) Gibraltar and (e) the Falkland Islands in the last five years. [63026]
Mr. Straw: Our records show the following visits by members of the Royal Family to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands in the last five years.
18 Apr 2006 : Column 89W
| His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 25 April to 2 May | Australia | Royal |
| 2005 | 28 February to March | Australia | Royal |
| 2005 | 6–10 March | New Zealand | Royal |
| His Royal Highness Prince William | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 30 June to 10 July | New Zealand | Royal |
| His Royal Highness Prince Harry | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 23 September to 20 December | Australia | Private |
| His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4–9 April | Canada | Working |
| 2001 | 19–22 October | Canada | Regimental |
| His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2–17 February | New Zealand | Private |
18 Apr 2006 : Column 90W
| Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 23 January to 2 February | Australia | Working |
| 2004 | 2–17 February | New Zealand | Private |
| His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 13–25 March | Canada | Working |
| 2002 | 21–25 June | Canada | Private |
| 2003 | 31 July to 6 August | Canada | Private |
| 2004 | 13–18 October | Canada | Private |
| Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex | Country visited | Type of visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 31 May to 8 June | Canada | Working—With HRH the Earl of Wessex |
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