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Karni Crossing (Gaza)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli government on the closure of the Karni crossing into Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [65455]

Dr. Howells: Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has repeatedly expressed our concerns about the closure of the Karni crossing. The Embassy last raised it with the Head of Israel Defence Force Strategic Planning and Foreign Relations on 4 April, The Karni crossing was reopened on 12 April. It is important that access and movement is improved and we call on both parties to implement the 15 November Agreement on Movement and Access. The Israeli government has assured us that they will continue to support the transfer of humanitarian assistance by opening other crossing points to the Gaza Strip to avert a potential crisis due to lack of food and money.

Montenegro

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position relating to the proposed referendum on independence in Montenegro. [64830]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The referendum on Montenegrin independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro is scheduled for 21 May. The UK welcomes the agreement between the Government and the opposition in Montenegro on the standards for the referendum. The referendum should be held according to the terms of the Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro and subsequent legislation.

The UK has made clear that the whole process needs to be transparent, consensual and democratic.

Norman Kember

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether discussions took place between representatives of the Government and representatives of the kidnappers of Norman Kember prior to 21 March 2006. [64386]

Dr. Howells: It is not our policy to comment publicly on the operational details of the Government's efforts to secure the release of British nationals taken hostage overseas.

Proliferation Security Initiative

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to comply with the Proliferation Security Initiative. [65283]

 
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Dr. Howells: The UK has taken a number of steps to comply with the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). We have formally committed to and publicly endorsed the PSI and its Statement of Interdiction Principles and indicated willingness to take all steps available to support PSI efforts. We have actively participated in and hosted PSI interdiction training exercises. We have undertaken a review and provided information on current national legal authorities to undertake interdictions at sea, in the air or on land. We have indicated willingness to strengthen authorities where appropriate. We have provided points of contact for PSI interdiction requests and other operational activities. We have established appropriate internal Government processes to co-ordinate PSI response efforts. We have reviewed our legal authorities and are working on adoption of the 2005 Suppression of Unlawful Acts protocols to strengthen the legal environment for interdiction. This will make it an internationally recognised offence to transport weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems and related materials on commercial vessels.

We are currently examining a range of measures to deter proliferators and further raise the political and economic costs of trafficking in WMD and we will continue to take the necessary steps to strengthen our capacity to act effectively, as and when required, to take action consistent with the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles.

Tom Hurndall/James Miller

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has met with the family of (a) Tom Hurndall and (b) James Miller; and whether he has plans for future such meetings. [65895]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the family of James Miller on 2 June 2003 and the family of Tom Hurndall on 17 June 2003. The then Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of
 
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State, with responsibility for Consular Affairs, my noble Friend right hon. Baroness Symons, met the Miller family on 18 July 2003, 6 November 2003, 5 July 2004 and 4 April 2005. She met the Hurndall family on 23 July 2003, 6 January 2004, 23 March 2004 and 18 April 2005. As the Minister responsible for Consular Affairs in the Middle East I also met the Miller family on 23 May 2005 and the Hurndall family on 11 July 2005.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is planning to meet both families again soon.

UN Human Rights Council

Ms Diana R. Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council. [65134]

Ian Pearson: We welcomed and voted in favour of the General Assembly Resolution establishing the Human Rights Council. We believe this offers an important opportunity to improve the UN human rights machinery, but much will depend on member states showing commitment to making a fresh start. We will continue to play the fullest part possible towards the body's success and are standing for election to the Council on 9 May.

PRIME MINISTER

Scotland Act

Mr. Weir: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2006, Official Report, column 2045W to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Stewart Hosie) on the Scotland Act 1998 and the announcement that the Secretary of State for Scotland has been carrying out the functions of the Advocate General for Scotland since 18 January 2006 if he will place in the Library a copy of the determination under section 87(3) of the Scotland Act 1998. [66077]

The Prime Minister: Yes.
 
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DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to deploy Royal Air Force Jaguar aircraft to Kandahar; and if he will make a statement. [64793]

Mr. Ingram: There are currently no plans to send Jaguar aircraft to Afghanistan.

Casualty Evacuation

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many casualty evacuations there have been from(a) Iraq since the start of Operation Telic and (b) Afghanistan since 2001. [65450]

Mr. Ingram: The latest Aeromed figures for Operation Telic are published on the MOD website.

For the period between March 2003 to 1 January 2006, up to 4,000 UK military and civilian personnel (including a small number of Iraqis) were medically evacuated from Iraq. For the period between 1 January 2006 and 28 February 2006, 133 UK military and civilian personnel were medically evacuated from Iraq.

The great majority of these cases were due to illness, accidental injury, routine outpatient treatment in the UK or for compassionate reasons and not as a result of hostile action.

Since 2001, there have been 33 aeromedical evacuations from Afghanistan. The great majority of these cases were due to illness, accidental injury, routine outpatient treatment in the UK or for compassionate reasons and not as a result of hostile action.

Colombia

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much defence (a) equipment, (b) training and (c) other support has been given to the Government of Colombia in each of the last three years. [64786]

Mr. Ingram: In financial years 2003–04 and 2004–05 the cost of military training assistance provided by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to the Colombian armed forces was around £120,000 per year. This assistance covered Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training and the provision of military training and education to members of the Colombian armed forces both in Colombia and in the UK.

In financial year 2005–06 the cost of military training assistance provided by the UK MOD to the Colombian armed forces was approximately £130,000. This assistance consisted in EOD training and British military education and training courses in the UK. We also supported the Colombian military justice reform process by running seminars on Rules of Engagement
 
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and study tours introducing Colombian personnel to key British defence concepts such as the need to have democratic and accountable control of the armed forces.

The MOD has not given the Colombian armed forces any equipment over the last three years, nor has it given other support to the Government of Colombia, apart from some bespoke counter-narcotic assistance.

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