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12 Jun 2006 : Column 1000W—continued
G8 Summit
Mr. Hague:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s
priorities are for the forthcoming G8 summit in St. Petersburg; and if she will make a statement. [75143]
Margaret Beckett: The UK is working with the Russian presidency through their chosen priorities of energy security, infectious diseases and education to deliver a successful St. Petersburg summit. The UK is also working with G8 partners at all levels to ensure that previous G8 work on Africa and climate change is taken forward.
International Nuclear Fuel Bank
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the proposals to create an international nuclear fuel bank; what steps her Department is taking to explore such proposals; and if she will make a statement. [75142]
Margaret Beckett: The UK fully supports the introduction of a reliable supply of fuel cycle services and is co-operating with the US and other partners to develop workable ideas. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the competence to administer such a mechanism and the US will soon submit a joint proposal to them, supported by the UK, to take this work forward. We believe that, in case of market disruption, the Agency could broker a new fuel supply agreement between a state and an alternate supplier. Suppliers, and their Governments, could give an undertaking to provide a back-up if relevant non-proliferation criteria were met. As a last resort, the Agency could make supplies available from a multilateral reserve of uranium, contributed by states with spare material. We look forward to engaging in further discussions and consultations on these issues at the IAEA in Vienna.
Iran
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had recent discussions with representatives of UK banks regarding their business with Iran; and if she will make a statement. [73715]
Margaret Beckett: I have not had any recent discussions with representatives of UK banks regarding their business with Iran. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have regular routine discussions with those UK banks interested in Iran, just as we have with other businesses with the same interest.
Legislation
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list those (a) Acts and (b) parts of Acts which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006 and for which her
Department has policy responsibility which remain in force. [70392]
Margaret Beckett: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has policy responsibility for the following Acts (or parts thereof) which remain in force and which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006. Some of the Acts contain provisions which appear to be spent. A definitive list of all the parts of Acts in the relevant period for which the Department has responsibility could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Middle East
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her (a) middle eastern and (b) gulf counterparts regarding future regional security arrangements in the gulf; with which countries these discussions took place; and if she will make a statement. [75068]
Margaret Beckett: I have had no recent discussions on regional security arrangements in the gulf with my middle eastern and gulf counterparts.
Palestine
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Israeli Government regarding (a) the killing of a Palestinian girl and the injuring of 12 of her relatives when Israeli shells hit their home in the Gaza Strip on 10 April 2006 and (b) the reduction by the Israeli army of the artillery margin of safety in which shells can be fired near civilian areas from 300 to 100 metres. [75582]
Dr. Howells: The Government have made repeated representations to the Government of Israel to exercise restraint in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We have expressed our concern over the shelling of the Gaza Strip and over targeted killings.
We have also regularly stressed, in our contacts with the Israeli Government, the need for their operations to be in line with international law.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s policy is on contact with Hamas; and how this policy is applied in multilateral forums. [76203]
Dr. Howells: The Government have a policy of non-contact with Hamas, in line with our EU and Quartet partners. In order to work towards our national and regional priorities, we will continue to attend a number of international fora to which we normally contribute, and whose work we value, regardless of Hamas attendance. Ministers and officials will, however, avoid all bilateral contact with Hamas at these events, in line with our policy of non-contact.
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of suspension of aid to the Palestinian authority on the living standards of the Palestinian population. [76392]
Dr. Howells: The Government continues to monitor the humanitarian and security situation in the Occupied Territories closely.
Together with our Quartet partners, other donors and international financial institutions, we are looking at ways to provide direct support to the Palestinian people through the establishment of the Temporary International Mechanism. This will be discussed at the General Affairs and External Relations Council today, as well as at the European Council next week.
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will issue travel warnings for British citizens travelling in the Palestinian territories to take account of recent deaths of British citizens in the territories. [76393]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly updates its travel advice in light of recent events. In addition, our consulate general in Jerusalem has recently set up a system whereby residents and visitors in the Palestinian territories can register for text message updates. We currently advise against all travel to the Gaza Strip and all but essential travel to the West Bank. This information can also be found on the FCO website at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385504.
Rwandan War Criminals
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy on the extradition of suspected Rwandan war criminals. [75478]
Dr. Howells: There is no general extradition arrangement between the UK and Rwanda. There is, however, provision within the Extradition Act 2003 for Ministers to consider whether the UK might enter into special arrangements where no other extradition arrangement exists. In addition, there is an appropriate legislative basis to ensure that the UK could surrender any individual indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda if they were found to be in the UK.
It is UK policy to give due consideration to any such request of an individual for extradition or surrender in light of these arrangements.
The Government are committed to a policy of no safe haven for those who commit genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Turkey
Tim Farron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent analysis her
Department has made of the Turkish Government's progress in protecting human rights. [75950]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 8 June 2006]: The European Commission’s 2005 Report states that Turkey sufficiently fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria but calls for continued reform, including on freedom of expression, freedom of religion and torture. The Government fully endorse this assessment. Human rights organisations report decreasing levels of torture and ill treatment by security forces so far this year, although there was a temporary rise in allegations during violent demonstrations in March/April 2006. We look forward to the Commission's 2006 Report, expected in the autumn.
UK Passport Holders
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK passport holders live in (a) Bangladesh, (b) Pakistan, (c) Nigeria and (d) Ghana. [76351]
Dr. Howells: We estimate that:
approximately 10,000 British nationals live permanently in Bangladesh and hold a British passport;
approximately 16,000 British nationals live permanently in Nigeria and hold a British passport;
approximately 35,000 British nationals live permanently in Pakistan and hold a British passport;
approximately 6,500 British nationals live permanently in Ghana and hold a British passport.
These figures are based on passport issues at our high commissions in Dhaka, Islamabad and Accra and our deputy high commission in Lagos respectively. The actual figures for Bangladesh and Pakistan however could be as high as 100,000 and 80,000 respectively, as many Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are dual nationals who obtain a passport in the UK but live for a large part of the year in Bangladesh or Pakistan.
UN Development Fund for Women
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department's position is on the future role of the United Nations Development Fund for Women in the context of United Nations reform. [75330]
Mr. Thomas: The UK has been the largest contributor to United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)’s core resources in recent years. We are fully committed to the principles of gender equality and women’s empowerment and to providing support for the UN’s work on these issues. UNIFEM and other UN agencies recognise that in order to advance better outcomes for women and girls, the UN’s work needs to be better organised, more joined up and more effective. The Secretary-General has asked the current high level panel on UN systems-wide coherence to assess how this can be achieved. The UK will consider the recommendations of this review in deciding how best we can continue to support the UN system's vital work on gender and women's empowerment.
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