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13 Jun 2006 : Column 1116W—continued
Potters Bar Rail Crash
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial assistance has been made available by the Government to Network Rail in connection with litigation arising out of the Potters Bar rail crash; and whether he plans to make financial assistance available to the survivors and victims’ families in connection with their litigation arising out of the crash. [76121]
Derek Twigg: No funds have been made available to Network Rail. The Legal Services Commission granted legal aid to one of the families in connection with their application for judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision not to hold a public inquiry.
Seat Belts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the seat belt wearing rate was among (a) males and (b) females on each motorway in each of the last five years, broken down by front and rear seats. [77504]
Dr. Ladyman: This information is not available. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 January 2006, Official Report, column 942W, which sets out the reports that contain information on the seat belt wearing rates that are observed.
Thameslink 2000
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1288W, on Thameslink 2000, when he plans to make these reports available to the public. [76372]
Dr. Ladyman: The inspector's report on the re-opened Thameslink 2000 inquiry will be published when the decision is announced, in line with standard practice for planning inquiries. The report by London TravelWatch assessing the impact on users of the related rail closure proposals is available on their website.
West Coast Main Line
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether all the additional services in the West Coast Mainline Progress Report planned to call at Milton Keynes will allow passengers to alight and embark. [76929]
Derek Twigg: A revised timetable is due to be introduced early in 2009 when the West Coast Main Line Project will be substantially complete. It is too soon to say whether there will be any restrictions on boarding or alighting at Milton Keynes but extra platform capacity is being provided there to enable more trains to call.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Africa (Chinese Policy)
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of Chinese policies in Africa including aid strategies. [76040]
Mr. McCartney: We are keen to increase our dialogue with China on implementation of their Africa policy launched this year. Our network of diplomatic posts in China and Africa provide regular reporting and analysis. The Department for International Development has recently commissioned several papers on the impact of Chinese policies in Africa, one of which, from the Institute of Development Studies, focuses on aid, among other issues. This paper can be found at the following website: http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/AsianDriverpdfs/DFIDAgendaPaper06.pdf. Copies will also be placed in the Library of the House and sent to my hon. Friend.
Burma
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Burma regarding humanitarian problems caused by the Burmese Army for the Karen, Karenni and Shan people. [76872]
Mr. McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 16 May 2006, Official Report, column 893W and the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, gave the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. David Jones) on 23 May 2006, Official Report, columns 1626W-27W.
Commonwealth Youth Sunday
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what countries Commonwealth Youth Sunday is observed. [76038]
Mr. McCartney: I am unaware of Commonwealth Youth Sunday. National Youth Days are celebrated at different times of the year across the Commonwealth.
Ethiopia
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to encourage Ethiopia to implement the International Boundary Commission 2002 ruling on the border with Eritrea. [75327]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 318W.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department's policy is towards Ethiopia regarding the border dispute with Eritrea; and what assessment she has made of the effect of this policy on relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. [75329]
Mr. McCartney: We have consistently urged the Ethiopian Government to accept the final and binding resolution of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission and to allow demarcation of the frontier with Eritrea. We welcome the participation by both parties in the recent meetings of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission in London. We continue to urge both sides to engage constructively in future meetings of the Boundary Commission and to commence demarcation as quickly as possible. We remain committed to normalisation of relations on either side of the final border between the two countries as the only permanent basis for peace.
EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) she and (b) diplomatic and consular staff plan to meet (i) Polisario and (ii) the Moroccan authorities to discuss the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement. [77170]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to discuss the EU/Morocco Fisheries Agreement with either the Polisario Front or the Moroccan authorities. However, on my recent visit to Morocco on 6 June, I discussed this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister. Officials have also discussed the agreement with representatives of both the Moroccan Government and members of the Polisario Front.
The UK's position on the issue is clear. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Ben Bradshaw) to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr Mike Hancock) on 2 May (Official Report, column 1315W).
Madagascar
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of diplomatic links with Madagascar. [75890]
Mr. McCartney: UK diplomatic links with Madagascar are conducted through a non-resident ambassador based in Port Louis, Mauritius and an honorary consul based in Antananarivo (we are currently seeking accreditation for both these officials), and through contact with the Malagasy embassy in London.
Sudan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Sudan regarding its attitude towards peace measures and human rights in Sudan. [76041]
Mr. McCartney: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, saw the Sudanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs on 7 June, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development also spoke to him. We welcomed the signature by the Government of Sudan of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and stressed the need for this to be implemented rapidly. On the Government's side early action on disarmament of the Janjaweed was key. We have condemned the grave abuses of human rights in Darfur and will continue to do so. There must be no impunity for those who have committed these crimes and those responsible must be brought to justice.
Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the EU does not negotiate bilateral deals which oblige countries to adopt intellectual property standards or timetables which go beyond trade-related intellectual property rights. [76241]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 12 June 2006]: The UK position on intellectual property rights in bilateral and regional agreements was published in the Government response to the report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights following recommendation 77 of the Commission under chapter 8—The International Architecture. This is available at the following website: http://www.iprcommission.org/graphic/uk_government _response.htm.
The Government state clearly that bilateral and other agreements should not, as a matter of course, oblige countries to adopt intellectual property standards or timetables that go beyond the requirements of the World Trade Organisation Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. They also makes the further commitment that
“For our part, we will seek to ensure that EU agreements with developing countries avoid imposing obligations beyond TRIPS”.
I can confirm that UK negotiators are routinely briefed regarding this commitment.
The TRIPS Agreement, however, sets minimum standards and not a maximum level of intellectual property protection. It is therefore within a government’s sovereign right to enhance their intellectual property protection if they judge it to be in their country’s interest, including as part of an overall package of trade issues which make up a bilateral trade agreement.
Uganda
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written statement by the Secretary of State for International Development of 23 May 2006, Official Report, column 81WS, on his visit to Uganda, what steps she is taking to ensure the Secretary General's recommendations to the Security Council of the United Nations are submitted without further delay; and if she will call for a UN Special Envoy, a UN Panel of Experts and action to improve the protection of civilians throughout Northern Uganda. [75041]
Mr. McCartney: UN Security Council Resolution 1663 of 24 March 2006 requested the UN Secretary General to make recommendations to the Council on how to address more effectively the problem of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). On 26 April 2006, the Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Political Affairs briefed the Security Council on the threat posed by the LRA and made a number of recommendations, including that:
a Panel of Experts be established to investigate the financial backing for the LRA;
the Government of Uganda be encouraged to accept the appointment of a senior envoy for the LRA;
the Government of Uganda set out a strategy for dealing with the root causes of the conflict through dialogue so that internally displaced peoples could return home.
In the Security Council discussion which followed the UK welcomed these proposals. We are urging the Secretariat at all levels to deliver a detailed written report as soon as possible, as the basis for taking these proposals forward.
The UK is encouraging the Ugandan Government to accept the appointment of a Special Envoy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development raised this with President Museveni on 16 May when they discussed the role a Special Envoy could play in achieving greater regional co-operation on the LRA issue.
Improving the protection of civilians is a crucial issue and on 4 May the Government of Uganda launched the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) to oversee the protection of civilians, the conditions of internally displaced persons planning for the return of the displaced to their homes and peace building including the return and reintegration of combatants and reconciliation.
This JMC represents an important step forward. It involves greater public recognition by the Government of Uganda of the scale of the problem and it creates an opportunity for constructive dialogue and joint planning. The JMC is currently developing an action plan to take this work forward and our High Commission in Kampala and the Department for International Development Uganda are both closely involved in this.
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the reports relating to the proposed trial for treason of Dr. Besigye, the Leader of the Opposition in Uganda; and if she will make a statement [76024]
Mr. McCartney: Dr. Besigye, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change party in Uganda, is currently on trial in the Ugandan High Court facing a number of treason charges. On 18 May this trial was put on hold pending the outcome of a petition to the Constitutional Court, made by Dr. Besigye’s lawyers. The Constitutional Court is expected to give a ruling by the end of June 2006.
On 16 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development raised Dr. Besigye’s on-going High Court trial with President Museveni. The President gave an assurance that due process would be followed.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2006, Official Report, column 1971W, on Uganda, what assessment she has made of reports of (a) the execution by Ugandan security forces of two soldiers for the alleged killing of Father O’Toole and (b) the 2003 execution by Uganda Chieftaincy Military Intelligence of (i) Ismael Muviru, (ii) Mutwabil Walakira and (iii) Captain Sewamuwa Daudi; and if she will make a statement. [76214]
Mr. McCartney: Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member on 25 May 2006, Official Report, column 1970W, on Uganda, no-one has been executed on the orders of the High Court since 1999.
Father Declan O’Toole and two workers from his parish were murdered on 20 March 2002. Following a field court martial two Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers, Corporal James Omediyo and Private Abdullah Mohammed were executed by firing squad on 25 March 2002. These executions prompted legal challenges to the authority of the UPDF to act in this manner and two related cases are currently before the Supreme Court of Uganda.
The non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch has claimed that, in September 2003, the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force detained without trial and then executed Ismael Muviru, Mutwabil Walakira, Captain Sewamuwa Daudi, and another unnamed man. The UPDF, the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the independent Foundation for Human Rights Initiative have reported that they investigated the allegations and could not find any evidence to verify the claim. There also was no known response to newspaper appeals for the public to come forward with any information on the case.
We have repeatedly made clear to the Ugandan Government our opposition to the death penalty and the need for a fair and transparent judicial process.
UK Ambassador (Kyrgyzstan)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006 to question 74571, on the UK Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, what the cost was of (a) travel, (b) subsistence and (c) accommodation for the (i) Ambassador, (ii) Deputy Head of Mission and (iii) Defence Attaché of each of the visits listed. [76128]
Mr. McCartney
[holding answer 12 June 2006]: The total cost of travel for the Ambassador, the Deputy
Head of Mission and the Defence Attaché for their visits to Kyrgyzstan from Almaty, Kazakhstan since January 2005 is £589. The total combined costs for accommodation and subsistence for these visits is as follows: Ambassador—£3,752; Deputy Head of Mission—£2,237 and Defence Attaché—£3,730.
Whaling
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Norwegian Foreign Minister on (a) Norway's expansion of its commercial whaling programme and (b) Norway's support for Japan's attempts to gain a simple majority at the International Whaling Commission; and if she will make a statement. [76993]
Mr. McCartney: The UK's opposition to Norway's commercial whaling programme has been consistent and strong. In April 2006, the UK led a demarche against Norway's announcement of a record increase in the number of North Atlantic minke whales they plan to catch this year. We will continue to fight vigorously at the International Whaling Commission to oppose whaling activities. The focus of the recent meeting between my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and her Norwegian counterpart was Iran and the Middle East. Whaling was not discussed.
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