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Alcoholic Beverages
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the estimated value is of central Government's stock of alcoholic beverages; and how many bottles of (a) wine, (b) beer, (c) spirits and (d) other alcoholic beverages are held by the Government. [82816]
Mr. Hoon: Pursuant to the answer given by myright hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers) on17 March 2006, Official Report, columns 2529-30W. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for the administration of the Government hospitality wine cellar. The cellar contains a mixture of fine and beverage wines, spirits, liqueurs and beers. The current estimated value is approximately £674,000, based on cost price. The cellar contains just over 36,500 bottles, of which fewer than 300 are spirits and liqueurs. Beer is not held in large quantities and is bought on an ad hoc basis, depending on requirements.
Balkan States
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Balkan states on the way that the recent history of the region is taught in schools; and if she will make a statement. [83433]
Mr. Hoon: Neither my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, nor I have yet raised this with our counterparts. However, education is part of the reform agenda that officials regularly discuss with Balkan states. We recognise the importance of this issue as a means to tackling inter-ethnic tension in the region. It is a vital element of longer-term stability. We have funded a range of projects to support this, including part funding the book 'Clio in the Balkans—The Politics of History Education'. Our Embassy in Sarajevo is also involved in supporting educational reform. 'Education and Youth' was the theme of our local EU presidency and the ambassador in Sarajevo has co- chaired the Education Reform Committee.
Bulgaria/Romania
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the European Union is providing to (a) Bulgaria and (b) Romania to strengthen the border security of those countries. [82120]
Mr.
Hoon: The EU offers assistance to Romania and Bulgaria on
strengthening border security through a range of projects designed to
help both countries comply with EU standards. In particular, through
the
European Commission's 2005 Phare programme, we have provided assistance
to Romania to the value of €41 million for nine projects
covering training and the provision of equipment, such as
“Upgrading the Surveillance Capacity of Romanian Border Police
Special Surveillance Vehicles”. Similar capacity building was
provided to Bulgaria amounting to almost €17 million for
“Development of Centralised Information Systems and Introduction
of EU Best Practices and Standards in the Field of Border
Control”. Many other EU projects on other aspects of accession
preparations also touch on border security, e.g. customs, veterinary
controls and police
training.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Treasury and (b) the Cabinet Office regarding the pre-comprehensive spending review report; and if she will make a statement. [82839]
Mr. Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had and will continue to have wide ranging and regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary about preparations for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, as a matter of key importance to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s medium and long term planning.
Cuba
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what responseher Department has made to the United States Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba's recent call for a democracy fund for Cuba. [82989]
Mr. Hoon: We understand that the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba is due to issue its latest report this week.
UK and EU policy towards Cuba continues to be based on constructive engagement with both the Government and civil society in order to encourage a peaceful transition to pluralist democracy.
Departmental Premises (Security)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department has (a) directly and (b) indirectly employed illegal immigrants as security guards. [80816]
Mr. Hoon: Security guards at Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) premises in the UK are employed indirectly via the contractor Pegasus Security. Pegasus Security has assured the FCO that illegal immigrants have not been employed as security guards at premises in the UK. Applicants must provide proof of British nationality during the recruitment process.
Deposited Papers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to make copies of Deposited Papers available in (a) the Vote Office and (b) Printed Paper Office at the same time as copies are deposited in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [82466]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly deposits papers in the Libraries of the House for the reference of hon. Members and noble Lords. The FCO assesses the level of interest in the deposited paper and in cases where there is likely to be wide interest provides copies of the document to the Vote Office and Printed Paper Office accordingly,
The FCO is always happy to provide copies of deposited papers to hon. Members and noble Lords on request.
Drugs
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of the British embassy's drugs team in Kabul in co-ordinating anti-narcotics operations with International Security Assistance Force and the United States Operation Enduring Freedom. [83241]
Dr. Howells: The Government of Afghanistan rather than the British embassy drugs team in Kabul is responsible for co-ordinating the counter narcotics campaign in Afghanistan. Afghan Ministries are also responsible for implementation of the campaign. Co-ordination of assistance takes place nationally via the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and the Counter Narcotics Cabinet Sub-Committee, which brings together all relevant Ministries to oversee and monitor the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). With support from the British embassy drugs team in Kabul, the MCN also chairs a series of working groups to take forward detailed implementation planning for all aspects of the NDCS. International partners including the military take part in the working groups and structures are also in place to ensure Afghan counter narcotics law enforcement operations are co-ordinated and deconflicted with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US Operation Enduring Freedom operations. As partner nation for counter narcotics, the UK continues to encourage international partners including all ISAF troop contributors to provide support to the Afghan counter narcotics campaign in line with the commitments identified in the Afghanistan Compact and with agreed ISAF policy.
Government Wine Cellar
Mr.
Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 11 July
2005, Official Report, column 664W, on the Government wine
cellar, how many bottles of wine are held in the Government wine
cellar; what the latest
estimate is of the value of the collection; how much was spent on the
Government wine cellar in 2005-06; how many staff work in the wine
cellar; what their salaries are; and under what circumstances Ministers
have access to the wine cellar.
[83668]
Mr. Hoon: As has been made clear in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) today (UIN 82816) the Government Hospitality wine cellar contains just over 36,500 bottles. The most recent valuation, at the end of March 2006, placed on the stock is £674,000. In 2005-06, Government Hospitality spent a little over £95,000 on new stock for the cellar. The cellar is administered by Government Hospitality, under the guidance of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine. Three civil servants assist in the administration of the cellar, among other duties. Ministers do not have access to the cellar; wines from the cellar are supplied to events hosted by Ministers as part of the service offered by Government Hospitality.
Illegal Immigration (North Africa)
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Libya, (b) Tunisia and (c) Algeria on their plans to tackle illegal immigration from North Africa to Europe. [80333]
Mr. Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not as yet had discussions with her counterparts in these countries. I raised migration with my Algerian counterpart when I visited on 7-8 June and my Libyan counterpart in Tripoli on 25-27 June.
Migration from Africa to Europe has also been discussed this week at a meeting of African and European countries in Rabat.
Israel
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring is being undertaken by the Government to ascertain whether components subject to an export licence which are supplied to a third country and were known either to be intended for re-export to Israel, or where there was a known risk of diversion to Israel, are being used in the military incursions by Israel into Gaza and the West Bank which commenced on 27 June; and what the results have been of any such monitoring. [84048]
Dr. Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 5 July 2006, Official Report, column1158W and the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign affairs, (Mr. McCartney) on 6 July 2006, Official Report, column 1340W. All licences, including for incorporation, are assessed against the consolidated criteria and prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This would include the risk that equipment could be diverted to an undesirable end-user or end-use.
Nigeria
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date her Department received a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer informing her of the plans for his trip to Nigeria on 22 May 2006. [83336]
Mr. McCartney: Arrangements were in line with normal procedures.
Sudan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has (a) to encourage further peace talks at Abuja to try to resolve the Darfur crisis and (b) to make further appeals to the opponents of the Darfur Peace Agreement to sign up to the agreement. [84504]
Mr. Hoon: We welcome the signature of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) on 5 May. We believe that if successfully implemented it will constitute a good basis for the resolution of the crisis in Darfur. Neither we nor the African Union envisage further talks at Abuja: reopening the text of the DPA would threaten the agreement that has been reached. We continue to urge all parties in Darfur to support the DPA and are pushing for its rapid implementation.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment shehas made of the impact on the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan of the continuing conflict in Darfur. [84505]
Mr. Hoon: Continued conflict and instabilityin Darfur risks undermining the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan. And failure to implement fully and effectively the CPA risks exacerbating the conflict in Darfur. That is why the UK is doing ail it can to secure both peace in Darfur and rapid implementation of the CPA.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress she has made in persuading the unified Government of Sudan on the need for UN involvement; and what assessment she has made of the prospect for chapter 8 agreement. [84507]
Mr. Hoon: Security Council Resolution 1679 called for a UN force for Darfur. The African Union (AU) reaffirmed its support for a UN force at its recent summit in the Gambia, President Bashir continues to oppose this. But, there are signs of different views within his Government on this issue. His own coalition partners, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, have said that they accept a UN force for Darfur, We will continue to urge the Government of Sudan to admit a UN force.
Chapter 8 of the
UN charter provides for the UNto support peacekeeping
operations by regional organisations. We believe that, even with
substantial UN or other support, the current AU force in Darfur
would struggle to meet the substantial new demands placed on it by the
Darfur Peace Agreement, and thus that full transition to a UN force
needs to occur as soon as
possible.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the objectives of organisations opposed to the Darfur Peace Agreement and (b) their treatment of (i) internally displaced peoples and (ii) their views on compensation to those affected by the conflict. [84508]
Mr. Hoon: Abdul Wahid’s faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) refused to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). They asserted that the DPA provided insufficient representation for Darfuris in Government and insufficient compensation for those affected by the war. They have been rallying opposition to the DPA in the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.
We disagree. We believe that the DPA offers a good deal for the people of Darfur, including a say for the rebels in Government at the national and Darfurlevels, and a substantial reconstruction package. If implemented properly, the DPA will provide the basis for the return of the IDPs to their homes. Those who oppose the DPA are delaying the day when such returns can take place.
Uganda
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to President Museveni of Uganda about the international implications of offering amnesty to the leadership of the Lords Resistance Army. [84506]
Mr. Hoon: We are following the Government of southern Sudan’s current mediation process closely and we welcome all efforts to bring the long-running conflict in northern Uganda to an end. Such efforts should focus on securing a permanent end to the conflict and encouraging Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) foot-soldiers out of the bush to seek amnesty and reintegration into their communities.
President Museveni has recently said that he will offer an amnesty to the five LRA commanders facing International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants if the talks process is successful The ICC has indicated that the arrest warrants still stand and reminded Uganda of its obligation as a state party to the Rome statute to effect the arrest warrants.
We endorse this—the UK is a strong supporter, in principle and in practice, of the work of the ICC. We are committed to seeing an end to impunity for the worst human rights abuses and criminal acts. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesmanof Tottenham, made this point most recently to the Uganda Foreign Minister when they met in the margins of the African Union summit in Banjul earlier this month.
Yemen
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the security situation and (b) political stability in Yemen; and if she will make a statement. [84200]
Dr. Howells: We have concerns about the security situation in Yemen and judge there is a continuing high threat from terrorism. During my visit to Yemen in January, I emphasised to Government Ministers that determined action against terrorist threats was vital. The UK provides practical counter terrorism support to Yemen.
This is a key year for Yemen's political and democratic systems with presidential elections in September. We will closely monitor the election process.
House of Commons Commission
Delegations
Mr. Dismore: To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 1082W, on delegations, how many overseas visits the eight members of staff referred to undertook in total between 1 June 2005 and 31 May 2006; and at what cost. [84452]
Nick Harvey: In the year 1 June 2005 to 31 May 2006, the total number of overseas visits undertaken by the eight members of staff referred to in the answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 1082W, was 38, to 19 separate sessions or meetings of international parliamentary assemblies. The total cost of subsistence and travel payments for those overseas visits was £53,946.
Northern Ireland
Cervical Cancer
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the most recent survival rate is for patients in the Province diagnosed with cervical cancer. [83725]
Paul Goggins: The survival time for a cancer patient is defined as the time elapsed between diagnosis and death The following table details information on the incidence of cervical cancer (ICD-10 C53) in Northern Ireland for the last period for which data was available.
| Relative survival for cervical cancer in Northern Ireland | |
| Diagnosis Period 1996-99 | |
| Source: NI
Cancer
Registry. | |
Survival from cervical cancer is highly dependent upon the stage at which the disease is diagnosed. The five-year survival rate for stage I cervical cancer was82 per cent. for patients diagnosed between 1996 and 1999, compared to 2 per cent. for Stage IV disease.
This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up to date currently available.
Notes:
1. Figures in brackets represent the 95 per cent. confidence interval, which is the range of values within which there is a 95 per cent. probability of finding the true value for the survival rate.
2. The estimation of patient survival is complicated by the fact that some patients die of causes unrelated to the cancer of interest. To allow for the deaths due to other diseases, survival is expressed as relative survival rate (RSR). Relative survival is the ratio of the observed survival divided by the survival that the patients would have experienced if they had the same probability of dying as the general population having the same age and sex.
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