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19 July 2006 : Column 495W—continued
Human Cloning
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1519-20W, on human cloning, if she will place in the Library copies of the instructions sent to the UK delegation; if she will list the (a) Departments, (b) organisations and (c) individuals (i) she consulted and who (ii) made representations to her Department; if she will place in the Library copies of any representations received; and if she will make a statement. [86126]
Mr. McCartney: As I explained in my answer to the hon. Member on 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1519-20W, the instructions sent to the UK delegation covered a range of options for possible votes on different draft resolutions or motions. Publication of instructions to Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posts could be damaging to our international relations. It would not therefore be appropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House. The FCO consulted the Department of Health, which takes the lead on the issue, the Office of Science and Technology, as it then was, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Royal Society. We lobbied other governments in capitals and in New York and received a range of views in response. These discussions were held in confidence. We do not have copies of oral representations received from others. The chief executive of the British Bioindustry Association wrote to my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary on 12 October 2004, strongly supporting the UK position. Copies of this letter and my right hon. Friend’s reply will be placed in the Library of the House.
The Government’s views were set out in New York on several occasions, including in statements by the UK Permanent Representative to the UN General Assembly in October 2004 and March 2005. Copies of these statements will also be placed in the Library of the House. I will also send the hon. Member copies of the letters and statements to be placed in the Library of the House.
Israel (F16 Military Aircraft)
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations (a) she and (b) her officials have undertaken into the use of F16 Israeli military aircraft during airstrikes into (i) Gaza since the start of May 2006 and (ii) Lebanon since 12 July 2006; and what the results of those investigations have been. [86515]
Dr. Howells: Our embassy in Tel Aviv is monitoring the situation closely. It has confirmed reports that Israel is using F16s in its incursions into Gaza and Lebanon.
Middle East
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received from the EU Commissioner for External Relations regarding the outcome of her recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories; and if she will make a statement. [81730]
Margaret Beckett: I have had no specific discussions with EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner regarding the outcome of her visit, but we have remained in close contact with the European Commission on a number of issues relating to her visit, such as the temporary international mechanism.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 1003W, on the Middle East, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing security arrangements in the Gulf; and if she will make a statement. [84141]
Margaret Beckett: Security of the Gulf is vital to our interests. We support a number of initiatives in the region, such as the International Institute of Strategic Studies' regional “Gulf Dialogue”. Cabinet level delegations have attended the two conferences in Bahrain in 2004 and 2005. If any initiative is to be successful, leadership must come from the region.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations she is undertaking to ascertain whether military equipment or components supplied directly or indirectly from the UK are being used by Israel in the military action it has been taking inside Lebanon since 12 July. [86592]
Dr. Howells: In common with all of our diplomatic posts, our Embassy in Tel Aviv monitors local developments closely and notes any information which comes to light that military equipment supplied by the UK has been used in a manner inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria. The Government will take this into consideration when assessing any future export licence applications. The Government may also revoke relevant licence(s) and ask the authorities in the country concerned to investigate.
All export licence applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application.
Nomenclature
Mr. Hayes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department’s policy is on changes in nomenclature of foreign place names in official documents following linguistic
revisions by foreign governments, with particular reference to (a) India, (b) Burma and (c) China; and if she will make a statement. [84234]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) consults the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN) on issues concerning foreign geographical names. The PCGN is an interdepartmental body, whose principal function is to advise the Government on policies and procedures for the proper writing of geographical names for places and features outside the United Kingdom, excluding those of the Antarctic. The final decision on the appropriate name to use, however, rests with the lead section on geographical names within the FCO.
The policy for the application of geographical names is to follow the practice of the supreme administering authority of the country concerned. It is the FCO’s policy to recognise changes of geographical name where these fall within the sovereign competence of a particular foreign government. For example, in India the name change from Madras to Chennai has been made according to due processes within the Government of India and requires appropriate acknowledgement within the FCO. The name Madras would therefore now be considered a former name for this city, in the same way that Salisbury is a former name for Harare.
However, there will be a number of occasions where a geographical name within the sovereign competence of a particular foreign government is already known in a traditional form in the English language and it would not be unusual for this form to be used within the FCO for ease of recognition. For example, the Burmese geographical name Yangon has long been known in the English language as Rangoon, and that form continues to be acceptable today. However, the use of English-language terms can also alter over time. This could be considered to have occurred in the case of Beijing, where the name Peking is today rarely encountered as the English-language name.
North Korea
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the effectiveness of efforts to limit the illicit flow of nuclear material to North Korea; and if she will make a statement. [81729]
Margaret Beckett: We are not aware of any flow of illicit nuclear material. North Korea's graphite-moderated reactor at Yongbyon has been fuelled using indigenously produced natural uranium fuel.
Pakistani scientist Dr. A. Q. Khan has admitted to having supplied uranium enrichment technology to North Korea, although North Korea denies having a uranium enrichment programme.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the potential for proliferation of (a) nuclear weapons material and technology and (b) missile technology from North Korea to state or non-state actors. [81731]
Margaret Beckett: North Korea's willingness to supply to others ballistic missile systems and technology is well established. Given the complexity of ballistic missiles and the necessary support systems, we believe it is extremely unlikely any non-state actor would seek to procure them.
While North Korea might be willing in principle to supply nuclear weapons material and technology to others, we do not currently assess this to be a significant risk. We and our allies, however, are monitoring continuously for any indication North Korea might be considering such a transfer.
Pastor Zhang Rongliang
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she intervened in the case of Pastor Zhang Rongliang, sentenced to imprisonment in China. [85128]
Mr. McCartney: The Government are very concerned about human rights abuses in China. We have raised the case of Pastor Zhang Rongliang with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions, including at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 3 July. The Chinese Government gave no new information about Pastor Zhang and we have received no official confirmation of recent reports of his sentencing. We will continue to raise our concerns about the harassment and imprisonment of religious practitioners in China and to closely monitor Pastor Zhang’s case.
Public Appointments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public appointments are within her patronage; what (a) salary and (b) other emoluments are attached to each; and what the comparable figures were in (i) 1976, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1996. [83180]
Mr. Hoon: Details of the public appointments to public bodies sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can be found in “Public Bodies”, copies of which are in the Library of the House or at the following website:
www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies “Public Bodies” has been published annually since 1980 and the most recent edition provides figures for 2005. Each edition of “Public Bodies” contains details on the number of public appointments and remuneration details for that particular year. Comparable information for 1976 in respect of the FCO could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
A summary of the FCO’s latest information on public appointments to public bodies is as follows:
Diplomatic Service Appeal Board
Chair: Vacant
Remuneration: £0
Deputy Chair: Diana Ratzer
Remuneration: £0
Notes:
Remuneration is only paid when the Board meets. The Board last sat in 2004.
The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine
Chair: Sir David Wright
Remuneration: £0
Secretary: Robert Alexander
Remuneration: £0 Civil Servant
Notes:
None
Chair: Dr Farhan Nizami
Remuneration: £0
Secretary: Jane Rawbone
Remuneration: £0 Civil Servant
Notes: The Wilton Park Academic Council (WPAC) oversee the conference themes and academic independence of Wilton Park Conferences, an Executive Agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Wilton Park is responsible for organising WPAC meetings and members are unremunerated.
British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
Chair: The right hon. Lord Radice
Remuneration: £0
Director: Nicholas Jarrold
Remuneration: £48,000 per annum
Notes: The Chair is appointed by the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe with the approval of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Chair: Lord Kinnock
Remuneration: £0
Chief Executive: Sir David Green
Remuneration: £149,576
Notes:
None
Great Britain-China Centre (The)
Chair: Peter Batey, OBE
Remuneration: £0
Notes:
The Chair is elected by the Executive Committee, with the approval of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. All new members of the Executive Committee are elected by the Executive Committee.
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
Chair: Jonathan Taylor
Remuneration: £0
Executive Secretary: Dr John Kirkland
Remuneration: £0
Notes:
None
Westminster Foundation for Democracy (The)
Chair: Hugh Bayley, MP
Remuneration: £0
Chief Executive: David French
Remuneration: £99,066 per annum
Notes:
Government funding is by FCO Grant in Aid. Other expenditure is from special purpose grants.
BBC World Service (Including BBC Monitoring) (BBCWS)
Director BBCWS: Nigel Chapman
Remuneration: £228,000 per annum
Chairman:
Remuneration: £0
Notes:
Chair, Deputy and members are the same as those for the BBC, and are listed only under that body (Department for Culture, Media and Sport Public Corporation) to avoid double-counting. The total gross expenditure figure shown above is gross expenditure from WS accounts plus BBCM accounts.
Foreign Compensation Commission
Chairman (part-time): Dr John Barker
Remuneration: Fee-paid on a daily basis. Budget allocation is £20,000 per annum
Secretary and Chief Examiner (part-time): Barrie England
Remuneration: £11,200 per annum
Notes:
None.
All of the information that follows refers to Boards chaired by Officials or Ministers:
Chair: Colleen Harris and Pat Ramsey/Marilla Logan (job-share)
Notes:
The Caribbean Board provides advice and runs projects.
Chair: Rob Macaire, Director of Consular Services
Notes:
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