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25 July 2006 : Column 1254W—continued
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Cyprus
13. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to help bring about the reunification of Cyprus. [87881]
Mr. Hoon: We fully support the UN’s efforts and welcome the recent agreement between the two leaders on a mechanism for dialogue. We are urging both sides to take advantage of this opportunity, and working within the Security Council to ensure its full support for these efforts.
India
14. Mr. Piara S. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the UK Government are providing to the relatives of the victims of the bombings in Mumbai and the Government of India in its fight against terrorism. [87882]
Mr. McCartney: Clearly our thoughts are with the relatives and friends of those killed and injured in these barbaric attacks. Following the explosions the Prime Minister spoke to Dr. Manmohan Singh. Both the PM and our Deputy High Commissioner in Mumbai offered the Indian Government any assistance that might be required in the aftermath of these attacks. We are currently awaiting India’s response.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives from the (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani Governments regarding the Mumbai bombings. [87969]
Dr. Howells: UK officials here and in India have been in detailed discussions with the Indian authorities following the bombings. We have made offers of assistance to the Indian Government but to date they have not come back with any specific requests.
Officials from our High Commission in Islamabad have regular and frequent contact with the Pakistani Government, and have discussed the explosions in Mumbai with them. We welcome their rapid condemnation of these attacks and their offer to the Indian authorities to co-operate in any investigation.
Middle East
15. Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Government of Israel on the situation in the Middle East. [87883]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is engaged actively in the situation in the Middle East and will be attending the Lebanon Core Group meeting in Rome tomorrow. She has been in regular contact with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni and, in close communication with my right hon. Friend, since Friday 21 July I have attended meetings in Cyprus, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Ramallah and Amman.
16. Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the prospects for peace in the Middle East. [87884]
Dr. Howells: Whilst we need an urgent end to the current crisis, real peace can only come through a lasting settlement. Negotiations are manifestly the best way to move the peace process forward. We welcome the commitment given by both Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas to negotiations and have urged both sides to resume talks. We do, however, remain acutely concerned at Syrian and Iranian support for Hizbollah and other extremist groups.
20. Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the security situation in the Middle East. [87888]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright).
We are gravely concerned by the crisis in the Middle East. This threatens the wider security of the region, and is causing huge civilian suffering on all sides. We are committed to helping resolve this crisis. We want an immediate end to the violence and the release of the Israeli soldiers. Our priority is to create conditions for a credible and sustainable cease-fire.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with the ambassadors of the Government of (i) Syria, (ii) Lebanon and (iii) Iran about Hezbollah terrorists firing rockets into the state of Israel; what reply was received in each case; and if she will make a statement. [87102]
Mr. Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been in contact with his Lebanese counterpart to offer his support. As he told the House on 18 July
“I have spoken to the Prime Minister of Lebanon. I think Lebanon is looking for international help. The precise way in which that is used and the implications for its own armed forces are matters for debate. I believe the Prime Minister of Lebanon wants to do the right thing. The people around him are desperate for some stability in their country and they feel very angry that they are caught in the present situation. We should be helping them in any way we can”. [Official Report, 18 July 2006, column 168].
Our ambassador in Beirut has also been in regular contact with the Lebanese Government.
Our embassy in Damascus has been in contact with Syrian officials and we have also twice summoned the Syrian ambassador in London to pressure Syria to take action in relation to Hezbollah.
We have had no recent contacts with Iran about Hezbollah but we will keep up the diplomatic pressure on Iran to comply with its international obligations.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) discussions and (b) representations (i) Ministers and (ii) officials have had with governments of the European Union about Hezbollah terrorism; and if she will make a statement. [87103]
Mr. Hoon: At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 17 July, EU Foreign Ministers condemned the attacks by Hezbollah on Israel and the abduction of two Israeli soldiers and called for their immediate and unconditional release and for the cessation of all attacks on Israeli towns and cities. They also recalled the need for the Lebanese state to restore its sovereignty over the whole of its national territory and to do its utmost to prevent such attacks, and expressed their support for Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. They also urged the full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 and UNSCR 1680, including disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, and strict respect of the sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and political independence of Lebanon. In the past, Ministers and officials have regularly discussed Hezbollah with EU colleagues.
Both Ministers and officials will continue to work with EU partners towards the cessation of violence in the region.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support she has offered to the high-level UN delegation to the Middle East UN mission; what its aims are; and when its mission will end. [87555]
Margaret Beckett: We fully support the UN delegation to the Middle East and are offering the team logistical assistance on the ground. We flew the delegates to and from Beirut from UK airbases. The role of the three person team, led by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Political Adviser, Mr. Vijay Nambiar, is to help defuse the major crisis in the region. The other members are UN Envoy for the Middle East Mr. Alvaro de Soto and UN Special Envoy for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004) Mr. Terje Roed Larsen. The UN mission will deliver to all parties the UN Secretary-General’s call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict. It will also reiterate the UN Secretary-General’s message to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. We expect a briefing in the Security Council from Mr. Nambiar on 20 July and to hear from the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations on next steps.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. [87558]
Margaret Beckett: We continue to have concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Electricity and water supplies remain irregular. In a statement on 19 July, the Israel Defence Force said it opened two crossings into Gaza. 145 food trucks entered Gaza through the Karni crossing, and 500,000 litres of diesel fuel, 90,000 litres of gasoline and 175 tons of cooking gas were allowed through the Nahal Oz crossing. In addition to this, the Rafah Crossing was opened on 18 July to allow 5,000 Palestinians to cross from Egypt into Gaza.
We remain fully committed to supporting the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). The European Community has committed €105 million to the mechanism. The UK intends to contribute up to £12 million. We are aware that several other European countries are considering making contributions. This will enable us to provide support in the health sector, to fund utilities and to give welfare allowances to some of the poorest Palestinians. In line with the commitments made at the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg on 16 July and by EU Foreign Ministers on 17 July, we and the European Commission are looking at options to further expand the TIM.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1158-59W, on Israel, whether any information has come to light that (a) military equipment and (b) components supplied by the UK have been deployed by Israel during its operations in (i) Gaza since 27 June 2006 and (ii) in Lebanon since 12 July 2006 in a manner consistent with the consolidated criteria. [87752]
Mr. Hoon:
We have no reports of the use of UK supplied equipment. Our embassy in Tel Aviv continues to monitor the situation in the region closely. All applications for export licences are assessed rigorously on a case by case basis against the
Consolidated Criteria taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other relevant announced government policies.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the level of stability in the Middle East; and if she will make a statement. [87872]
Margaret Beckett: We are gravely concerned by the crisis in Lebanon. Syrian and Iranian support for Hezbollah, and other extremist groups, is encouraging extremism, threatening the stability of the region, and putting peace in the Middle East further out of reach. We call on Syria and Iran to stop their support for Hizbollah and end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on steps the Government are taking to try to bring an end to violence in the Middle East. [87898]
Mr. Hoon: Both my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have been in regular contact with their Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese counterparts and we are working closely with international partners in the region, and the UN, EU and G8. The framework for resolving these disputes is already established by international consensus. We will remain actively engaged with our international partners to help bring peace to the region.
We fully support the efforts of the UN team led by Vijay Nambiar and of the EU High Representative Javier Solana who are working hard to broker an end to the conflict. We are offering both teams logistical assistance on the ground. The UN Security Council discussed the crisis on 20 July 2006, and there will be further intense discussion in the coming days.
We want an immediate end to the violence and the release of the Israeli soldiers. Our priority must be to create conditions to allow a credible and sustainable cease-fire.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the situation in Gaza. [87899]
Mr. Hoon: There has been intense international activity to try to bring about a cessation of the current crisis in Gaza and the resumption of negotiations. High-level delegations from both the EU and the UN have been to both Israel and Palestine in the past two weeks. The Governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have made strenuous efforts to persuade the militants holding the kidnapped Israeli soldier to release him.
Whilst we need an urgent end to the current crisis, real peace can only come through a lasting settlement. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear, negotiations are manifestly the best way to move the peace process forward. We welcome the commitment given by both Israeli Prime Minister
Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas to negotiations and have urged both sides to resume talks as soon as possible. This will require great effort and courage from both sides.
We are also increasingly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear our commitment to continue helping the Palestinian people. With a range of partners, we have worked hard to establish the "Temporary International Mechanism" to help alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The UK will contribute up to £12 million to the mechanism. The G8 called for an expansion of this mechanism. It also committed to supporting the economic and humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on new mechanisms for funding the Palestinians. [87900]
Mr. Hoon: We remain fully committed to supporting the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). The European Commission has committed €105 million to the mechanism. In addition, the UK intends to contribute up to £12 million. We are aware that several other European countries are considering making contributions. This will enable us to provide support in the health sector, to fund utilities and to give welfare allowances to some of the poorest Palestinians. In line with the commitments made at the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg on 16 July and by EU Foreign Ministers on 17 July, we and the European Commission are looking at options to further expand the TIM.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of financial support provided by (a) Iran and (b) Syria to Hezbollah. [88264]
Margaret Beckett: We are very concerned about the role of Syria and Iran in Lebanon. Iran supplies Hizballah with financing and weapons—weapons very similar to those used against British troops in Basra—and has personnel in Lebanon assisting Hizbollah. Syria finances Hizballah and facilitates the transfer of arms from Iran to Hizballah.
Through their support for Hizballah, Iran and Syria are encouraging extremism, threatening the stability of the region, and putting peace in the Middle East further out of reach. We have called on Syria and Iran to stop their support for Hizballah and end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian consequences in Gaza of (a) the withholding of the Palestinian tax revenue by Israel and (b) the suspension of international aid. [88389]
Dr. Howells:
We continue to have serious concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Electricity and water supplies remain irregular. In a statement on 19 July, the Israel Defence Force said it had opened two
crossings into Gaza. 145 food trucks entered Gaza through the Kami crossing, and 500,000 litres of diesel fuel, 90,000 litres of gasoline and 175 tons of cooking gas were allowed through the Nahal Oz crossing. In addition to this, the Rafah Crossing was opened on 18 July to allow 5,000 Palestinians to cross from Egypt into Gaza.
We, along with our EU partners, continue to call upon Israel to transfer the revenue it collects on behalf of the Palestinian people. The withholding of this tax revenue, as well as other factors, adversely affects the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Following the Hamas led Palestinian Authority’s (PA) failure to commit to the three Quartet principles, the UK and other key donors, suspended direct budgetary assistance to the PA. We remain committed to supporting the Palestinian people.
Most recently, the UK announced its intention to contribute up to £12 million for the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). The European Community has committed €105 million to the mechanism. We are aware that several other European countries are considering making contributions. This will enable us to provide support in the health sector, to fund utilities and to give welfare allowances to some of the poorest Palestinians. In line with the commitments made at the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg on 16 July and by EU Foreign Ministers on 17 July, we and the European Commission are looking at options to further expand the TIM.
Sudan
18. Mr. Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on progress towards disarming of the Janjaweed in Darfur. [87886]
Mr. McCartney: On 23 June, the Government of Sudan publicly began disarming the Janjaweed/armed militias. This is only the first step and needs to be followed by further action. We are pushing for the publication by the Government of a structured disarmament plan, which it is required to provide under the Darfur Peace Agreement.
22. Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Darfur. [87890]
Mr. McCartney: The Darfur Peace Agreement remains the only vehicle for a quick return to normality in the region. We call on the non-signatories to support the agreement. We also call on the Government of Sudan and Minni Minawi to find ways of encouraging the non-signatories to come on board, including by implementing the agreement in a way that benefits all the people of Darfur.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made towards (a) the imposition of a travel ban on and (b) the freezing of assets of those impeding the peace process in Sudan. [79922]
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