| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Oct 2006 : Column 435W—continued
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006, Official Report, column 627W, on Iraq, which areas her Department has identified in which it is possible to raise the awareness of the role of women in Iraqi society. [89911]
Dr. Howells: We are raising awareness about the role of women in Iraqi society in a number of areas. These include influencing Iraqi parliamentarians and government officials in relation to passing legislation and forming government policies, developing public awareness and legal expertise in women’s rights and supporting women’s civil society organisations.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role is of the military officer working in the UN peacekeeping mission in Iraq. [90180]
Dr. Howells: There are seven military officers working in the office of the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq. This is an assistance mission and not a peacekeeping mission. One of the officers is British. Their role is to advise the UN on military affairs, to enable the UN to operate more effectively in a hostile environment and to travel to areas that UN security rules prevent civilian staff from visiting. In particular, they advise the UN on how it should work with the Multi-National Force—Iraq and which geographical areas and areas of work it should consider for future projects. They explain and advise on the military situation within Iraq and how this might effect the UN’s mission. They are able to carry out scoping missions and report on the feasibility of potential tasks.
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions
she has had with her UN counterparts about the appointment of an individual to co-ordinate aid, relief and security efforts in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement. [88750]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions recently with UN counterparts about the appointment of an individual to co-ordinate aid, relief and security efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the UK works closely with the UN Assistance Missions and the UN Special Representatives to both countries. In Iraq the UN, with the Iraqi government, is co-chairing preparations for an International Compact that will provide further co-ordination of international assistance to that country. In Afghanistan, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General co-chairs the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board that helps improve the delivery of international assistance there in line with the Afghanistan Compact and the Afghan National Development Strategy.
Israel
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the United States Administration to request that the sale of arms to the State of Israel approved by the US Congress in 2005 is brought forward; and if she will make a statement. [89825]
Dr. Howells: US arms sales are a matter for the US government.
Regarding the UK’s policy on arms sales to Israel, as with all countries, 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.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it Government policy to sell arms to the State of Israel to fight (a) Hezbollah terrorists and (b) other terrorism; and if she will make a statement. [89826]
Dr. Howells: With regard to Israel, as to all others countries, we will continue to assess rigorously all relevant export licence applications on a case by case basis against our EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other announced Government policies. A licence will not be issued where to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria. The Government are proud of the UK’s robust and transparent export licensing regime, which is among the best in the world.
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of the threat to Israel of Qassam rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip. [89947]
Dr. Howells:
All violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories acts as an obstacle to peace. We condemn the launching of Qassam rockets by Palestinian militant groups into Israel. Between 30 September and
2 October we have reports that five rockets were fired into Israel. We have called on the Palestinian Authority to prevent all terrorist attacks, including these rocket attacks, and to work towards the release of captured Israeli soldier Corporal Shalit. We welcome the work Palestinian President Abbas is doing to achieve this. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the issue of Qassam rockets with President Abbas on 10 September.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will impose an arms embargo on Israel. [90136]
Dr. Howells: We have no plans to impose an arms embargo on Israel. We continue to assess all export licence applications rigorously, on a case by case basis, against our consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other Government policies. The UK's robust and transparent licensing regime for its strategic exports will continue to work effectively for Israel as it does for all countries.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1280W, on Israel, in what way the prevailing circumstances have varied over the last nine years; and what alterations there have been in the policy of granting export licences during that time. [91802]
Dr. Howells:
Throughout the last nine years, the Government have been committed to finding a just, lasting and peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict. The period has been one of flux alternating between violence and negotiations. Throughout the period, the Government have consistently applied our policy on granting export licences to Israel. Since 1997, we have taken a range of measures designed to ensure the highest standards of responsibility in our export control policies, which includes exports of equipment to Israel. These include the adoption of the EU code of conduct on Arms Exports in 1998. Since 2000, all applications from the UK have been 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. This includes specific criteria whereby we will not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression, might aggravate existing tensions or conflict in the country of final destination or that the export may be used aggressively against another country. Our Embassies monitor the situation in this region, including how this might affect export licence applications. Details of all export licences approved to Israel are available in the Quarterly and Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls submitted to Parliament and are subject to detailed retrospective scrutiny by the Quadripartite Committee on Strategic Export Controls. The quarterly and annual reports are available on the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=l119522594750.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information she received from the Israeli Government in advance of its response to Hezbollah’s kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers on 12 July 2006, with particular reference to the bombing of Beirut International Airport. [91846]
Dr. Howells: The UK had no foreknowledge of any specific military actions by Israel in response to the kidnappings.
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government has made representations within the last three months to the Israeli Government regarding the effect on the community of Jayyous of the erection of the West Bank barrier. [92363]
Dr. Howells: We have made no representations to the Israeli Government about the effect of the barrier on the community of the Jayyous in the last three months. We continue to have serious concerns about Israel’s appropriation of Palestinian land to build a barrier in the Occupied Territories. Israel has legitimate security concerns and we understand the need to protect Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks. We have no objection to the construction of a barrier, provided it is built on Israeli territory. But constructing the barrier on occupied territory contravenes international law. Sections of the current route, where it strays from the Green Line into the West Bank, are therefore illegal. We regularly raise our concerns about the barrier with the Government of Israel.
Ivory Coast
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the progress with the (a) identity scheme and (b) voter registration drives being introduced in Côte d'Ivoire; and if she will make a statement. [89486]
Mr. McCartney: Progress on voter registration and identification, as well as the disarmament of militias, has been slow, with periods of complete deadlock. Consequently, it has been necessary to postpone presidential elections for the second time. The UN, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union are currently considering how the peace process should proceed, since the UN Security Council Resolution mandating the peace plan expires at the end of October. The Government are in discussion with all these bodies and with the Government of France. The Government continues to urge all the Ivorian parties to deliver on their commitments. We will continue to support targeted sanctions against those who frustrate the process.
Mr. Weir:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of (a) the activities of the
Young Patriots movement in Cote d’Ivoire and (b) their impact on the stability and re-construction of Cote d’Ivoire; and if she will make a statement. [89505]
Mr. McCartney: The Young Patriots have been central in the orchestration of often violent protests in Ivory Coast. They have played a largely destructive role in the ongoing peace process and continue to threaten the long-term peace and stability of Ivory Coast. For these reasons, their leader, Charles Ble Goude, is subject to targeted UN sanctions, travel ban and asset freeze, as provided for under UN Security Council Resolution 1572.
Due to a lack of progress in the voter registration and disarmament programmes, it has regrettably become necessary to postpone presidential elections for the second time. The Government continue to support the peace process and urges all the Ivorian parties to it, including the Young Patriots, to deliver on their commitment. We will continue to support targeted sanctions against those who frustrate the process.
Japan
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Japanese government to encourage it to promote human rights amongst its trading partners. [92132]
Mr. McCartney: Tackling human rights abuses is one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's most important areas of work, and one on which I personally place a lot of emphasis. Japan is an important partner on human rights. Like the UK, Japan is a member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and we co-operate with them on a range of human rights issues. I discussed international human rights issues, including Burma, at the UNHRC in June 2006 with former Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Akiko Yamanaka.
The UK continues strongly to support Japanese concerns on the human rights situation in North Korea, including working closely with Japan to try to achieve a satisfactory solution to the abductee issue. During my recent visit to Japan in July this year I met representatives of families whose relatives had been abducted by North Korea.
Officials in our Embassy in Tokyo also regularly discuss human rights with their Japanese counterparts.
Jordan
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) she has, (b) members of her Department have and (c) UK representatives in Jordan have had with (i) members and representatives of the Jordanian government and (ii) officials of the UN High Commission for Refugees concerning Iranian Kurds in (A) the no-man’s land at the Iraq-Jordanian border and (B) the Kawa settlement in northern Iraq; and if she will make a statement. [89715]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and from our Embassy in Amman have had no such discussions.
Korea
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of (a) the recent flooding, (b) the cessation of food aid from the Republic of Korea on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and what representations she has made to the United Nations on this situation. [92331]
Mr. McCartney: Estimates vary between as few as 151 dead and as many as 54,700, but the very nature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) makes it very difficult to make reliable assessments. It is believed that around 100,000 tonnes of food were destroyed by the floods. The Government of the Republic of Korea has agreed to supply this amount in aid.
The food problems of the DPRK arise not only from the decision by the Government of the Republic of Korea to suspend non-emergency food aid, but from lower domestic food production and from lower grain shipments from China. The World Food Programme has estimated that these factors together may cause a food deficit in the DPRK in 2006 of around 800,000 tonnes.
Whilst my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the UN, she discussed the matter with Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon when they met in June this year. On that occasion, she urged the Republic of Korea not to withdraw humanitarian assistance to the DPRK should they carry out their threat to test missiles, stressing her preference for a co-ordinated international response.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |