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11 Oct 2006 : Column 769W—continued
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 25 July 2006]: Reports indicating that Syria and Iran were providing weapons and other support to Hezbollah first appeared in the early 1980s.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of (a) Iran and (b) Syria on the provision of weapons to Hezbollah; and what steps the UK Government have taken to prevent such transfers. [88263]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 25 July 2006]: Ministers and officials have discussed Iran’s and Syria’s approach to terrorism and their role in the region with counterparts on many occasions. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, the Director and the Deputy Director Middle East and North Africa Directorate, met both the Iranian and Syrian ambassadors in London in July to express our serious concerns about the role of Syria and Iran.
Iran supplies Hezbollah with financing and weapons and has personnel in Lebanon assisting Hezbollah. As well as supplying arms to Hezbollah, Syria also facilitates the supply of arms and finance from Iran to Hezbollah. Through their support for Hezbollah Iran and Syria are 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 Hezbollah and end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680 and 1701.
Mirza Tahir Hussain
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the British ambassador to Pakistan has made to the Government of that country on the death sentence issued against Mirza Tahir Hussain; and if she will make a statement. [92791]
Dr. Howells: The Government are very concerned at Mr. Hussain’s plight and have made a number of representations to the Pakistani Government on his behalf, at both ministerial and senior official level.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised Mr. Hussain’s case during his most recent meeting with President Musharraf on 28 September. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also raised the issue personally with the Pakistani Foreign Minister in New York on 19 September. Our high commissioner in Islamabad and his staff continue to work intensively on this case and to raise it with their senior contacts at every level. Our consular staff continue to visit Mr. Hussain weekly.
Palestine
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the extent of involvement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by (i) JCB, (ii) Tesco, (iii) Sainsbury, (iv) Waitrose and (v) other UK companies; and if she will make a statement. [89625]
Dr. Howells: We have carried out no recent research into the involvement of British companies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. A small trade team from our Consulate General in Jerusalem, comprising two local staff, handles general commercial enquiries and disseminates information about possible business opportunities to British companies. In this context, UK Trade and Investment funded a mission to the west bank and Gaza by British Expertise in July 2005 to consider the potential for business in the construction and infrastructure sectors. Feedback from this visit was subsequently passed on to British Expertise's membership.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of UK obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as it relates to British companies trading in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [89626]
Dr. Howells: The Fourth Geneva Convention does not relate to British companies trading in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Royal Visits
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what overseas visits are planned at the invitation or initiative of the Government for (a) HRH the Prince of Wales, (b) HRH Duke of York and (c) other members of the Royal family over the next six months; and what proportion of the costs are expected to be met from Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds. [87799]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 25 July 2006]: The information is as follows:
State Visit by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness (HRH) the Duke of Edinburgh to the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from 16 to 20 October.
Official visit by HRH the Duke of York to the United States from 25-29 September as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Official visit by the Duke of York to India from 30 October to 3 November as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Jointly Funded visit in conjunction with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association by HRH the Earl of Wessex to Kenya, Seychelles and Mauritius from 7-12 October.
Jointly Funded visit in conjunction with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association by the Their Royal Highnesses (TRHs) Earl and Countess of Wessex to South Africa from 12 to 19 October.
Official visit by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester to Tonga from 16 to 22 September to represent the Queen at the State Funeral of the King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga.
Brief details of these visits and other forthcoming royal visits are available in the royal diary on the royal website at www.royal.gov.uk
The forward programme of visits for the next six months by TRHs the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and other members of the Royal Family has not been finalised. For security reasons, royal visits overseas are not generally announced until a matter of weeks before a visit takes place.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will meet the in-country and Royal Household costs for
State and official visits. Costs for visits by HRH the Duke of York, in his role as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, are met by UK Trade and Investment and FCO local budgets. Costs for Jointly Funded visits are split between the FCO and the non-governmental organisations. The expected proportion to be met by the FCO is 50 per cent.
The cost of air travel by members of the Royal Family for FCO, UK Trade and Investment and Jointly Funded visits overseas is met by the Royal Household from the Grant-in-Aid for Royal Travel.
Somalia
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the new administration in Mogadishu on the stability in the (a) country and (b) region; and if she will make a statement. [89776]
Mr. McCartney: I have been asked to reply.
It is too soon to assess whether the Union of Islamic Courts will contribute to the long-term stability of Somalia or the region. We continue to support the Transitional Federal Institutions, which represent the internationally recognised process for restoring peace, stability and good governance to Somalia. We welcome the fact that the Union of Islamic Courts and the Transitional Federal Institutions have engaged in dialogue in Khartoum under the auspices of the League of Arab States. We urge both sides to honour the commitments they have given in Khartoum and to continue the search for a workable agreement between them. Stability will only be attainable through a political solution to Somalia's governance.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support her Department has pledged to support peace talks between Somalia’s transitional Government and the Council of Islamic Courts. [92333]
Mr. McCartney: I have been asked to reply.
The UK took a leading role in the preparation of the UN Security Council’s Presidential Statement of 13 July 2006 (S/PRST/2006/31) and statements by the International Contact Group on Somalia on 17 July and 29 August, which welcomes the Khartoum dialogue and urges the parties to make progress in pursuit of a lasting political process to restore peace and security to Somalia. The full text of the UN Security Council Presidential Statement is available on the UN website at: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_pres_statements06.htm.
Thailand
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many letters of thanks and approbation have been received regarding the British embassy in Thailand in the last 12 months; [92305]
(2) how many complaints have been received about the performance of the British embassy in Thailand in the last 12 months. [92306]
Mr. McCartney: I have been asked to reply.
We have received 77 letters of thanks and 29 letters of complaint regarding our embassy in Bangkok since October 2005.
Visa Arrangements
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice her Department provides to holders of British subject passports upon issue of passports on visa requirements that may apply to them . [92769]
Dr. Howells: Passports issued to British Subjects contain the following note on immigration and visa requirements:
“The possession of a passport does not exempt the holder from compliance with any immigration regulations in force in any territory or from the necessity of obtaining a visa or permit where required. It should be noted in this connection that the majority of British territories overseas have immigration restrictions applicable to British nationals as well as aliens”.
Visa requirements imposed by foreign countries are a matter for that country and we cannot advise on whether a British passport holder would need a visa for travel to a particular country. We can only advise British passport holders to contact the nearest representation of the country that they plan to visit.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance her Department has given to travel operators on provision of advice to travellers on visa arrangements for overseas (a) British citizens and (b) British subjects. [92770]
Dr. Howells: Tour operators are advised to refer to the respective country travel advice for advice to travellers on visa arrangements. Where possible, our travel advice notices make specific reference to different forms of visa requirements, especially where this is dependent on status, but this varies from country to country.
When there is no information, or if it is in doubt, we provide the contact details for the relevant country's representation in the UK. We also make specific mention of visa requirements in the “Know Before You Go” pages on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website. In it we say
“If you are a British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Subject, British National Overseas, or a British Protected Person, you may need a visa that is not required by British Citizens”.
Further details can be found on the FCO website at: http://www.fco. gov.uk/servlet/Front/TextOnly?pagenamc +=OpenMarket/Xcclerate/ShowPage&c=Page& cid=1098377476175&to=true.
Health
Alcohol-related Disease
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated by (a) Kingston NHS Primary Care Trust, (b) Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust and (c) Wandsworth Primary Care Trust to fund programmes or services to help treat and prevent alcohol misuse in each year since 2000. [91984]
Caroline Flint: This information is not held centrally.
Primary care trusts (PCTs), with their specific local knowledge and expertise, are responsible for the commissioning of all health services and to reflect this responsibility, funding is allocated to PCTs.
The amount spent on alcohol treatment is not separately identified within each PCT’s mainstream budget and we are not in a position to monitor exactly how this money is spent.
It is for strategic health authorities and PCTs to manage, and continue to use, the funding available to them to commission services for the populations they serve within the limits of their overall resources.
Birthing Units
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many birthing units have closed in the last 12 months. [89820]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.
Block Contracts
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what block contracts for 2006-07 have been agreed between NHS trusts and foundation trusts and primary care trusts for ordinary elective procedures; what assessment has been made of the implications of block contracts for the implementation of payment by results; and what support and guidance she will provide to strategic health authorities in relation to block contracts. [90097]
Andy Burnham: Payment by results is a national policy, and there is a mandatory tariff, which applies across the whole of the national health service. ‘The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2006-07’, published in January 2006, set out the ability for strategic health authorities to agree specific local additional rules for a fixed period of time under special circumstances. Discussions on where these might be are ongoing within the NHS but information on these is not collected centrally.
On 13 July 2006, “Health Reform in England: update and commissioning framework” was published. Within this document is a consultation to inform the further development of a national model contract which will be used to procure services from NHS trusts, foundation trusts, independent and third sector providers.
Cancer Care
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions are made in Milton Keynes for long-term cancer patients. [91495]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local national health service trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high-quality NHS services including services for long-term cancer patients in Milton Keynes.
Carers
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on its assessment of the potential extra cost in additional carer hours for those people with dementia arising out of NICE’s recommendations; [91991]
(2) what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the inclusion of carers’ time as a factor in its assessment of cost effectiveness. [91994]
Andy Burnham: My right hon. Friend has had no such discussion with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
We published the Department’s response to the two public consultation on NICE’s appraisal of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in March 2005 and January 2006.
CFC-containing Inhalers
Sandra Gidley: (1) To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to communicate the phase-out of CFC-containing inhalers to (a) people with asthma and (b) health professionals; [89821]
(2) with which organisations her Department plans to consult about the phase-out of CFC-containing inhalers; [89823]
(3) when the phase-out of CFC-containing inhalers will start. [89824]
Andy Burnham: The transfer of patients to chlorofluorocarbon-free (CFC) metered dose inhalers (MDIs) began in 1995 when the first one was licensed for use in the United Kingdom. Many more have been introduced to the market since that time.
The Government's plan for phasing out CFCs in asthma inhalers is set out in the ‘UK Transition Strategy for CFC-based MDIs’, which was developed after consultation with all relevant stakeholders and published by the Department and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in 1999. It was communicated widely to healthcare professionals in the national health service, patient groups and patients at that time.
The Department and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs continue to
actively pursue the phase-out of CFCs in MDIs in accordance with the UK transition strategy.
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