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19 Oct 2006 : Column 1397W—continued
Burma
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the United States Administration on tabling a UN binding resolution on Burma; and what assessment she has made of the likelihood of securing such a resolution. [93829]
Mr. McCartney: We worked closely with the US and other members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to secure the votes required to add Burma to the Council agenda on 15 September. On 29 September, the UNSC formally discussed Burma for the first time. This marked a significant step forward. We will continue to support strongly the efforts of the UN to achieve progress in Burma and we will work with the US and like-minded partners in the Council to seek a Resolution on Burma. We expect UN Under-Secretary General Gambari to return soon to Burma and the outcome of that visit will have a bearing on future Council action.
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she plans to discuss with the Spanish Government increasing claims to British territorial waters surrounding Gibraltar. [95259]
Mr. Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no such plans.
Haiti
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of press freedom in Haiti. [93633]
Mr. Hoon: The media in Haiti is dominated by private radio stations and while levels of state censorship are low, there are problems such as violence against journalists and resulting self-censorship. Press freedom was severely limited in Haiti during former President Aristide's period in office, which ended in February 2004. While some improvements in the situation were reported in the following months, the situation remained fragile under the interim Government that led Haiti until this year's presidential elections. There were a number of reports of violent attacks on journalists by armed gangs, and of impunity for the perpetrators in that interim period. An event of particular concern was the kidnap and murder of journalist Jacques Roche in July 2005. Bringing those responsible for attacks on press freedom to justice is essential and is one of the motivations behind the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti's focus on the reform of the police and judicial system. Encouragingly, the recently elected President, Rene Preval, has also expressed his determination to tackle this and other human rights problems in Haiti.
Internet Neutrality
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the US Administration on internet neutrality; and if she will make a statement. [93857]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed internet neutrality with the US Administration. In recent years, issues relating to the internet globally have been part of multilateral negotiations, involving both the US and UK, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Iran
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her US counterparts on support for pro-democracy activities in Iran. [93746]
Dr. Howells: The United Kingdom is committed to supporting efforts to promote political, economic and social reform in the middle east. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses these issues with her US counterparts and other international partners.
Korea
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of North Korea’s first nuclear test for long-term trade with and aid from South Korea. [93884]
Mr. McCartney: Following the missile tests in July, the Republic of Korea (RoK) suspended humanitarian shipments to North Korea, although they did agree to an emergency flood relief package. They have not yet announced further measures, but we expect them to clarify policy after the UN Security Council Resolution is adopted. Our assessment is that any further contraction of food assistance would affect the North Korean people. The Government will continue to state our preference to other Governments, including the RoK, for non-humanitarian forms of leverage in reaction to North Korean provocation.
Inter-Korean trade, including the South Korean-run Kaesong Industrial Zone and the Mount Keumgang Tourist Resort, continues; although President Roh has indicated a review of South Korea’s engagement policy.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place within NATO about the announcement by North Korea that it conducted a test of a nuclear explosive device on 9 October; and what decisions were taken. [93702]
Dr. Howells: On 9 October NATO discussed North Korea’s announcement of a nuclear test and issued the following statement:
“The Alliance condemns in the strongest terms possible the North Korean nuclear weapon test. This test poses an extremely serious threat to peace and security in the Pacific region and the world.
The Alliance calls upon North Korea to cease immediately the further development of any nuclear weapon technologies, to return immediately to the Six Party Talks without precondition, and to completely and verifiably eliminate its nuclear weapons and related programmes.
The Alliance joins all of the international community in calling on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abide by its non-proliferation obligations and will continue to monitor developments with attention and deep concern”.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect of targeted sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on that country's food shortage. [93934]
Mr. McCartney: The sanctions imposed by UN Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006) which was adopted unanimously on 14 October are aimed at bringing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) into compliance with the demands set out clearly in that resolution. They are targeted on specific areas such as DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. They are not targeted at, nor do we expect any impact upon, the country’s food supplies.
Kyoto Protocol
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent (a) discussions she has had and (b) representations she has made to (i) Russia, (ii) Germany, (iii) the United States, (iv) Canada, (v) Australia, (vi) China and (vii) India on implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. [93610]
Mr. McCartney: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) leads the Government’s work on climate change and has responsibility for ensuring the UK meets its Kyoto target. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and its network of posts, supports DEFRA. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s role is to promote the Government’s objective to move to a low carbon global economy. A stable climate is an immediate security and prosperity imperative and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is putting climate security at the heart of foreign policy. Working with international partners is essential for tackling climate change policy and moving to a low carbon economy. DEFRA and the FCO have regular discussions with the countries in question. For example, both my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Foreign Secretary met with counterparts from many of these countries at the successful second ministerial meeting of the Gleneagles Dialogue in Monterrey, Mexico on 3-4 October.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the (a) European Union and (b) United Nations on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. [93617]
Mr. McCartney: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) leads the Government's work on climate change and has responsibility for ensuring the UK meets its Kyoto target. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and its network of posts, supports DEFRA. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's role is to promote the Government's objective to move to a low carbon global economy. A stable climate is an immediate security and prosperity imperative and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is putting climate security at the heart of foreign policy. EU and UN leadership is essential for tackling climate change policy and moving to a low carbon economy. DEFRA and the FCO have regular discussions in both forums. For example, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made climate security a key focus of her speech at the UN General Assembly in September.
Mexico
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what report she has received from (a) the UK embassy and (b) the EU observers on the presidential election in Mexico; and what analysis has been made of Democratic Revolutionary Party objections made to the Electoral Commission. [94881]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 18 October 2006]: Our embassy in Mexico City has sent many reports on the presidential election in Mexico. The EU undertook a formal and independent electoral observation mission (EOM) in Mexico for the elections. The EOM has reported that the electoral authorities conducted the electoral process in an impartial, professional and transparent manner. The EOM will publish its final report in due course and we await its findings. The Democratic Revolutionary Party objections made to the Mexican Electoral Commission were considered in detail and decided on by the Federal Electoral Court—the body charged in the Mexican constitution with this role.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings have been held by UK embassy officials in Mexico with (a) Felipe Calderón and Andrés Manuel López Obrador and (b) their representatives. [94883]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 18 October 2006]: Our ambassador in Mexico City has had two official meetings with Felipe Calderón, with other EU ambassadors. Andrés Manuel López Obrador declined EU invitations to similar official meetings with EU ambassadors. Embassy officials in Mexico City, including our ambassador, have met with advisers to Felipe Calderón and Andrés Manuel López Obrador on many occasions.
Middle East
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of the negotiated text based on the Prisoners Accord in the Israel-Palestine dispute; which parties agree to it and which do not; what steps the Government are taking to secure agreement; and if she will make a statement. [94976]
Dr. Howells: We understand that the National Conciliation document, based on the Prisoners Accord, was initialled by negotiators from Fatah and Hamas but was not formally agreed. Other Palestinian factions have either not commented on the text, or expressed reservations about parts of it, for example, Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This document formed the basis for discussions to form a Palestinian National Unity Government. These discussions have not resulted in any agreement.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government with President Abbas on 10 September. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear our readiness to work with any Government pursuing a programme based on the three Quartet principles—recognition of Israel, commitment to agreements previously signed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority with Israel, and renunciation of violence.
No such Government have been formed. We continue to support President Abbas’ efforts to form a Government with which we can engage.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Nations Security Council has agreed the scope of sanctions to be applied to any state withdrawing its membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. [93600]
Dr. Howells: The basis for the Security Council’s use of sanctions is to give effect to its decisions where it has determined the existence of a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, consistent with Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN. The Security Council does not have a pre-agreed formulation for the scope of sanctions to be applied to a state withdrawing its membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Where the council has imposed sanctions in the past, the scope of such measures has been based on the specific situation.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of North Korea’s first nuclear test on nuclear proliferation, with particular reference to Syria and Iran. [93888]
Mr. McCartney: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 10 October, North Korea’s nuclear test jeopardises regional stability in North East Asia and poses a clear threat to international peace and security, 10 October 2006, Official Report, column 163. It contravenes North Korea’s commitments under the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), breaches the North-South Joint Declaration on the Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and ignores UN Security Council resolution 1695. It also runs counter to the spirit of the September 2005 Declaration to which North Korea has signed up.
Both Syria and Iran are parties to the NPT. We expect them to abide by all their obligations in this area. Iran is currently defying calls by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and the
UN Security Council to suspend all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. These activities would enable it to develop the capability to produce fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons. North Korea’s test and the international reaction to it, in the form of UN Security Council resolution 1718, is only likely to reinforce international determination that Iran should comply with its obligations.
Special Operations
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on BA flight 149 to Kuala Lumpur via Kuwait, 2 August 2003, with particular reference to the involvement of a team of operatives commissioned by her Department. [95301]
Dr. Howells: I believe the hon. Member is referring to BA flight 149 to Kuala Lumpur via Kuwait, which landed in Kuwait on 2 August 1990.
The previous Government have previously outlined the facts of this flight to the House through the then Prime Minister's (right hon. Baroness Thatcher) statement on 6 September 1990, Official Report, columns 734-43. In any case, it is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on operational intelligence matters or the activities of UK special forces.
Sudan
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of co-operation between the Sudanese Government and the Janjaweed militia. [94306]
Mr. McCartney: There are credible reports that in recent weeks Arab militia forces, the “Janjaweed”, have been acting in close co-operation with the Government of Sudan air force and armed forces in attacking non-signatory rebel groups in Darfur, including targeting some villages in north Darfur. We have consistently made clear to the Government of Sudan that they must stop the fighting and implement the peace agreement, including disarming the Janjaweed. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development intends to raise this with the Government when he travels to Sudan later this month.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government of Sudan to disarm and disband the Popular Defence Forces operating in Darfur. [94389]
Mr. McCartney: The Government of Sudan has made a commitment to disarm the Janjaweed/armed militias in the Darfur Peace Agreement. We are pressing the Government of Sudan to present a disarmament plan and take this work forward. There is no requirement per se for the Government of Sudan to disarm other groups, other than as part of balanced force reductions demanded in the Naivasha Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Here, too, we are pressing for early progress.
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