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6 Nov 2006 : Column 838W—continued
China
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Chinese government about emissions from underground coalmine fires. [99318]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Li in September and underlined the importance of UK-China partnership on the challenges of achieving climate and energy security. She did not address specifically emissions from underground coal fire, but she did address how to meet China’s energy efficiency and security interests. Discussions were focussed on how to reduce CO2 emissions through the deployment of clean technology for burning coal, such as carbon capture and storage and the UK funded initiative to demonstrate near zero emissions coal in China.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of China concerning the use of the death penalty; and what response has been received. [99676]
Mr. McCartney: We continue to press the Chinese Government to reduce the number of crimes that carry the death penalty and to improve transparency on the number of people executed in China, which remains a state secret. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor raised the death penalty with the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on 24 October. We also raised this issue at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in July. We welcome the announcement that China’s Supreme People’s Court will take back the power of review of death sentences from 1 January 2007, which we hope will reduce the number of sentences carried out.
Cyprus
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to Turkey and north Cyprus concerning the desecration of (a) Greek Cypriot cemeteries in Northern Cyprus and (b) the cemetery in Morphou considered part of the Turkish army base; and if she will make a statement. [96974]
Mr. Hoon: We are aware of the desecration of Greek Cypriot cemeteries in northern Cyprus since 1974 and sympathise with all those affected by this unacceptable behaviour. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is seized of the issue, and we support them in their efforts. We encourage all parties to make progress towards the protection of these religious sites.
Democracy
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which institutions are in receipt of UK Government funding to promote democracy around the world. [97499]
Mr. Hoon: A wide range of institutions and organisations receive Government support for activities which promote the development of democratic processes and institutions. The promotion of democracy cannot be separated from wider work to promote human rights, good governance and the rule of law; the Government sees these as interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
One main channel for UK bilateral work is through the grant in aid to the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) directly supports institutions and organisations involved in democracy promotion through the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF), in particular the Sustainable Development, Reuniting of Europe, Engaging with the Islamic World, and Economic Governance programmes.
We also provide financial contributions to a number of international multilateral organisations which are involved in promoting democracy, including, in some cases, through election observation missions. These include the European Union, in particular through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, in particular its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR); the Council of Europe; and the UN, including the recently established UN Democracy Fund, as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Further information on the FCO's work to promote democracy is given in chapter 9 of the 2006 FCO Annual Report on Human Rights, published on 12 October 2006, which can also be found on the FCO website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/hr_report2006.pdf. Copies of the report are also available in the Library of the House. Further details of GOF work will be provided in the GOF Annual Report for 2005-06, to be published as a Command Paper on 14 November 2006, which will also be made available on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk.
Departmental Staff/Secondments
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many BP employees are on secondment to her Department; what areas they are working on; on what terms; and how many BP employees have been on secondment to her Department in each year since January 2002. [99208]
Mr. Hoon: There are currently no BP employeeson secondment to this Department. We have recordsof only one BP employee being on secondmentsince January 2002, and that secondment ended on6 September 2002.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1277W, on departmental staff (education), how many work experience placements were given to (a) students and (b) workers in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [99484]
Mr. Hoon: In 2006, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offered work experience placements to 48 candidates. The total number of student placements was 43, while five candidates were not in full-time education. The regions listed refer to the home location of all candidates.
| Region | Number |
In 2005, the FCO offered work experience placements to 25 candidates. All candidates were students.
| 2005 | |
| Region | Number |
The FCO information management system does not hold information on the regional location of work experience candidates prior to 2005. Details on the number of candidates placed each year since 2001 are listed for reference.
| Student | Number |
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1277W, on departmental staff (education), how many community business events aimed at encouraging a diversified work force were held in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [99485]
Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 25 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1272-73W about recruiting a diverse work force. As part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) outreach activities to widen and deepen its policy engagement with UK regions and faith communities to help deliver the UK’s international strategic priorities, we visit areas with significant minority ethnic communities where we meet UK civil society, including local businessmen and women and attend events organised by them. A wide range of people, including representatives of local businesses, are invited to attend events such as seminars in different areas of the UK, aimed at raising awareness of what the FCO does and why it matters. The FCO has also been represented at various ethnic business awards ceremonies held in London but attended by representatives of regional businesses. One of the objectives for all these events is to try to break down stereotypes of FCO staff and to encourage applications which will make our work force more diverse. Events involving business/faith for the period 2005-06 to date (the period for which figures are available) are listed as follows. More than one event was scheduled on certain days, in the interests of value for money. FCO officials could provide further information on outreach on request from my hon. Friend.
| Number | |
Diplomatic Service
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many serving (a) Heads of Mission and (b) Governors of Overseas Territories were born in each of the UK regions. [99486]
Mr. Hoon: In order to answer this question officials would need to contact all of our overseas missions and the overseas territories. This would incur disproportionate cost.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of the members of internal selection boards held by her Department to appoint ambassadors in the last five years were educated in (a) the state school sector, (b) the independent school sector, (c) Oxford and Cambridge and (d) other universities. [99487]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold this data as a matter of course on all its staff. The data has been collected in order to answer this question. Of the 42 current members of internal selection boards to appoint Heads of Mission, 19 (45 per cent.) were educated in the state school sector, 23 (55 per cent.) were educated in the independent school sector, 26 (62 per cent.) went to Oxford or Cambridge universities and 14 (33 per cent.) went to other universities. Two (5 per cent.) did not go to university. We do not keep historical information on the members of selection boards.
All posts in the diplomatic service are filled on the basis of fair and open competition, through the internal selection boards of the FCO or, where appropriate, interview or selection panels involving external stakeholders for the post in question. Information on educational qualifications is of no relevance to the process of appointing Heads of Mission and is not sought by selection boards. The FCO is committed to recruiting a talented and diverse work force which reflects the society it serves, and its recruitment policies are designed to encourage applications from the widest possible range of backgrounds. The Department is active in outreach activities such as career fairs, work experience schemes and community business events, to support this policy.
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