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23 Nov 2006 : Column 238Wcontinued
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking in conjunction with HM Revenue and Customs to reduce suspected organised fraud of the tax credits system. [102085]
Mr. Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to Her Majestys Revenue and Customs document Tackling Error and Fraud in the Child and Working Tax Credits, which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk, and in particular to paragraphs 43 and 44.
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training has been given or is planned for staff within the Crown Prosecution Service relating to prosecution of cases of wildlife crime. [101491]
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes wildlife crime seriously. There are 31 specialist wildlife co-ordinators across the CPS and guidance on prosecuting wildlife cases is provided to all CPS prosecutors.
Although there is no specific training on wildlife crime, information and best practice is disseminated to these prosecutors through a number of ways. Earlier this year, the CPS in conjunction with the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW) held a training seminar which involved experienced prosecutors participating in mock trials to highlight issues that commonly arise during wildlife prosecutions.
Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many times control and restraint was used to strip search juvenile (a) boys and (b) girls in each young offender institution in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006; [101674]
(2) how many times control and restraint was used on juveniles in each young offender institution in each month in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006; and how many juveniles concerned were black and minority ethnic. [101678]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to visit Afghanistan. [101890]
Dr. Howells: My foreign engagements and those for Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers of State are kept under constant review. It is not our practice to announce visits to Afghanistan in advance.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements exist for the co-ordination of US and UK counter-narcotics strategies in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement. [101966]
Margaret Beckett: The UK and US both support the Afghan Governments National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). The Afghan Government coordinate their counter narcotics strategy through the Cabinet Committee on Counter Narcotics. At the working level, Ministry of Counter Narcotics led working groups coordinate support for the implementation of the NDCS from Afghan Ministries and the international community, including the UK and US. On a bilateral level, we maintain close contact with the US. This includes daily contact between UK and US embassies in Kabul and frequent contact between London and Washington.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the last annual review under the terms of the Enduring Relationship Declaration between the UK and Afghanistan took place; what the findings of the review were; and what priorities were agreed for the next period. [101968]
Margaret Beckett: The first annual review of the Enduring Relationship Declaration is currently in progress. The Action Plan under consideration by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Afghanistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of this review, is looking at the five strands of assistance outlined in the declaration: political and economic; security; counter-narcotics; development; and education and media.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals were arrested as a consequence of their involvement in the Afghanistan drugs trade in each of the last two years; and what further steps are planned to be taken to arrest the leaders of the trade, with particular reference to those who are known to the authorities. [102512]
Dr. Howells: From May 2005 to October 2006, Afghan drugs law enforcement agencies arrested over 720 individuals involved in the drugs trade. Over the same period the Counter Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force completed over 270 cases resulting in over 290 convictions for drug related offences. Before this time no official record of arrests connected with the drugs trade was held.
Targeting the trafficker is a key priority of the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy, launched at the London Conference on Afghanistan in January 2006. The UK is helping to develop the capacity of Afghan drugs law enforcement agencies to gather intelligence, and interdict and investigate drug trafficking networks. We are also supporting the continued development of the Counter Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force to ensure it has the capacity to prosecute the leaders of the drugs trade and those involved in facilitating the trade.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the Burmese state company Myanmar Timber Enterprise is not included in Annex IV (List of Burmese state-owned enterprises referred to in article 8(a)) of the EU Common Position on Burma. [101570]
Mr. McCartney: Article 5.5(a) and (b) of the EU Common Position on Burma refers to a list of state-owned companies subject to financial sanctions. This list appears in Annex II of the Common Position. The list is agreed within the EU by consensus. No consensus has been reached on adding Myanmar Timber Enterprises to the list.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government are providing diplomatic support to the efforts of other EU member states to add Myanmar Timber Enterprise to the EU list of Burmese state-owned companies during the review of the EU Common Position in April 2007. [101571]
Mr. McCartney: The UK will continue to work for the strongest achievable targeted measures in the EU Common Position, which is adopted by unanimity, and will remain in close contact with EU partners to establish which State-owned enterprises should be included on the list of companies subject to sanctions under the Common Position.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government are providing diplomatic support to the efforts of other EU member states to decrease imports of Burmese timber into the EU. [101572]
Mr. McCartney: The UK supports the EUs Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan which envisages Voluntary Partnership Agreements with individual countries to promote trade in legally produced timber. Burma is not a FLEGT Partner Country and its timber exports are therefore not promoted under this scheme. In the UK, the Government maintains a long-standing policy of discouraging British companies from trading with Burma.
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with China on counter-proliferation in respect of missiles; and if she will make a statement. [102885]
Dr. Howells: We are engaged in regular discussions with China on counter-proliferation issues, including in respect of missiles. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary continues to discuss these issues with Chinese colleagues, most notably the threat posed by Iran and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), further to the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1696 (Iran) and 1695 (DPRK).
Countering the threat of missile proliferation remains one of the Governments strategic priorities, particularly where such proliferation might contribute to the delivery of weapons of mass destruction.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Governments policy is on the banning of the (a) manufacture and (b) use of cluster munitions; and if she will make a statement. [101623]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 21 November 2006]: The UK is committed to phasing out its dumb cluster munitions and is also encouraging other countries to do so. We led and achieved consensus at the recent Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Review Conference for governmental experts to consider urgently existing International Humanitarian Law and the reliability of cluster munitions and report back to the CCW within 12 months. This process will include the main users and producers of cluster munitions and is an essential preliminary step towards any negotiations on a new legally binding protocol which may include manufacture, stockpiling, use and transfer.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definitions the Government uses of (a) smart cluster munitions and (b) dumb cluster munitions. [101624]
Margaret Beckett
[holding answer 21 November 2006]: There is no internationally agreed definition of cluster munitions or any variant. However, we plan to phase out what we understand to be dumb cluster munitions. These house numerous sub-munitions with an explosive content. Additionally, they either do not have a target discriminatory capability or a self
destruct, neutralisation or deactivating capability in the event of failing to detonate prior to, on or immediately after impact with the target.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) makes and (b) models of cluster munitions the Government defines as (i) smart and (ii) dumb. [101625]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 21 November 2006]: There is no internationally agreed definition of cluster munitions or any variant. The UK understanding of dumb cluster munitions is that they contain numerous sub-munitions with an explosive content. Additionally, they do not have a target discriminatory capability or they do not have a self destruct, neutralisation or deactivating capability in the event of failing to detonate prior to, on or immediately after impact with the target. In this context, the term smart is not defined. Variants of the cluster munitions within operational stocks held by the UK that fall within our understanding of dumb cluster munitions are:
Air Delivered RBL 755
Ground launched MLRS M26
The UK holds other munitions which contain submunitions, but which we do not consider to fall within the term dumb.
Ground launched Extended Range Bomblet Shell L20A1
Multi Purpose Sub-Munition CRV-7.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have ratified Protocol V of the Connections on certain conventional weapons; and if she will make a statement. [101626]
Margaret Beckett [holding answer 21 November 2006]: The UK fully intends to ratify Protocol V as soon as possible. The UK already adopts the principles enshrined within Protocol V to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that Explosive Remnants of War remaining after conflict are cleared.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of compliance by Commonwealth member states with the Commonwealth values, with particular reference to (a) governance, (b) independence of the judiciary, (c) the rule of law and (d) fundamental human rights; and if she will make a statement. [102613]
Dr. Howells: The Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991 sets out Commonwealth values and principles including governance, independence of the judiciary, rule of law and human rights. The UK works jointly with other members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration to resolve serious and persistent issues of non-compliance.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to (a) Russia, (b) China and (c) the Republic of Korea (i) directly to Foreign Ministries and (ii) through the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United Nations requesting full implementation of United Nations Sanctions against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. [102324]
Dr. Howells: The UK is committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006) in relation to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). Our embassies in Moscow, Beijing and Seoul, in addition to other key capitals, are in direct contact with their host Governments to discuss how the measures can be implemented effectively and fully, in line with the terms of the Resolution.
As a permanent member of the Security Council the UK is also a member of the Sanctions Committee created to monitor implementation. The UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations has regular dialogue with his Russian and Chinese opposite numbers. The mission staff have regular contacts with all Council members and with the Republic of Korea regarding the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1718.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the willingness of (a) Russia, (b) China and (c) the Republic of Korea to implement full United Nations sanctions against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. [102327]
Dr. Howells: As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Russia and China voted in favour of Resolution 1718 (2006) in relation to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Both countries, together with the Republic of Korea, have also reported promptly to the Sanctions Committee created to monitor implementation and have set out what action they are taking to implement the resolution effectively. The UK is currently discussing with key partners, including Russia, China and the Republic of Korea how to ensure implementation can be achieved fully.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the US Administration on a policy for containing nuclear technology in North Korea. [101577]
Mr. McCartney:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to the US Secretary of State on a number of occasions over the last few months on issues relating to the handling of North Korea, including in the wake of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas (DPRK) claimed nuclear test. Both agreed that the test was a clear threat to international peace and security and on the need for a robust response from the UN Security Council. The subsequent UN Security Resolution 1718 (2006), unanimously adopted by the Council on 14 October, condemns the announced
nuclear test and outlines sanctions which include a ban on the export to DPRK of nuclear and ballistic-missile goods and technologies, a ban on the export of arms to DPRK, a ban on technical assistance and advice related to all these items and a ban on the export by DPRK of proliferation-sensitive goods and technologies. The sanctions also provide for the freezing of assets of individuals and entities supporting DPRKs nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes and a travel ban on those individuals. The UK is fully committed to the implementation of these sanctions.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence her Department has seen that countries have sold ballistic technology to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. [101760]
Dr. Howells: The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) is not fully self-sufficient in this field, requiring the import of raw materials, specialised components and equipment in support of their missile development and production programmes, for both indigenous use and export. We therefore conclude that the DPRK has acquired missile technology from abroad in some form. It is not Government policy, however, to comment on specific intelligence matters.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the treatment by the Egyptian authorities of Muslims who convert to Christianity. [102505]
Dr. Howells: Egypt is an Islamic country and religious conversion is a sensitive issue. The Egyptian Government does not interfere with the practice of other religions, but encouraging conversion is illegal. We are aware that some of those who convert to Christianity face difficulties and when we are made aware of these cases we raise our concerns with the Egyptian authorities.
The UK is committed to promoting tolerance and mutual respect between religions. We are aware that there are isolated incidents of violence against the Coptic Christian community in Egypt and where appropriate, along with EU partners and others, we raise our concerns about these incidents with the Egyptian authorities. We also discuss these incidents with the Coptic Church in Egypt.
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