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15 Jan 2007 : Column 830W—continued
Sri Lanka
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of civilian deaths arising from the recent conflict in Sri Lanka; what action she is taking to encourage dialogue between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; and what assessment she has made of the current status of the 2001 ceasefire agreement. [114210]
Dr. Howells: We monitor the number of casualties closely. In 2006 there were approximately 1,000 civilian deaths. Between 1 and 10 January this year there were over 40 civilian deaths.
The UK engages with all parties to the conflict to support the peace process. We encourage our EU and international partners to do likewise. The visit in November 2006 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Mr. Paul Murphy), a former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and his subsequent meetings with President Rajapakse, representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other participants of the peace process is an example of our continued engagement.
While it is clearly under increasing pressure the signatories have not withdrawn from the 2002 Cease-Fire Agreement. It remains the agreed framework for the negotiation of a settlement to resolve the Sri Lanka conflict. We continue to call on the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to observe their commitments under the Cease-Fire Agreement and demonstrate this by ceasing hostilities, ending human rights abuses and bloodshed, and creating an atmosphere for constructive discussions to further the peace process. We fully support and are in close contact with the Norwegian Government in their work to facilitate a peaceful and sustainable solution that satisfies the legitimate demands of all Sri Lankans and promotes stability, democracy and respect for human rights in the country.
Sudan
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by the UK Government to promote the protection of the rights of the Christian Community in Sudan. [115185]
Mr. McCartney:
The Government remains strongly committed to the protection of the human rights of all Sudan’s citizens. We call on the Sudanese Government to ensure that all religions can be practised without fear of harassment or intimidation. We take seriously any infringement of religious freedom, such as an incident involving the use of tear gas at All Saints Church in Khartoum on new year’s eve. We are pressing the Sudanese police to undertake a thorough investigation
of the incident, and will remain in contact with church leaders. In addition, the Government are a strong supporter of the North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Under this agreement, a range of peace building commissions are being established including a national Human Rights Commission and the Commission for the Protection of non-Muslim Rights in the National Capital.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the International Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Darfur can operate effectively. [113802]
Mr. McCartney: The International Commission of Inquiry reported in January 2005. It detailed the many atrocities that had taken place in Darfur and recommended that the situation there be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1593 in March 2005 which gave effect to this recommendation.
In his most recent briefing to the Security Council on 14 December 2006, the ICC prosecutor highlighted evidence of large-scale massacres, targeting of civilians and systematic sexual violence. He also informed the Security Council that his office was moving towards completion of its investigations based on crimes committed in 2003-04 and expected to present evidence to ICC judges in relation to the first case by February 2007.
The ICC will continue to have our full support for its activities. It must also have the full and unconditional co-operation of the Government of Sudan. We have made this clear to the authorities in Khartoum.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to support United Nations personnel in Darfur; when she expects the UN to provide further (a) military advisers and (b) police advisers; and when she expects the hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force to be deployed. [113836]
Mr. McCartney: UN support to the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) will come in three phases. The UN is in the process of deploying its light support package to AMIS—with 34 UN personnel deploying to Darfur to date. The heavy support package is due to be implemented over the coming months. The final phase of support will be a UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur. We are pressing the UN and AU to ensure that this is deployed as soon as possible. It will be vital that the necessary infrastructure, training and equipment is in place to permit the full force to be deployed.
The UK has played a leading role in international efforts to secure a UN deployment in Darfur and will continue to provide political and other support to the UN as it deploys. At the request of the UN we are providing two police advisers to assist the UN advance team with planning for the hybrid force, in addition to two military officers and one Ministry of Defence secondee who are already assisting the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations with planning for Sudan.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to seek to ensure that all signatories adhere to the principles of the Darfur Peace Agreement. [113839]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development stressed the need to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) when he met both President Bashir and Minni Minawi, the main signatories of the DPA, during his visit to Khartoum in October 2006.
We welcome the commitment by the Government of Sudan at the 16 November 2006 meeting in Addis Ababa to a renewed political process for Darfur, including bringing the non-signatories into the DPA. Our permanent representative at the UN met the newly appointed UN envoy for the DPA at a contact group meeting on 5 January in New York to urge rapid progress on the political track.
Sudan and Chad
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the governments of (a) Sudan and (b) Chad on (i) complying with bilateral agreements, (ii) securing their common border and (iii) co-operating on stabilising the region. [113837]
Mr. McCartney: We take every opportunity to press both Sudan and Chad to stop supporting each others' rebels and to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli Agreement. Christopher Prentice, UK Ambassador-at-Large for the Sudanese Peace Process, stressed this to the Government of Sudan during his visit in December 2006. Our Permanent Representative to the UN in New York did the same with the Chadian Foreign Minister on 20 December 2006 in New York. Given the importance of this issue, we will continue to press both Governments on this matter.
Uganda
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will request a special session at the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda to discuss human rights in Uganda; and if she will make a statement. [114332]
Mr. McCartney: The agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, to be held in Kampala, Uganda in November 2007, is yet to be decided. The agenda is drawn up by the Commonwealth Secretariat, in consultation with all Commonwealth member states. The Government have no plans at present to request a special session on human rights in Uganda.
We regularly discuss human rights issues bilaterally with the Ugandan Government. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met President Museveni most recently on 20 November 2006. The UK also takes an active role in Kampala in the Partners for Democracy and Governance group and its sub group, the Human
Rights Working Group. Both groups regularly review human rights issues and raise concerns with the Ugandan Government and civil society.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the report by HE Sir Ketumile Masire, chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group on Uganda in relation to the forthcoming meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in that country; and if she will make a statement. [114533]
Mr. McCartney: The Commonwealth Observers Group’s report relates to the Ugandan presidential and parliamentary elections of February 2006. For our assessment of that report I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) by my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Ian Pearson) on 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 91W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 29 November 2006, Official Report, columns 744-45W.
We have not made an assessment of the report in relation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, due to take place in November 2007.
United Arab Emirates
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the UK has had with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on extradition arrangements; what agreements are in place with the UAE; whether these are covered by the Extradition Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. [114188]
Joan Ryan: I have been asked to reply.
Before the bilateral extradition treaty between the UK and the UAE was signed on 6 December 2006, there were two formal treaty negotiation meetings between our two countries. There were also informal discussions between officials of both countries.
The treaty will come into force once both Governments have exchanged instruments of ratification and the UAE has been designated as a Category 2 territory under the Extradition Act 2003. Until this time, there are no general extradition relations between the UK and UAE. As I explained to the hon. Member in an answer I gave to a previous question on 12 December 2006, under section 193 of the Extradition Act 2003, the UK can have extradition relations with non-treaty partners who are party to international conventions that contain extradition provisions and to which the UK is also a party.
The UK is also able to process ad hoc extradition requests from non-treaty partners under section 194 of the 2003 Act.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the Zimbabwean Government’s decision to close their remaining independent newspapers. [113842]
Mr. McCartney: We note with concern the Zimbabwe Registrar General’s refusal to renew the passport of Trevor Ncube, owner of the Standard and Independent newspapers, and threats to his citizenship, which might affect the viability of Zimbabwe’s remaining independent media newspapers. We deplore the serious consequences for media and freedom of expression that closure of the last two independent papers would have in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth; under what conditions or circumstances that country would be readmitted; and if she will make a statement. [114185]
Mr. McCartney: Zimbabwe was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth in March 2002, following the presidential election, which was marred by a high level of politically motivated violence and during which conditions did not adequately allow for the free expression of the will of the electors. In December 2003, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting statement on Zimbabwe, the Government of Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth.
If Zimbabwe wished to rejoin the Commonwealth they would need to approach the Commonwealth Secretary-General and prove that they now meet the basic principles as set out in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration.
Duchy of Lancaster
Central Office of Information
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what environmental criteria the Central Office of Information uses in selecting companies for placing on to its roster of communications and public relations companies; whether carbon impacts are considered; and if she will make a statement. [115449]
Hilary Armstrong: The majority of the Central Office of Information's (COI) framework agreements were renewed in 2005 and there were no specific environmental criteria applied to the selection process, nor were carbon impacts considered.
When the remaining frameworks become due for renewal COI will include sustainability factors, where established and relevant, in its extensive evaluation criteria.
In its provision of services, COI does consider sustainability issues with its departmental clients, although the final decision on such issues rests with clients.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps the Central Office of Information is taking to encourage companies on its roster to take steps towards becoming carbon neutral; and if she will make a statement. [115450]
Hilary Armstrong: When the Central Office of Information's (COI) frameworks become due for renewal it will include sustainability factors, where established and relevant, in its extensive evaluation criteria.
In its provision of services, COI does consider sustainability issues with its departmental clients, although the final decision on such issues rests with clients.
COI has representation on the major communications industry bodies (including the ISBA, the body representing advertisers, the IPA, representing advertising agencies and the DMA, representing direct marketers) and uses its position on those bodies to highlight sustainability issues across the industry as a whole.
Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 5 October 2006 on behalf of Mr. John Candles of Springfield Park road, Chelmsford; what the reason is for the time taken to reply; and if she will make a statement. [114247]
Edward Miliband: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. A response was issued on 9 January 2007.
Ministerial Residences
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether individual Departments are re-billed for the cost of the provision of official ministerial residences which are maintained by the Cabinet Office. [114113]
Publications
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Government publications published by The Stationery Office are available in foreign languages; and what the cost was of such publications in the last year for which figures are available. [114231]
Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
Many Government publications are made available in foreign languages, with individual decisions being made based on the likely audience for the publication. Although The Stationery Office, a private sector company, may be engaged in publishing the English language version, individual Departments will often arrange for translations to be produced and will make these available themselves. No central information is maintained and this information and the costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Deputy Prime Minister
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Heald:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006, Official
Report, column 277W, on ministerial visits, what the grade was of each civil servant who accompanied him on his recent trip to the Far East. [113945]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question on 4 December 2006, Official Report, column 109W.
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