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19 Feb 2007 : Column 18W—continued
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 23 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Yasir Zulfiqar. [117835]
Margaret Beckett: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 31 January.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 15 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Brother E. Egan. [117836]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
This has been passed to me to respond. I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 January 2007.
Middle East: Human Rights
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on allegations of human rights violations in Israel and Palestine. [120325]
Dr. Howells: We are concerned at the human rights situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and regularly receive representations about human rights from non-governmental organisations in the region and in London.
We are particularly concerned by the failure to implement the 15 November 2005 agreement on movement and access; extra-judicial killings of Palestinians by the Israel defence force; the firing of artillery shells near populated areas of the Gaza Strip causing deaths of civilians; continued settlement construction in the West Bank; the impact of the barrier; closures; settler violence; and intimidation and harassment of Palestinian citizens. We also remain concerned about human rights abuses in areas where the Palestinian authority should take responsibility, in particular its failure to prevent terrorist attacks, militant groups from attacking Israeli civilians and the continuing violence between Palestinian groups. We regularly raise these concerns with the Israeli Government and Palestinian President Abbas.
Palestine
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what latest assessment she has received on the security situation in the Gaza Strip; and if she will make a statement. [112532]
Margaret Beckett: We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Nevertheless, we remain concerned at the security situation in Gaza. Between 3 and 16 January the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 10 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by the Israel Defence Force. One international photographer was also abducted by Palestinian militants but was released unharmed. 12 Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants towards Israel. No injuries were reported.
On 7 February OCHA reported that in 2007 86 Palestinians including 11 children had been killed in intra-Palestinian violence and 486 injured. On 29 January, Hamas and Fatah announced a ceasefire following a weekend of violence that left 29 dead and 100 wounded. 50 Palestinians were also kidnapped (some have since been released). On 1 February the ceasefire collapsed, leaving 13 dead and over 100 injured in overnight violence. Hamas and Fatah have since renewed the ceasefire which is still holding.
We urge the Israeli military to do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties. We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Government of Israel. We have also raised our concerns about the firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli towns with President Abbas. We welcome his call for the firing of these rockets to stop.
We welcome Saudi Arabia’s efforts to broker a National Unity government (the Mecca talks). During my visit to the region 5-7 February, I made clear to all parties that we wanted to work with a National Unity government based on the Quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) principles.
Pensions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of 10 highest paid members of staff in her Department and its executive agencies; and if she will make a statement. [113806]
Mr. Hoon: The cash equivalent transfer value of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme pension entitlements of the 10 highest paid members of staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) amounted in total to £9,849,461 at 31 March 2006.
We publish the pay and pension details of FCO members of the Department’s Board of Management in the Remuneration Report that forms part of the FCO’s Annual Resource Accounts. Our 2006 Remuneration Report included individual pay and pension details for two of the 10 highest paid members of staff included in this calculation. A copy of the 2006 Accounts have been placed in the Library of the House.
Sudan: China
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in the Sudan. [121038]
Mr. McCartney: China has approximately 450 uniformed troops in the UN Mission in Sudan. We have not received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in Sudan.
We continue to encourage China to use its growing power positively in Africa. We are engaging the Chinese on Darfur and on implementation of the North/South Peace Agreement.
Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the African Union’s efforts to reinforce peacekeeping in the Darfur region of Sudan; and if she will make a statement. [119470]
Mr. McCartney: The African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) carries out vital work to protect civilians and monitor the ceasefire in Darfur. But to cover such a vast area effectively AMIS needs reinforcement and this needs to come from the UN. A phased approach to increasing UN support to peacekeeping in Darfur was agreed in Addis Ababa on 16 November 2006 and is now being implemented. It will culminate in a hybrid AU and UN force, the details of which are currently being finalised. In the meantime, it is vital that AMIS can continue its work and the UK is committed to supporting this. We have pledged a further £15 million to this end, bringing our total contribution for this financial year to £35 million.
We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of an AMIS civilian police officer in Qassab internally displaced people camp in Darfur last week. We offer condolences to his family.
Syria
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government (a) have taken and (b) plan to take to increase links with the Government of Syria; and if she will make a statement. [117660]
Margaret Beckett: The British embassy in Damascus maintains regular links with the Government of Syria. Our ambassador met President Assad of Syria and Foreign Minister Muallim on 7 January. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s foreign policy adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, visited Syria in late October 2006. He reiterated the Government’s hope that Syria would revise its policies to play the constructive role in the region that the international community expects. Sir Nigel made clear that the prospect of enhanced engagement with the UK was dependent on the degree to which Syria responded to our concerns, which are shared by many in the international community.
Syria has in recent weeks taken steps to establish stronger links and co-operation with the Government of Iraq. That is a welcome development. We hope to see practical results. We want Syria to use its influence with Hamas and other groups to work for progress in the Middle East Peace Process. Syria should also support efforts to ensure stability in Lebanon, and respect all UN Security Council resolutions relating to Lebanon.
Timor-Leste
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has held with (a) the UN Secretary-General and (b) others on the final report of the Timor-Leste Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission. [119100]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the UN Secretary-General or with others about the report of East Timor’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have discussed the report’s recommendations with the UN Secretariat and other delegations.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will ask the UN Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the Security Council to consider the final report of Timor-Leste’s Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and if she will make a statement. [119101]
Mr. McCartney: It is for the UN Secretary-General to decide how to handle the report within the UN, including when to discuss it in the Security Council.
Uganda
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations she has made to the government of Uganda regarding those people held prisoner accused of being members of the People's Redemption Army; and if she will make a statement; [119053]
(2) what her current assessment is of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Uganda. [119054]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 828W.
In addition, our high commissioner in Kampala, as part of the Partners for Democracy and Governance Group in Kampala, raised our concerns about the continued custody of the 19 People's Redemption Army detainees to Interior Minister Rugunda on 25 January.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last had discussions with members of the government of Uganda on (a) human rights, (b) judicial independence and (c) the rule of law in that country; and if she will make a statement. [120353]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2007, Official Report, columns 834-35W, and to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
We will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Uganda.
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Ugandan authorities on their refusal to release the civilian People Redemption Army suspects granted bail in the High Court; and if she will make a statement. [119791]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Ugandan government following the Ugandan Constitutional Court ruling on the immediate release of 19 members of the People’s Redemption Army. [120351]
Mr. McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.
Health
“Choosing Health”
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2006, Official Report, column 1025W, on choosing health, whether any health champions will be recruited; what partners in establishing networks of champions have been approached; when the first annual awards for champions will be made; and in what form. [110529]
Caroline Flint: The concept of a health champion described in the “Choosing Health” White Paper is being implemented through other programmes, such as health trainers and communities for health. These programmes are identifying, developing, and in the case of health trainers, recruiting individuals who are championing health in their communities. We are exploring ways to recognise and celebrate those championing health through existing national award schemes.
Alcohol Awareness
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has undertaken with charitable organisations on alcohol awareness campaigns. [115933]
Caroline Flint: Charitable organisations have been involved with the development of the Government’s “know your limits” campaign since its earliest stages. In July and August 2005 charitable organisations were invited to participate in workshops entitled “Delivering Communications to Support the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy” that fed into initial thinking regarding the campaign.
Charitable organisations are also kept up to date with the progress of campaign development and sit on the communication stakeholders group which feeds into on-going alcohol communications activity and helps shape future plans.
Anorexia and Suicide Websites
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging anorexia and suicide. [111609]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is concerned about the risks posed by websites encouraging anorexia and is working with a media agency who have offered their expertise pro bono to run advertisements directing youngsters to more appropriate sites.
In January 2006, I met with the Internet Service Providers Association UK and Samaritans to explore ways that internet service providers can help in protecting vulnerable people from accessing internet sites and chat rooms that make information available about suicides.
There are no current plans to undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging suicide or anorexia. We are
convinced by the anecdotal evidence of their dangerousness but are quite unable to take any legal action against them because such sites are not in themselves illegal and may also be hosted overseas. We continue to explore other, non-legislative, courses of action.
Autism
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she is taking to improve the care offered to those diagnosed with autism; [112384]
(2) how many people were diagnosed with autism in 2005-06. [112428]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is for local commissioners to ensure their populations benefit from improvements to the provision of care for people with autistic spectrum disorders, using the increasing resources this Government have made available.
In the three years to March 2006 we invested £300 million in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the national health services and local authorities. In 2006-07 they will have a further £140 million available to them. This is being used to develop CAMHS to ensure that the challenge of providing and then maintaining a comprehensive CAMHS can be met. One element of a comprehensive CAMHS are services for autistic young people who also have mental health problems.
The Department does not collect data on the number of people diagnosed with autism.
However, hospital episode statistics show that there were 10,355 finished consultant episodes with a diagnosis falling under the wider field of autistic spectrum disorders in 2005-06. This includes patients admitted to NHS hospitals only and is likely to be much smaller than the total number of patients diagnosed. The figure does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
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