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2 Mar 2007 : Column 1609W—continued
I would like to draw the hon. Member’s attention to the footnote attached to the list, especially in the case of our High Commission in Dhaka, where the discrepancies in the figures for the year 2005-06 can be accounted for by the fact that no new Hospitality Sector Based Scheme applications were received after 31 July 2005.
However during the year 2005-06 our High Commission in Dhaka continued to deal with 3,000 plus cases that had been decided at appeal following refusal in 2003-04. I hope this clarifies these statistics.
European Constitution Treaty
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many man hours have been spent by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department in the discussions with the German EU presidency regarding the future of Europe referred to in paragraph 41 of Prospects for the European Union in 2007 (Cm 7024). [124329]
Mr. Hoon: Information on the number of hours spent by Ministers and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in discussions with the German presidency regarding the future of Europe could be collated and provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, Ministers and officials have been in regular contact with their German counterparts since September 2006 regarding priorities for Germany's presidency. These discussions have covered a wide range of issues, including the future of Europe debate.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I meet regularly with our German counterparts under their presidency, not least every month at the General Affairs and External Relations Council. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met with the German Chancellor most recently on 13 February in Berlin. Our embassy in Berlin is in daily contact with the German government on a range of issues.
The UK, at German presidency request, also nominated two senior officials to act as ‘focal points’ in future of Europe discussions (Mr. Kim Darroch, Head of the Cabinet Office European Secretariat, and
Ms Shan Morgan, EU Director in the FCO). They have, to date, held one bilateral meeting with the German presidency on 24 January, called to discuss the Berlin Declaration.
European Union
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the Minister for Europe has made to the European Commission’s review of the Single Market. [124506]
Mr. Hoon: Since the launch of the European Commission’s review of the single market in May 2006, I have met with members of the Commission on several occasions and set out the Government’s position on single market reform. I have also used regular meetings with Members of the European Parliament and EU Ministers to reinforce this, and engaged with British business to help further shape our approach. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have worked closely with HM Treasury and Department of Trade and Industry colleagues throughout, feeding ideas into the Commission, and we will continue to do so ahead of the final report this autumn. Our detailed approach is set out in the paper “The Single Market: A vision for the 21(st) century”, launched by my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 30 January 2007 and placed in the Library of the House.
Gibraltar: Spain
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what airport customs procedures there are for pedestrians travelling from Gibraltar into Spain. [124919]
Mr. Hoon: Pedestrians travelling from Gibraltar to Spain are subject to routine customs checks by Spanish customs officers, since they are entering the Community Customs Territory.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status the tripartite agreement gives to British aircraft travelling to Gibraltar when in Spanish airspace. [124920]
Mr. Hoon: The tripartite agreement has no effect on the status of British aircraft flying in Spanish airspace. The rights of an airline of one country to traverse the airspace of another country are enshrined in the International Convention on Civil Aviation, signed at Chicago in 1944.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect the tripartite agreement has had on claims by the Spanish Government over sovereign British territorial waters surrounding Gibraltar. [124921]
Mr. Hoon: The tripartite agreement has had no effect on the United Kingdom and Spain's respective positions on the waters surrounding Gibraltar.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the UK's claims to territorial water surrounding Gibraltar. [124922]
Mr. Hoon: Under international law, coastal states are entitled, but not required, to claim territorial sea up to a maximum breadth of 12 nautical miles. Where the coasts of two states are opposite or adjacent, neither is entitled, unless they agree otherwise, to extend its territorial sea beyond the median line. The Government consider that a limit of three nautical miles is sufficient in the case of Gibraltar.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has plans to discuss claims to increase British territorial water surrounding Gibraltar with the Spanish Government. [124923]
Mr. Hoon: There are no such plans.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions exist on vesssels travelling from Gibraltar to Spanish ports. [124924]
Mr. Hoon: Spanish restrictions require military vessels travelling from Gibraltar to travel to another non-Spanish port before entering a Spanish port. This restriction is not applied to cargo vessels, cruise ships or other passenger boats.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the customs procedures are for Gibraltarian citizens who cross the border from Spain to Gibraltar. [124978]
Mr. Hoon: Gibraltarian citizens who cross the border from Spain to Gibraltar are not in practice subject to customs checks by the Spanish customs authorities before they can exit Spain. They are subject to a customs check by Gibraltarian customs upon entering into Gibraltar.
Iran: Detainees
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy is on the treatment of Iranian nationals captured while fighting as insurgents against British troops in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. [122377]
Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
In Afghanistan, the UK policy is that any individual detained by ISAF forces should be transferred to the Afghan authorities at the first opportunity and within 96 hours, or released.
In Iraq, following the detention of any individual by multi-national force Iraq, a decision will be made to either release the individual, transfer him to the Iraqi judicial system (where criminal evidence exists), or to intern him if this is deemed necessary for imperative reasons of security, as permitted under UNSCR 1723.
This decision is based on an assessment of the threat posed by the individual and is not related to his nationality.
All new UK internees have their cases reviewed by the Divisional Internment Review Committee no later than 48 hours after they are apprehended, and then every 28 days thereafter. Cases are also reviewed by the Combined Review and Release Board, a joint UK-Iraqi board, every three months. Individuals held for 18 months have their cases referred to the Joint Detention Committee which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Maliki and the Commander Multi-National Force Iraq.
Iran: Nuclear Power
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether representatives of the Iranian Government raised UK compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty during the six-party talks in London at the end of February 2007. [125343]
Dr. Howells: Iran was not represented at the talks in London on 26 February, which were attended by senior officials from China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, the US and the office of the EU High Representative (the “E3+3”). They discussed Iran’s non-compliance with Resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council, as well as possible next steps in the Security Council.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions are in place against Iran in relation to nuclear proliferation. [122378]
Dr. Howells: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1737, adopted unanimously on 23 December 2006, imposes a number of sanctions on Iran under article 41 of chapter VII of the UN Charter. These are proportionate and targeted at Iran’s sensitive nuclear and missile activities. All states have a legal obligation to comply. In general terms, the measures include:
a prohibition on supplying certain nuclear and missile related items to Iran and on providing related assistance;
a prohibition on the export from Iran of such items and their procurement from Iran;
monitoring of the travel of certain individuals engaged in or providing support for Iran’s proliferation sensitive activities;
limits on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical co-operation with Iran;
freezing of the assets of persons and entities designated in the resolution’s annex as well as those subsequently identified by the Security Council or the Sanctions Committee; and
a call on states to prevent specialised teaching or training of Iranian nationals, which would contribute to Iran’s proliferation sensitive nuclear activities.
The implementation of measures will be suspended if, and for as long as, Iran suspends uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities, as verified by the IAEA. A copy of the resolution is available on the UN website at:
http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions06.htm.
EU Foreign Ministers discussed the resolution on 22 January and agreed that:
to ensure effective implementation of measures in UNSCR 1737 while remaining consistent with EU policy, and recalling the EU policy not to sell arms to Iran...the EU should prevent the export to and import from Iran of the goods on the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) and MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) lists; ban transactions with and freeze the assets of individuals and entities covered by the criteria in UNSCR 1737; ban travel to the EU of the individuals covered by these criteria; and take measures to prevent Iranian nationals from studying proliferation sensitive subjects within the EU.
On 12 February, EU Foreign Ministers gave political endorsement to a Common Position giving effect to this decision; we expect the Common Position and a related EC Regulation to be adopted shortly.
We have also taken steps at a national level to implement UNSCR 1737, including through the adoption of the Iran (Financial Sanctions) Order 2007, which came into force on 9 February. The order is available at:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070281.htm.
On 20 February, the UK submitted a report to the President of the Security Council setting out in detail all the steps we have taken to implement UNSCR 1737. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqi civilians died in Iraq as a consequence of (a) military action by coalition forces, (b) sectarian violence and (c) acts of violence from insurgents in 2006. [124317]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1950-51W.
Kosovo
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the future governance of Kosovo. [124776]
Mr. Hoon: UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari presented his draft proposals on Kosovo's future status to the parties on 2 February. Executive summaries of the proposals, including those that relate to the future governance of Kosovo, can be found on his office's website at www.unosek.org.
The United Kingdom fully supports UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari and welcomes his draft proposals. As EU Foreign Ministers agreed on 12 February, his proposals create the basis for Kosovo's sustainable economic and political development and for strengthening the stability of the entire region.
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the governments of (a) Greece and (b) Albania on the future governance of Kosovo. [124790]
Mr. Hoon: I met Albanian Foreign Minister Mustafaj in the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2006. The government of Albania fully supports the UN-led Kosovo Final Status Process.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Kosovo with EU partners, including Greece, at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 12 February. The Council expressed its full support for UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari and his proposals, which create the basis for Kosovo's sustainable economic and political development and for strengthening the stability of the entire region.
Latin America
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the UK Public Strategy Paper on Latin America; and if she will make a statement. [124344]
Mr. Hoon: My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, plans to launch the paper in the next few weeks.
Pakistan: Afghanistan
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of (a) levels of Taliban activity in Pakistan and (b) the impact of such activity on conflict in Afghanistan; and what representations she has made to the Pakistani Government on this matter. [124629]
Dr. Howells: We share the Government of Pakistan’s concerns about the dangers of Talibanisation in Pakistan and its effects on the insurgency in Afghanistan. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary took the opportunity of her visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan this week to discuss with Presidents Musharraf and Karzai and senior members of their respective Governments how we can co-operate to create stability and security in Afghanistan. Pakistan is a vital partner in the region and we recognise the steps that they have already taken against the Taliban and to secure their border with Afghanistan.
Paramjeet Singh
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings she has had with the family of Paramjeet Singh; when the British high commissioner in India first contacted Mr. Singh; and what contact her Department has had with Mr. Singh since his arrest in the Punjab in December 2006. [124803]
Dr. Howells: Consular officials have been in regular contact with Mr. Singh's family from the day of his arrest on 23 December 2006. Officials from our high commission in New Delhi sought consular access as soon as we were notified of his arrest. They visited Mr. Singh in prison on 30 December 2006 and again on 22 February 2007. We will continue to provide Mr. Singh and his family with all appropriate consular assistance.
Smith Institute
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money from the public purse (a) her Department and (b) its agencies have given to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Limited in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made. [123090]
Mr. Hoon: Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) nor its agencies, FCO Services and Wilton Park, have made any payments to the Smith Institute or SI Events Limited since 1997.
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