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12 Mar 2007 : Column 81W—continued


For an explanation on why expenditure has increased, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 25 January 2007, Official Report, columns 1948-49W.

East Timor: Violence

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on recent unrest in Dili; and what action her Department is taking to resolve conflict in East Timor. [126698]

Mr. McCartney: We are concerned by the deterioration of the security situation in East Timor and the resulting casualties.

Our Embassy in Jakarta (which covers East Timor), with the assistance of our Honorary Consul in Dili, provides regular reports on developments. We have deployed a team of four officers to Dili, who are assessing the situation on the ground and will ensure that consular arrangements for British nationals are sufficiently rigorous.


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During financial year 2005-06 the Government contributed funding of £295,971 through the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development Global Conflict Prevention Pool to projects with the objective of supporting conflict reduction in East Timor. We continue to contribute to projects supporting the development of a democratic society and human rights training through our Embassy in Jakarta’s bilateral programme for East Timor.

The UK has played a key role in the UN Security Council to ensure a robust UN Mission is in place in East Timor which focuses on areas of potential instability and conflict. We urge all concerned to bring an end to the violence and resolve the problems within the framework of the constitution and laws.

European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government plans to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. [126853]

Dr. Howells: On 22 January my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced the UK’s intention to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. The UK is currently examining how to implement the convention and cannot give a specific date for signature. However, having signalled our intention to sign we are now committed to implementing the convention and putting in place a framework which will provide real protection and support to all victims of trafficking.

India: Pakistan

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the inaugural joint panel to combat terrorism between India and Pakistan; and what assessment she has made of (a) India and (b) Pakistan’s internal efforts to combat religious extremism. [126695]

Dr. Howells: We welcome the establishment of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism between India and Pakistan and see this as a positive development towards regional security in South Asia. Both sides have expressed their determination to counter terrorism and extremism. Both countries have agreed that specific information will be exchanged to hold investigations related to terrorist acts and to prevent violence and terrorist acts in these countries.

We also welcome the work that both countries currently undertake to combat religious extremism. We work closely with both the Governments of India and Pakistan to counter the threat from international terrorism and the extremism that fuels terrorism.

International Whaling Commission

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department has taken to encourage EU countries that are not members of the International Whaling
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Commission and potential accession states to join the International Whaling Commission. [125540]

Margaret Beckett: Since the last meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in June 2006, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posts in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia have made representations to host Governments, encouraging them to join the IWC and vote in favour of maintaining the world-wide moratorium on commercial whaling.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe raised the matter with the Foreign Minister of Andorra in October 2006.

The FCO has distributed copies of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs publication ‘Protecting Whales - A Global Responsibility’ to 57 countries, including all potential EU candidates.

Croatia and Cyprus have now joined the IWC. Estonia, Greece, Latvia and Romania have committed themselves to joining as soon as domestic legislative procedures allow.

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions the Minister for Europe has had with the Foreign Ministers of (a) Montenegro and (b) Liechtenstein on their countries' possible membership of the International Whaling Commission; and if she will make a statement. [125968]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe has had no such discussions.

Our embassy in Berne raised the subject of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) membership with the Government of Liechtenstein in September 2006. The response was that Liechtenstein's limited administrative capacity made IWC membership unfeasible.

Our ambassador in Podgorica raised the subject of IWC membership with the Government of Montenegro on 27 February. The Montenegrin Government are considering the matter.

Iran

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006, Official Report, columns 470-72W, on Iran, what the terms of the flexibility about the modalities for opening negotiations were that Dr. Solana presented on behalf of the E3+3 during the 6th June 2006 and September 2006 discussions with Dr Larijani. [123866]

Margaret Beckett: In his contacts with Dr. Larijani in June and September 2006, Dr. Solana explained that in order for negotiations to begin on the proposals of the E3+3 (France, Germany, UK + China, Russia, US), Iran would need to address the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council. These include the Security Council's legally binding requirement that Iran should suspend all uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities. Dr. Solana explained that if Iran did so, we would be prepared to suspend further action against Iran in the Security Council. He indicated
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that the E3+3 might be prepared to be flexible about the timing and format of any meetings, if Iran was prepared to comply with its obligations. With our support, Dr. Solana is continuing his efforts to encourage Iran back into negotiations and details of his conversations with Dr. Larijani therefore remain confidential.

Iran: EC Action

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the imposition of additional EU financial measures against Iran; and if she will make a statement. [124845]

Margaret Beckett: EU Foreign Ministers discussed the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1737 at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 22 January. They agreed that the EU should implement the measures in the Resolution, including the financial measures, robustly and effectively. A common position reflecting their decisions was adopted on 27 February; an accompanying EC regulation is being finalised. As well as freezing the assets of entities listed by the Security Council, the EU will be able to freeze the assets of other individuals and entities who meet the criteria set out by the Security Council, namely individuals and entities engaged in, directly involved with or providing support for Iran's proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities and the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems.

Iran: Hezbollah

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to prevent the flow of funds provided to Hezbollah by Iran. [123983]

Margaret Beckett: We remain deeply concerned that Iran continues to finance groups undermining peace in the middle east, including Lebanese Hezbollah. Lebanese Hezbollah's External Security Organisation (ESO) is proscribed in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000. ESO is also on the list of terrorist organisations subject to an EU-wide assets freeze. We will have no hesitation in taking robust action against any individual or entity in the UK found to be financing ESO or any other proscribed group.

Iraq

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who she plans to attend the expanded neighbours meeting in Baghdad on 10 March on behalf of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [125340]

Margaret Beckett: We welcome the plans of the Government of Iraq to hold a number of expanded regional neighbours meetings and look forward to playing our part in making them a success. The UK has consistently called for Iraq's neighbours to support the efforts of the Government of Iraq to deliver security, stability and development for the Iraqi people.


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We were in close touch with the Government of Iraq and other partners about the appropriate level of attendance on 10 March. This meeting was at senior official rather than ministerial level, and may form part of preparation for a later ministerial event, possibly in April. We were represented by our ambassador in Baghdad and a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the implementation of the Baghdad security plan on the security situation in Basra. [124848]

Margaret Beckett: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear to the House on 21 February, we welcome the Iraqi-led Baghdad security plan, and recognise the critical importance of security in the capital to the future of the country, Official Report, columns 262-63. It is too soon to judge the plan's impact, though some of the early indications of the performance of the Iraqi security forces are encouraging. Thus far, we do not believe the plan has had any direct impact on the security situation in Basra, though naturally we are keeping this under close review.

Kosovo

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the security situation in Kosovo; and what assessment she has made of the events there of 11 February 2007. [122954]

Margaret Beckett: The United Kingdom offers its sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones following the violent demonstrations in Pristina on 10 February [not 11 February]. We respect and defend the right to peaceful protest. But there is no place in Kosovo, now or in the future, for violence as a means to secure political objectives. Those who resort to or incite violence jeopardise Kosovo's stable future and damage their own cause in the eyes of world opinion.

The security situation in Kosovo remains calm but tense. We call on the parties to engage constructively during UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari's phase of consultation.

Lebanon

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing a Special Tribunal for Lebanon; when the tribunal is expected to begin its work; and if she will make a statement. [124846]

Margaret Beckett: Following approval by the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Representative passed the draft text of the statute on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon to the Lebanese authorities on 10 November 2006 for their agreement.


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However, on 11 November 2006, Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the Lebanese Cabinet. Nevertheless, on Saturday 25 November the Cabinet, minus Hezbollah and its allies, went on to approve the draft statute. The statute is now awaiting parliamentary approval; although, in the context of the current Lebanese political impasse it is unclear if and when this will happen. As such, we cannot estimate when the tribunal will begin its work.

Libyan Arab Republic

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she plans to invite the President of Libya to visit the UK. [126999]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to invite Colonel Qadhafi to visit the UK. However, the UK welcomes the progress that Libya has made since its historic decision to renounce weapons of mass destruction. We are increasing co-operation, including through the exchange of high-level visits that began with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s visit to Libya in March 2004 and has included a visit to Libya by my right hon. Friend, the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), the then Home Secretary in 2006.

Libyan Arab Republic: Exports

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of British exports to Libya was in 2006. [127000]

Dr. Howells: Total exports from the UK to Libya in 2006 were £203 million.

Malta: Illegal Immigrants

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government are providing to Malta to help tackle illegal immigration from Africa to the island. [126983]

Mr. Hoon: The Government are working closely with the Maltese authorities to help tackle illegal immigration. We are doing so both bilaterally and through the EU. Last year we sent a Home Office expert on interviewing and nationality identification to Malta for one month, to form part of the EU Border Management Agency FRONTEX-led mission. We also deployed an expert official on returns from the Special Operations Unit within the Home Office, to look at ways of improving Malta’s returns programme.

At present, we have two joint proposals for funding being considered by the European Commission. The first focuses on a joint charter flight to send failed asylum seekers from the UK and Malta back to their country of origin. The second, a proposal to establish a joint unit of migration intelligence analysts on Lampedusa and Malta, is part of our wider work to disrupt irregular migration flows from East Africa to the EU under the East African Migration Routes Initiative.


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Marie Therese Nlandu

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she made to the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the treatment in detention of Marie Therese Nlandu. [126713]

Mr. McCartney: The Government are closely following the continued detention of Mme Nlandu. Our ambassador in Kinshasa has raised the case of Mme Nlandu on several occasions with Congolese Ministers, the Congolese Interior Minister and President Kabila's advisers. He raised the case with President Kabila himself on 2 February. Embassy officials in Kinshasa have also been present during some of her appearances in court and visited her in prison on 16 February. We will continue to monitor her situation and treatment closely. International partners are doing the same.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter of 15th January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr M. G. Atiq. [124056]

Margaret Beckett: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 26 February.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Israel on its recent operations in Nablus and the curfew it has imposed on the residents of Nablus. [125234]

Dr. Howells: We are concerned by the impact of Israel's military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel, like all states, has the right to defend itself against terrorism, which the UK condemns absolutely. However, Israel must ensure that its actions comply with international humanitarian law, and minimise the impact on civilians. Our embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns regarding the impact of the military incursion in Nablus with the Israeli Defence Force on 8 March.


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