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20 Mar 2007 : Column 827W—continued
Mr. McCartney:
The UK wants a successful EU-Africa summit that signals the EU's commitment to Africa and confirms a genuine partnership between the two continents founded inter alia on a respect for good governance and human rights which is lacking in today's Zimbabwe. We have made our views on Zimbabwean representation at the summit clear to our EU partners, including Portugal.
We will look to the presidency for a solution on attendance that is consistent with the EU Common Position on Zimbabwe.
Iraq: Civil War
17. Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of whether Iraq is in a state of civil war. [128304]
Dr. Howells: We share concerns at the high levels of violence in Iraq, but the term civil war is not an accurate description: the Iraqi Government are still unitary and there is no rival Government. Key is to bring down the level of violence and to reach a sustainable political solution. The Government of Iraq are committed to this and their friends and allies are providing support to help them achieve it.
Bilateral Relations: Russia
19. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on bilateral relations with Russia. [128306]
Mr. Hoon: A productive partnership with Russia is important to the successful achievement of a wide range of the Government's international priorities. We will continue to work with Russia on important issues such as Kosovo, Iran, energy and climate security, and in the promotion of trade and investment. Where obstacles and disagreements exist, we continue to insist on a transparent, open and honest dialogue to resolve them.
Ethiopia
20. Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent release of kidnapped embassy officials in Ethiopia for the activities of consular staff. [128307]
Mr. McCartney: The Government are delighted that the five staff and family members from our embassy in Addis Ababa abducted recently in Ethiopia have been released. The Government do, however, remain concerned for the welfare of the Ethiopians who were taken at the same time as the embassy group and hope they too will be released.
To deal with this incident, the Government deployed additional staff to our embassies in Asmara and Addis Ababa, and to Djibouti. Along with staff already posted to these embassies, and with officials in London and elsewhere, they worked tirelessly and in a wholly co-ordinated way to help secure the release of the five.
The Government are grateful for the exceptional co-operation and assistance received from Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia and President Isaias of Eritrea, and their Governments, as well as from others in the region.
Sri Lanka
21. Keith Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Sri Lanka; and if she will make a statement. [128308]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, on 7 March. She made clear our view that violence would not resolve the conflict. She emphasised the Government’s commitment to Sri Lanka’s Norwegian-facilitated peace process and our willingness to help bring about a peaceful solution. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reiterated these points in the House on 14 March.
Pakistan
22. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the dismissal of the Chief Justice. [128309]
Dr. Howells: We are closely following developments in Pakistan following the decision to suspend the Chief Justice of Pakistan and to refer his case to the Supreme Judicial Council.
The EU Troika has made a joint démarche to the Government of Pakistan, stressing the need to respect the independence of the judiciary and to follow the rule of law.
Iran
23. Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is advocating at the UN Security Council on Iran’s nuclear programme. [128310]
Dr. Howells: The United Kingdom is co-sponsoring the Resolution on Iran currently before the Security Council, drafted by the UK, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US (the “E3+3”), which builds on the measures implemented by Security Council Resolution 1737.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of Iran’s compliance with Security Council resolutions; and if she will make a statement. [128302]
Dr. Howells: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Dr. Mohammad el-Baradei, reported on 22 February that Iran has not complied with Security Council Resolution 1737, and therefore neither with 1696 which made the IAEA Board requirement of the suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities a mandatory requirement. The Security Council is, as envisaged in Resolution 1737, considering further measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter.
Kashmir
24. Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Governments of India and Pakistan on the political situation in Kashmir. [128311]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed India-Pakistan relations and the situation in Kashmir with the Government of Pakistan during her visit to Islamabad in February 2007.
We welcome India and Pakistan’s continuing commitment to the dialogue process, and hope that this will lead to a lasting resolution of all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.
Convention on Bribery
25. Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the United Kingdom’s obligations are under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development convention on bribery; and if she will make a statement. [128312]
Mr. McCartney: I made a statement on 19 March, and we published the report on our progress on implementing the Convention on 15 March. I have placed copies of both documents in the Library of the House.
Afghanistan: Administration of Justice
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she expects functioning institutions of justice to be fully operational as set out in the London Compact of 2006 in (a) Badakhshan, (b) Badghis, (c) Baghlan, (d) Balkh, (e) Bamyan, (f) Daykundi, (g) Farah, (h) Faryab, (i) Ghazni, (j) Ghor, (k) Helmand, (l) Herat, (m) Jowzjan, (n) Kabul, (o) Kandahar, (p) Kapisa, (q) Khost, (r) Konar, (s) Kunduz, (t) Laghman, (u) Lowgar, (v) Nangarhar, (w) Nimruz, (x) Nurestan, (y) Oruzgan, (z) Paktia, (aa) Paktika, (ab) Panjshir, (ac) Parvan, (ad) Samangan, (ae) Sar-e Pol, (af) Takhar, (ag) Wardak and (ah) Zabol in Afghanistan by the end of 2010; what progress has been made; and what progress she expects to be made by the end of the year in each province. [127499]
Dr. Howells: The benchmarks set out in the 2006 Afghanistan Compact cover a range of issues including the institutions of justice. The Compact also mandated the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) to keep progress of all the benchmarks under regular review. The JCMB, comprising members of both the Afghan Government and the international community, meets four times a year to review the implementation of the Compact and suggest corrective action, as appropriate. As a member of the JCMB, the UK is playing a full part in ensuring the Compact is implemented and carefully monitored.
The full details of all the progress reviews to date are available on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy’s website (www.ands.gov.af) under ‘JCMB’.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the reforms to strengthen the professionalism, credibility and integrity of key institutions of the justice system in Afghanistan was met by the end of 2006 in accordance with the target of the London Compact of 2006; what further progress she expects to be made by the end of 2007; and whether she expects the targets to be fully implemented by the end of 2010. [127526]
Dr. Howells: The Italian Government is the partner on justice sector reform in Afghanistan. However, it is supported by the efforts and investments of the UK and other members of the International Community, including through the Government’s work on Counter Narcotics (CN). To date we have contributed to the Italian remit by building up the counter-narcotic criminal justice system infrastructure in the following ways: professional mentors working with organisations such as the Criminal Justice Task Force, supporting judges, prosecutors, investigators; building a high-secure detention prison wing; Her Majesty’s Prison Service training for Afghan prison officers; and training and mentoring for the CN Police.
The Benchmarks set out in the 2006 Afghanistan Compact cover a range of issues, including the institutions of justice. The Compact also mandated the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) to keep progress of all the benchmarks under regular review. The JCMB, comprising members of both the Afghan Government and the international community, meets four times a year to review the implementation of the compact and suggest corrective action, as appropriate. As a member of the JCMB, the UK is playing a full part in ensuring the compact is implemented and carefully monitored.
The full details of all the progress reviews to date are available on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy’s website (www.ands.gov.af) under ‘JCMB’.
Afghanistan: Drugs
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the impact of opium crop eradication efforts in Helmand in 2006 on the security situation in the province. [127143]
Margaret Beckett: According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, an estimated 3,166 hectares of opium crop were eradicated in Helmand in 2006. There is no evidence to suggest that increased Taliban activity in Helmand last year was due to the Afghan Government’s counter narcotics efforts. Poppy eradication does not generally meet with violent resistance if it is targeted at areas where there are legal alternatives for farmers.
The UK will continue to work with the Afghans to ensure eradication in Helmand is targeted effectively and that local security conditions are taken fully into account.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the eradication of opium crop in 2005 on the overall opium crop harvested in Afghanistan in 2006. [127144]
Margaret Beckett:
I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, (Dr. Howells), gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) on 13 December 2006, Official Report, columns 1099-1100W. Cultivation of opium in Afghanistan went up by 59 per cent. in 2006, as a result of a number of factors. However, the UN Office on
Drugs and Crime’s 2006 opium survey suggests that where eradication took place in 2005 farmers were less likely to plant poppy in the next season.
Eradication is an important means of deterrent, where there is access to legal livelihoods. It needs, however, to be balanced with measures to interdict drugs, bring criminals to justice, build institutions and encourage development of rural communities to provide alternatives for poppy farmers.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategy is in place for opium crop eradication in Afghanistan in the lead up to the 2007 harvest. [127147]
Margaret Beckett: Eradication policy and implementation is the responsibility of the Afghan Government, and is one of the eight pillars of their National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). The NDCS supports the efforts of the Central Afghan Eradication Force and governor-led-eradication campaigns. The NDCS also states that eradication should be targeted in areas where there is access to legal rural livelihoods. The UK provides support to the Afghans for the planning, monitoring and targeting of eradication.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her estimate is of the volume of production of opium in Afghanistan in each of the past five years; and what her estimate is of likely production volume in the next three years. [127860]
Dr. Howells: The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan. These surveys assess that the potential volume of opium production in Afghanistan was 6,100 metric tonnes (mt) in 2006, 4,100 mt in 2005, 4,200 mt in 2004, 3,600 mt in 2003 and 3,400 mt in 2002. The cultivation picture varies between and within provinces and comparing total levels of production does not necessarily represent an accurate picture of progress to date; in areas of Afghanistan where access to governance, security and development has improved, reductions achieved in 2005 were sustained and in some cases improved upon in 2006. Although it is too early to predict the levels of production in the next three years, the UNODC’s 2007 Rapid Assessment Survey suggests that Afghanistan may be facing another year of high poppy cultivation.
Afghanistan: Migrant Workers
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she expects Afghanistan and (a) its neighbours and (b) other countries in the region to reach agreements to enable Afghanistan (i) to import skilled labour and (ii) to enable Afghans to seek work in the region and send remittances back to Afghanistan by the end of 2010 as set out in the target of the 2006 London Compact; what progress has been made; and what progress she expects to be made by the end of 2007. [127504]
Dr. Howells:
The Afghan Government and their regional/international partners continue to work towards the benchmarks set out in the Afghanistan
Compact. The Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB), which comprises members of the Government of Afghanistan and the international community is mandated under the Compact to keep all the benchmarks under regular review. An update on progress against the benchmarks is expected in May. The full details will be available on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy’s website (www.ands.gov.af) under “JCMB”.
Afghanistan: Prisons
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she expects prisons to have separate facilities for men, women and juveniles in Afghanistan by the end of 2010 in accordance with the target of the London Compact of 2006; what progress has been made towards the target; and what progress she expects to be made by the end of 2007. [127527]
Dr. Howells: The female prison population in Afghanistan currently stands at approximately 300 persons, approximately 2 per cent. of the overall prison population. They are all detained in separate accommodation for women.
In Afghan law, a juvenile is between the ages of 12 and 18. Juvenile detention is monitored by the UN Office of Drug Control. They report that a number of designated facilities currently exist, which are separate from prisons and other adult detention facilities. Adult males are detained separately from both women and juveniles.
Work is ongoing on construction projects at Wardak, Lashkar Gah, and a new detention facility in Gereshk. Two other facilities, Mazar-e-Sharif and Gardez are being overseen through the UN Office of Drugs and Crime and should be completed end of 2007. All these new facilities will be fully compliant with UN minimum standards of prisoner accommodation.
Burma
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her European colleagues on the military dictatorship in Burma. [127514]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions on Burma with European colleagues.
However, I raised Burma with EU and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) colleagues at the EU/ASEAN Ministerial meeting in Nuremberg on 15 March. I stressed at the meeting, which was attended by all ASEAN Nations including Burma, that the ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by the Burmese government were unacceptable and should cease. A number of EU Partners also condemned the Burmese regime.
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