Previous Section Index Home Page

21 Mar 2007 : Column 956W—continued

Duchy of Lancaster

10 Downing Street

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests from hon. Members to bring constituents to visit 10 Downing street were acceded to in each of the last 10 years, broken down by political party of the hon. Member. [128712]


21 Mar 2007 : Column 957W

Hilary Armstrong: The information requested is not held centrally. However, hon. Members from all parties are invited on a rolling programme to nominate and accompany a small group of children from their constituencies to have tea at No. 10 Downing street. Hon. Members are invited to select, in a fair and open way, children who have a particular interest in visiting No. 10 Downing street. Since 1998 approximately 450 MPs have accepted invitations for children to come for tea.

Departments: Advertising

Mike Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what her Department's total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to (a) television, (b) radio and (c) print media. [128076]

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 27 February 2006, Official Report, columns 39-40W and to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office to the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) on 11 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1822-23W.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Angola

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings she had with her Angolan counterpart in 2006. [128565]

Mr. McCartney: There were no formal meetings with the Angolan Foreign Minister, Dr. João Bernardo Miranda, in 2006. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, held discussions with Foreign Minister Miranda on 26 January this year in the margins of the African Union Summit and subsequently met the Angolan Vice Minister of the Interior, General Martins, who was in the UK on a visit sponsored by the Government.

Austria: Lichtenstein

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Austrian counterpart on the recent transfer of territory from Austria to Lichtenstein; and whether approval for such a transfer is required at an EU level. [128570]

Mr. Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Austrian Foreign Minister on the territorial integrity of Austria and Liechtenstein. There has been no transfer of territory between the two countries. Modern land measuring technology has recently proved that Liechtenstein's borders are slightly longer than previously thought.


21 Mar 2007 : Column 958W

Bangladesh

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Bangladesh regarding the security of (a) Sheik Hasina and (b) the British High Commissioner there; and if she will make a statement. [128796]

Dr. Howells: We have made no representations to the caretaker Government of Bangladesh with regard to the security of the leaders of any of the political parties. We have, however, raised our concerns over the security of our High Commissioner in Dhaka based on our duty of care towards all UK diplomats serving worldwide.

Belarus

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking in the UN Security Council with regard to sanctions on Belarus. [128572]

Mr. Hoon: Previous attempts to discuss Belarus at the UN Security Council have not met with success, due to objections by Russia. We have no current plans to raise this subject in the UN Security Council.

Current EU restrictions imposed after the recent fraudulent elections are designed in such a way that they can be targeted towards the regime, not the people of Belarus. A decision to renew these EU measures for a further 12 months was cleared by parliamentary scrutiny in March this year.

Brazil: Ethanol

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has had discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry on the purchase of ethanol from Brazil; and if she will make a statement. [128653]

Mr. Hoon: Discussions have not taken place between Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Ministers about the purchase of ethanol from Brazil.

There are, however, regular discussions between senior officials of the FCO, DTI and other Government Departments on climate and energy security issues. Ethanol could be key to UK objectives in both areas, and has featured regularly in these discussions. The Government also maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilians, the European Commission, the International Energy Agency and others on ethanol production and trade.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Brazilian ethanol with the Brazilian Foreign and Trade and Development Ministers during her visit to Brazil in July 2006. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry visited an ethanol plant with the Brazilian Trade and Development Minister during his visit to Brazil in September 2006.


21 Mar 2007 : Column 959W

Burma: Foreign Investment

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to ban investment in Burma from (a) the UK and (b) British Dependent Territories; and if she will make a statement. [128777]

Mr. McCartney: We favour multilateral sanctions, such as those included in the EU Common Position on Burma, because they have a greater practical impact and send a stronger political signal. Any changes would need the support of all EU member states as the Common Position can only be amended by consensus.

The Common Position includes a ban on investment in or the provision of financial services to certain Burmese state-owned enterprises. The ban is in force in the UK and British Overseas Territories. Companies incorporated or constituted in the British Overseas Territories need to comply with the law, or risk prosecution.

We give no support to companies wishing to invest in Burma. British companies who enquire about trade and investment in Burma are informed of the political situation and the regime's record on human rights. A copy of the EU Common Position on Burma is available in the Library of the House.

Burma: Sequestration of Assets

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will freeze the UK assets of (a) the government and (b) state-owned enterprises of Burma; and if she will make a statement. [128831]

Mr. McCartney: The assets of senior members of the Burmese Government and those who benefit from their policies, as listed in Annexe I to the EU Common Position on Burma, are already frozen. The Common Position also bans investment in the named state-owned enterprises listed in Annexe II.

We believe that the present EU Common Position on Burma is the best achievable policy, given the range of views amongst our partners. Any additional measures would need the support of all other EU member states as the Common Position can only be amended by consensus. We do not believe that there would be consensus to strengthen the Common Position. A copy of the EU Common Position on Burma is available in the Library of the House.

Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses

Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to ratify the United Nations convention on the non-navigational uses of international watercourses. [128163]

Mr. McCartney: The UK did not sign the convention while it was open for signature, and the Government have no immediate plans to accede to it.


21 Mar 2007 : Column 960W

Corruption

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on tackling corruption. [126893]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no such discussions this year. However officials, including from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, participate with officials from other countries in regular meetings of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Group on Bribery. This met on 16-18 January and again on 12-14 March.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the UK's compliance with obligations to tackle corruption under Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreements. [126903]

Mr. McCartney: The UK's progress report on our implementation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Bribery Convention, following up on the recommendations contained in the OECD's “phase two review” of March 2005, was one of the items discussed at the Working Group on Bribery plenary meeting of 12-14 March. During a debate in the House on 7 February my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs undertook to publish this report after the meeting, Official Report, column 908. This has been done and copies of the report are available in the Library of the House.

Croatia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to Croatia on the process of returning confiscated homes to Serbian people. [128655]

Mr. Hoon: Croatia must continue to address the issue of returning Serb refugees. Much progress has been made in repossessing properties occupied during the 1991-95 conflict, building new houses for returning Serbs and reconstructing housing destroyed during the fighting. The Government have also started providing social housing for those Croatian Serbs who lost their tenancy rights during the conflict. But the process needs to be accelerated, and this issue remains an important feature of the EU’s political dialogue with Croatia. In addition our ambassador in Zagreb maintains a regular dialogue with the Croatian Government on this and other issues.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects Croatia to be able to join the EU. [128650]


21 Mar 2007 : Column 961W

Mr. Hoon: The EU has not set a target date for Croatian accession. Croatia is making good progress in its accession negotiations. It has provisionally closed two chapters and opened a further three out of a total of 35. We strongly support EU enlargement and Croatia’s EU accession as soon as it has made the necessary preparations and met fully the conditions of membership.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if she will make a statement. [127863]

Mr. McCartney: The security situation in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains fragile, particularly in the Kivus, Ituri and northern Katanga. Bas-Congo and Kinshasa are calm, but tensions there between Government forces and other groups remain.

Ill-disciplined and poorly-paid Congolese armed forces present the greatest threat to civilians in some areas. Congolese and foreign militias also abuse local populations in eastern DRC. We continue to push for improved security sector reform and military training, to ensure that the Congolese army protects the population. We continue to encourage the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC to take robust action against armed groups that threaten civilians.

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [128348]

Mr. McCartney: A new Congolese government was named on 5 February, and announced its programme on 22 February, along with a “Governance Contract”, to be adopted by parliament as a framework for the government's future work programme. This should help to improve the government's transparency and accountability. New Ministers have now taken up office and the National Assembly will shortly begin legislative business.

There remain many challenges for the government, notably reforming the security sector, reducing corruption, delivering services to the people and improving regional relations.

We have raised several times with the government, including at presidential level, the need for opposition groups to be granted sufficient political and legal space in which to operate, and for freedom of expression to be improved and respected.

Departments: Postal Services

Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which postal companies handle mail dispatched by her Department and its agencies. [128242]


21 Mar 2007 : Column 962W

Dr. Howells: The British Forces Post Office handle and screen incoming mail on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). They also process outgoing and incoming diplomatic bags.

The Royal Mail and DHL Express are used for the dispatch of FCO mail within the UK. DHL Globe Forwarding is used for the dispatch of the diplomatic bags to our overseas missions. Overseas missions use a local (usually international) company to despatch diplomatic bags to London.

Departments: Publicity

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department’s total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to (a) television, (b) radio and (c) print media. [128068]

Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep a central record of amounts spent on advertising and promotional campaigns. This information, and the costs of each campaign broken down by costs relating to television, radio and print media, could be obtained only by requiring individual budget holders to examine all invoices for the last 10 years. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Djibouti

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department had with the government of Djibouti in 2006; and what (i) discussions and (ii) visits at official level were undertaken. [128568]

Mr. McCartney: There were no discussions between UK and Djibouti Ministers in 2006. However, our Ambassador to Djibouti, based at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa, and officials had regular discussions with Djibouti government officials in 2006. The Ambassador visited Djibouti every three months and maintained friendly and cordial relations with the Djibouti Foreign Minister, Mr. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

On 26 April 2006, Mr. Rachad Farah, the Djibouti Ambassador based in Paris had talks with senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in London and on 21 June 2006, the Djibouti Foreign Minister visited the UK and discussed bilateral and regional issues with senior FCO officials.

Egypt: Sudan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Egyptian counterpart on Egyptian-Sudanese disputed border territory in south-eastern Egypt. [128562]


21 Mar 2007 : Column 963W

Dr. Howells: While my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had discussions on Sudan with her Egyptian counterpart, she has not discussed this specific issue with him. The UK continues to follow developments at official level, although neither the Egyptian nor the Sudanese government has raised the matter with our embassies. The UK maintains a full and productive dialogue with Egypt on a range of Sudan-related issues.


Next Section Index Home Page