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21 Mar 2007 : Column 963W—continued

Embassies: Expenditure

Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of maintaining UK embassies in the last year for which figures are available. [128341]

Mr. Hoon: The total cost of building maintenance for our missions overseas in financial year 2005-06 was £44.9 million.

Human Trafficking: EU Countries

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on human trafficking through new EU entrance countries. [128318]

Dr. Howells: Human trafficking through the EU is an issue which has been raised regularly at EU Councils and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed it with a number of EU partners bilaterally. Human trafficking has not been on the agenda of formal Council meetings since the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. However, the principal work at EU level to tackle human trafficking is being taken forward at official level on the basis of the EU action plan on human trafficking which was adopted during the UK Presidency of the EU. The EU action plan provides a comprehensive approach to tackling this problem and the impact it has on its victims. A report on progress is due to be received before the end of 2007. The UK's action plan on tackling trafficking in human beings, which will be published soon, reflects the work being done by the UK. The UK announced on 22 January its intention to sign the Council of Europe Convention on trafficking in human beings; both Bulgaria and Romania, the newest EU member states, have signed the Convention and Romania has additionally ratified it.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on US Democrat policy of troop withdrawal from Iraq. [127648]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary receives regular reports on US politics, both the administration's and opposition's policies, from our embassy in Washington, including on the recent action by Democrats to table legislation calling for US troop withdrawal in Iraq.

Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what the membership is of the working group for security and border security
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agreed at the expanded regional neighbours' meeting in Baghdad on 10 March; what the objectives are of the group; and what she plans the role of the UK to be; [128601]

(2) what the membership is of the working groups on (a) energy and electricity and (b) refugees agreed at the 10 March expanded regional neighbours’ meeting in Baghdad; what the objectives are of each group; and what she expects the role of the UK to be on each. [128604]

Dr. Howells: The Government of Iraq has not finalised the membership or structure of the working groups, but we expect those neighbours with a relevant interest to participate. The UK is ready to assist if invited by the Government of Iraq.

For each group the common objectives are to improve co-operation and co-ordination between Iraq and its neighbours.

Kosovo: Refugees

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations her Department has made to the authorities in Kosovo on the return of Serbian Kosovans to their homes. [128649]

Mr. Hoon: The United Kingdom continues to work closely with the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to encourage the Kosovo authorities to implement the UN standards for Kosovo, including on sustainable returns and the rights of communities. The recent UNMIK standards assessment of 9 March 2007 (further information can be found at:

demonstrates the progress made in all areas of the standards process.

The United Kingdom has committed £1.5 million over two years, along with funding from the UN Development programme and UN High Commission for Refugees, to a project to support the rapid return of minority communities to their homes. The Kosovo Government is the single largest donor to the returns process, having contributed £22 million since 2003. Projects implemented by Kosovo's municipalities helped 141 Serb families to return to Kosovo during 2006.

The United Kingdom does not take this progress for granted, and we would like to see more intensive progress. Work on standards will not end with a status settlement; it will continue as an important obligation to be taken forward by the Kosovo Government. We continue to press the Serbian Government to support the return of Kosovo Serbs and will work with partners on the ground in Kosovo to support the conditions for their return.

Mauritania: Elections

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whom her Department has appointed as election observers for parliamentary observers in Mauritania. [128553]


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Dr. Howells: The first round of the Mauritanian presidential elections took place on 11 March. Officials from our embassy in Rabat were in Mauritania to observe the elections.

The European Union sent a large Election Observation Mission to Mauritania. The Mission issued a press release on 14 March praising the transparent and calm manner in which the elections were conducted and expressing satisfaction that the overall results corresponded to the wishes of voters. The second round of the presidential elections will take place on 25 March.

Morocco

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had in the UN Security Council on the attempt by Morocco to reclaim the territory of Ceuta in northern Morocco; and if she will make a statement. [128652]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has held no discussions in the UN Security Council about Ceuta.

Namibia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Namibian counterpart on the future of the Caprivi Strip in north east Namibia; and whether she has received representations from Caprivi separatists on this matter. [128566]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the future of the Caprivi Strip with the Namibian government. Our High Commission in Windhoek continues to monitor developments linked to the Caprivi Strip, including the ongoing court case of 12 individuals accused of separatist activities.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what personal involvement she has taken in negotiations with the North Korean regime on its nuclear weapons programme. [128563]

Mr. McCartney: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear weapons programme is a key focus for the Six Party Talks (6PT). While we remain profoundly concerned by the nuclear test conducted on 9 October 2006, the agreement reached at the latest round of talks on 13 February is a step in the right direction towards the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, proving that diplomatic negotiations are the way forward. Although not a member of the 6PT, the UK is fully supportive of this process and will continue to urge the DPRK to fulfil the commitments it has entered into under the February agreement, as well as comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1718 and resume its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.


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Tanzania: BAE Systems

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received from the Tanzanian government on the repayment of money paid for BAE Radar Systems. [128567]

Mr. McCartney: We have not received any representations from the Tanzanian government about the repayment of money paid for the BAE Radar System.

Tibet: Human Rights

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on human rights in Tibet. [128571]

Mr. McCartney: We regularly raise our concerns on the human rights situation in Tibet with the Chinese Government. We did this most recently at the 15th round of the UK-China human rights dialogue, which took place in London on 5 February.

Turkey: EU Enlargement

Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on Turkish membership of the EU. [128344]

Mr. Hoon: Following the General Affairs and External Relations Council in December 2006, momentum in Turkey's accession process has been re-established. Steady progress is being made under the German presidency on individual chapters of the acquis. We will support the efforts of the presidency to ensure that this continues.

Western Sahara

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there are plans for the territory of Western Sahara to be recognised by the UK as a sovereign independent country; and if she will make a statement. [128551]

Dr. Howells: The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined, pending UN efforts to find a solution. To this end, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General, and his Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Peter Van Walsum, to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

On 31 October 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1720, which renewed the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara until 30 April 2007. The Government supported this and will continue to encourage all parties to engage with the UN process.


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Zimbabwe

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the current economic situation in Zimbabwe. [127902]

Mr. McCartney: The economic situation in Zimbabwe is dire. The official rate of inflation is now in excess of 1,700 per cent. although most reliable estimates place it in excess of 3,000 per cent., there is 80 per cent. unemployment and the country, which was once the breadbasket of southern Africa, is now dependant on food relief to feed its own people. The responsibility for this rests fully with Mugabe and until there is a much-needed change of policy, the economic disintegration of Zimbabwe is set to continue.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department will take to ensure that the next presidential election in Zimbabwe in 2008 will be free and fair. [127898]

Mr. McCartney: We will continue to give practical support to civil society organisations committed to increasing democratic space in Zimbabwe. But it is for the Government of Zimbabwe ultimately to ensure that Zimbabwe’s next presidential elections are free and fair, and that the ordinary people of Zimbabwe are allowed to exercise their democratic right to elect a leader of their choice.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports she has received on the arrest and treatment of Morgan Tsvangirai by the Government of Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement. [127899]

Mr. McCartney: Our embassy in Harare has kept us informed of what has been happening to Morgan Tsvangirai and those others who were detained and badly beaten on 11 March. All have now been released and are receiving medical treatment.

As has already been made clear in statements by both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, we utterly condemn the violent and unwarranted action taken by the Government of Zimbabwe against peaceful campaigners exercising their democratic right to voice their opinions.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the political situation in Zimbabwe. [127900]

Mr. McCartney: We are in regular contact with our EU partners on the political situation in Zimbabwe. They share our concerns and, like us, are pressing for policy change in Zimbabwe and an end to the country's deepening economic and humanitarian crisis. Only last
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month, EU partners agreed to maintain and strengthen EU targeted measures against Zimbabwe for a further year.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to her Department on the treatment of opposition members in Zimbabwe by the government of that country. [127901]

Mr. McCartney: None. But my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, summoned the Zimbabwean ambassador on 13 March and made our views of the horrific events on the preceding day perfectly clear. In the last few days, we have also spoken to a number of EU, African and other countries about the situation in Zimbabwe and have discussed the need for more pressure to be applied on Mugabe to change his policies.

Home Department

Amphetamines

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence there is from UK seizures of illicit drugs and their precursors on the use of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine from over-the-counter medicines in the manufacture of methamphetamine in the UK. [127966]

Mr. Coaker: There has been increasing concern from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency that pseudoephedrine and ephedrine can be extracted from over the counter remedies relatively easily and used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

The police have identified in specific cases that multiple packs of particular pharmacy pseudoephedrine containing products had been purchased and used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. They have also identified that, in part, packs were obtained from numerous pharmacies to obtain adequate quantities for manufacturing.

In January, the Commission on Human Medicines recommended that changing the legal status of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine to a prescription only medicine together with restricting the pack size was necessary to protect public health in the UK and that a consultation exercise should be conducted on these proposals. Department of Health Ministers accepted this advice and a full public consultation exercise was commenced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on 7 March 2007 and can be accessed via the MHRA’s website:

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Gloucestershire

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued by each division of Gloucestershire constabulary in each of the last five years; and how many of them were breached in each year. [125285]


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Mr. Coaker [holding answer 14 March 2007]: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are issued by the courts. The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in Gloucestershire, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, and the number proven in court to have been breached, up to 31 December 2005 (latest available) is in the table.

Number of antisocial behaviour orders issued in each year at ail courts in the Gloucestershire Criminal Justice System (CJS) area and the number that were proven in court to have been breached in each year, for orders issued between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005 (latest available)
ASBOs issued in year ASBOs breached in year( 1, 2)

2001

2

1

2002

1

1

2003

7

5

2004

26

13

2005

30

37

(1) ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. In this table breaches of ASBOs issued in Gloucestershire are counted irrespective of the area in which the breach occurred. (2) An ASBO can be issued in one year and breached in another. Notes: 1. It is possible for an individual to breach their ASBO in more than one year, so persons may be counted more than once in this table. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: (Issued): As reported to the Home Office by the Court Service. (Breached): OCJR Court Proceedings Database.


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