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Details about which individuals have press passes and the publications they work for can be found at the parliamentary press gallery website at the following address:

Details about which individuals are lobby correspondents and the publications they work for can be found at the parliamentary press gallery website at the following address:

The Serjeant at Arms is responsible for awarding passes to lobby correspondents. This is carried out on
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his behalf by the Deputy Serjeant at Arms. The Metropolitan police have no role in awarding passes.

No passes awarded to lobby correspondents have been revoked in the last five years.

A press pass may be revoked if the individual constitutes a security risk to the House or if they fail to comply with the rules of the House.

If an individual was involved in the publication of information relating to the internal security of the House, consideration would be given to whether the individual constituted a security risk to the House or if they had breached the rules of the House.

There are no differences in the process for applying for and issuing standard press and lobby correspondent passes.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of India on (a) policy towards Burma, (b) human rights in Burma, (c) the humanitarian needs of displaced peoples living on the India-Burma border and (d) the export of gas from Burma. [129967]

Mr. McCartney: My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with the Indian Government about Burma.

We have regular discussions with the Indian Government about their policy towards Burma. The Indian Government is fully aware of the UK's policy towards Burma, including our concerns about human rights and the lack of democracy there.

Most recently, I raised Burma with the Indian Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi on 27 November 2006.

I shall continue to raise the issue of Burma with the Indian Government.

Cambodia: Human Rights

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations her Department has made to the Government of Cambodia on the human rights situation in that country; and if she will make a statement. [129562]

Mr. McCartney: With our EU partners, we regularly raise our concerns on human rights with the Government of Cambodia. We underline the importance of adhering to international obligations and the need to respect human rights and the rule of law.

Cambodia: Industrial Relations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the observance of the rights of organised labour in Cambodia by the Government of that country. [129564]

Mr. McCartney: We are concerned at the reports of the recent murder of Hy Vuthy, trade union activist. This is the third trade union official to be killed in three years. The local EU representatives have requested the Government of Cambodia ensure that a full enquiry into the circumstances of the death is conducted
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without delay and that appropriate action is taken to bring to justice those responsible. We, with our EU partners, will continue to follow developments closely.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Cambodia. [129561]

Mr. McCartney: Cambodia is a developing democracy, seeking to overcome decades of war and misrule. It has achieved peace and stability and democratic institutions have taken root. There have been three increasingly open national elections since 1993. Despite significant progress since the Paris Accords in 1991, the country faces continuing problems around governance, corruption and human rights. Cambodia is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations.

Cambodia is making good progress in reducing poverty, but remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. The economy has enjoyed double-digit growth over recent years.

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) has been established to address the crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge regime of 1975 to 1979. It represents a milestone for Cambodia and an opportunity to break with the past will be in the success of the ECCC, bringing to justice those responsible for serious crimes during the Khmer Rouge period.

Central African Republic

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of France on the situation in the Central African Republic. [129007]

Mr. McCartney: The UK has not recently engaged in substantial talks with the Government of France on the current situation in the Central African Republic. However, our embassy in Paris and our high commission in Yaounde are in regular contact with French colleagues and continue to monitor the security and humanitarian situation.

China: Family Planning

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Chinese National Population and Family Planning Commission on its enforcement of the one child policy; and if she will make a statement. [129526]

Mr. McCartney: We do not take a position on China's right or need to implement family planning policies. However, we did raise our concerns with the Chinese Government following reported abuse of the system, including forced abortion and sterilisation, highlighted by human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng. We raised the ease of Chen Guangcheng at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February and the Chinese government provided information on his case. We continue to monitor Mr. Chen's situation and that of his family.


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Departments: Advertising

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department spent on (a) sponsoring newspaper and publication supplements and (b) funding advertorials in newspapers and publications in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic was of each. [130012]

Mr. Hoon: In the last year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made the following expenditure:

European Union

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how her Department plans to raise the awareness of the public on the Declaration of Berlin. [129543]

Mr. Hoon: The Government are committed to raising public awareness and debate on all EU issues, including the Berlin Declaration. In this 50th anniversary year, we will continue to support a wide range of activities to raise awareness and engage the public in debate on key challenges and the EU's role in helping to address them. For example, I recently launched the “Learning Together” initiative, to encourage more schools in the UK to take part in educational partnerships with schools across Europe. This initiative is making information available to schools across the UK about the exciting opportunities available. Teachers and heads with experience of joint learning projects with other countries will become “Learning Together Ambassadors”, and share their experience with other schools interested in joining. We have also put a wide range of information, speeches and other relevant links on activities to mark the 50th anniversary onto the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's europe.gov.uk website. This includes a link to the text of the Berlin Declaration.

Gibraltar: Spain

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the incentive payments offered to Spanish pensioners related to contributions to the Gibraltar Social Security Fund up to 1969, as set out in individual letters sent to those eligible to be paid directly from the UK, have been calculated. [129733]


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Mr. Hoon: The payments offered to affected Spanish pensioners relate in part to individuals' contribution records to the Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund.

Incentive payments form part of the wider Cordoba pensions settlement, which removes a substantial liability from the UK taxpayer, as the Spanish Government has agreed not to claim healthcare costs for the affected Spanish pensioners for whom it would be entitled to do.

As under existing arrangements for pension payments, incentive payments are being managed by the Department for International Development, and administered by Crown Agents Bank.

Iran: Capital Punishment

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had on use of the death penalty in Iran in the last two years, and with whom. [129341]

Mr. McCartney: We remain deeply concerned about the continued use of the death penalty in Iran. After China, Iran executes more people than any other country in the world. Despite announcing a moratorium on juvenile executions in 2005, Iran still imposes the death penalty for crimes committed before the age of 18. Reports suggest that between five and eight juvenile executions took place in 2005, and at least two in 2006. This is a clear contravention of Iran's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We are also concerned that basic standards surrounding the application of capital punishment are absent in Iran and that death sentences are often carried out in public.

We make frequent representations to the Iranian authorities about the use of the death penalty, both bilaterally and through the EU. On 11 December 2006 our ambassador in Tehran raised our concerns about death sentences handed down to 10 men, with the head of Iran's International Department of the Judiciary. On 21 January and 4 March, the EU presidency in Tehran raised our concerns about specific juvenile death penalty cases and reiterated the EU's longstanding objection to the death penalty in all circumstances. In the last two years, through the EU, we have raised the death penalty with the Iranian authorities at least 15 times.

We also take action through the UN, and were pleased that all EU countries supported a resolution on human rights in Iran at the UN General Assembly in December 2006, which expressed serious concern at "the continuing of public executions, including multiple public executions, and, on a large scale, other executions in the absence of respect for internationally recognized safeguards" and "in particular, deplores the execution of persons who were under the age of 18 at the time their offence was committed".

Malaysia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the (a) human rights and (b) humanitarian situation of refugees living in Malaysia. [129961]


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Mr. McCartney: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there are 40,000-60,000 “persons of concern” in Malaysia. There are concerns about the treatment of refugees, and those claiming refugee status, and there are problems over recognition of refugee papers issued by the UNHCR. Access to people claiming refugee status, or facing deportation, can be difficult.

The UNHCR believes that many refugees or those seeking refugee status are able to find work in the ‘black economy’ to support themselves, or find support from their ethnic communities in Malaysia.

The UNHCR reports that recent moves to clamp down on suspected illegal immigrants have resulted in human rights violations. Around 20,000 arrests were made in 2006. Those arrested are usually placed in detention camps prior to deportation. The camps are overcrowded, unhygienic, and fail to provide properly for women and children.

Our high commission in Kuala Lumpur keeps in regular contact with the UNHCR in Malaysia. The high commission has consistently supported the work of the UNHCR, including in addressing the issue of recognition of UNHCR-certified persons of concern. We are working with the UNHCR on the way forward.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by her Department to address the issue of the deportation of UNHCR-registered refugees from Malaysia. [129963]

Mr. McCartney: Our high commission in Kuala Lumpur keeps in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. The high commission has consistently supported the work of the UNHCR, including in addressing the issue of deportations from Malaysia. We are working with the UNHCR on the way forward and will continue to do so.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Malaysian government on recognition of UNHCR-certified persons of concern. [129964]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with the Malaysian government. However, our high commission in Kuala Lumpur keeps in regular contact with the UN high commissioner for refugees in Malaysia.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Malaysian government on recognition of the authority of the UNHCR. [129965]

Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the Malaysian government on this issue.

Pakistan: Religious Persons

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of imams granted entry
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clearance to work as ministers of religion who could not speak English in each year since 1995. [129075]

Mr. McCartney: Since 2004 ministers of religion applying for entry clearance to the UK to preach are required to have an international English language training system score of four or above in order for their applications to be successful.

There are no figures available from our High Commission in Islamabad to show how many imams who could not speak English may have been issued with visas before this became a requirement of the Immigration Rules.

Research: EC Action

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards the Lisbon Agenda target of increased investment in research and development activities to 3 per cent. of GDP in EU member states by 2010. [129547]

Mr. Hoon: Every EU member state is working towards a national research and development target. The UK has a target of spending 2.5 per cent. of gross domestic product on research and development by 2014. The target aims for one third funding from the public sector and two thirds from the private sector, which puts a particular emphasis on raising business research investment.

The EU has taken a number of steps to support member states in making progress towards their targets and to create strong framework conditions for business investment. In particular the recently established Framework programme seven will increase direct EU funding for research and development by 75 per cent.

EU Heads of State and Government reiterated the importance of making progress in this area at this month’s European Council.


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