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10 May 2007 : Column 393W—continued
International Co-operation: Drugs
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to improve co-ordination between the US and UK on drug eradication policy and operations. [136485]
Dr. Howells: There is regular UK and US engagement on all aspects of international efforts to combat the production and trafficking of illicit drugs. Policies are tailored to meet the specific situation in each country where we are engaged.
In the Western hemisphere, the main coca producing counties are Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. The UK believes that eradication plays an important part alongside other measures to combat cocaine production. However, unlike the US, we are not currently providing funding for eradication in the region.
In the Eastern hemisphere, Afghanistan is the main producer of opium poppy. Eradication policy and its implementation are the responsibility of the Afghan Government, and is one of the eight pillars of their National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). In the NDCS, eradication should be targeted in areas where there is access to legal rural livelihoods. The UK and US work closely to help the Afghan Government deliver on all aspects of the NDCS, including eradication.
Iran: Export Credit Guarantees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role is of the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs in relation to decisions to approve export credit guarantees to companies trading with Iran; and if she will make a statement. [134321]
Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, is the Departmental Minister for the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD). He has been consulted by ECGD on export credit policy for Iran. ECGD is required to consult Ministers before approving any applications for Iran.
Iraq: Biological Weapons
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Billericay of 2 May 2007, Official Report, columns 1505-06, on which occasions Saddam Hussein used biological weapons against (a) Iraqi people and (b) other people. [136566]
Dr. Howells:
The findings of the Iraq Survey Group (ISO), which included key findings on Iraq’s biological weapons programme, noted that “a secretive team developed assassination instruments using poisons or toxins for the Iraqi state” and that “a small group of scientists, doctors and technicians conducted secret
experiments on human beings, resulting in their deaths”. The ISG concluded that “testing on humans continued until the mid-1990s”.
We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein used biological weapons against non-Iraqis. However, the ISG noted that he “personally authorised the use of biological weapons against Israel, Saudi Arabia and US forces” and that he “envisaged all-out use”, for example, “all Israeli cities were to be struck”.
The full text of the ISG report can be found on the United States Government website at:
Iraq-Kuwait Conflict: Compensation
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, columns 914-15W, on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict: compensation, what measures the UN expects to be undertaken to recover monies overpaid to claimants. [135117]
Dr. Howells: The Governing Council of the UN Compensation Commission has asked that “best efforts” be made by all concerned governments to seek to recover relevant overpayments from affected claimants and for governments to report back before the next Governing Council in June.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, columns 914-15W, on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict: compensation, how much compensation was paid to claimants; and how much was overpayment. [135118]
Dr. Howells: Nearly 5,000 UK claimants have so far received disbursements of varying amounts totalling US$428 million from the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) through the Government.
The UNCC has identified the sum of US$391,000 as the total amount of overpayment to UK claimants. To provide the information requested for each claimant would require the permission of each individual company and institution concerned. It is therefore not possible to provide such information without incurring disproportionate cost.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, columns 914-15W, on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict: compensation, what part the UK played in discussions on the consensus in the UN Compensation Commission Governing Council on the best efforts approach. [135119]
Dr. Howells: The UK, as one of the permanent members of the Governing Council, played a full role in discussions and supported the decisions taken by general consensus in response to the UN Compensation Commission’s investigation of duplicate and overpaid claims, including the adoption of a “best efforts” approach for concerned governments to seek the recovery of overpayments from affected claimants.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, columns 914-15W, on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict: compensation, when the UN Compensation Commission made the decision to request recovery of overpayments; and what representations the UK made when it was informed of the decision. [135120]
Dr. Howells: The UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) Governing Council, at its 61st session in November 2006, adopted 22,000 corrections to awards identified during its investigation into duplicate claims and decided to request governments concerned to seek recovery of relevant overpayments from affected claimants. The same “best efforts” approach has been adopted for all corrections adopted by the UNCC in response to its investigation.
As one of the permanent members of the Governing Council the UK supported the general consensus to adopt a “best efforts” approach to the recovery of overpayments.
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007, Official Report, columns 914-15W, on the Iraq-Kuwait conflict: compensation, whether the Government will be responsible for repaying any overpayment not recovered from individuals. [135121]
Dr. Howells: No. The Government are required to use their best efforts to contact and seek to recoup overpaid amounts totalling US$391,000 from 113 affected UK claimants.
Italy: Diplomatic Service
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much income tax or money in lieu of income tax was collected in respect of (a) UK citizens and (b) non-UK citizens who were locally engaged staff in the UK’s embassy in Italy in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what value of these deductions was (i) remitted to the Italian tax authorities, (ii) remitted to the UK’s Inland Revenue, (iii) retained by the UK’s embassy in Italy and (iv) remitted to London and retained by her Department in each year; and if she will make a statement. [136110]
Mr. Hoon: The Italy-UK Double Taxation Agreement 1988 exempts those staff employed on Government service who are British but not Italian from local income tax. Our embassy in Rome remitted to the Italian authorities the amounts shown as follows on behalf of their non-UK local staff from 1999-2006. No figures are available before 1999. Staff without local liability for income tax in the host country, including some UK and third country nationals, have their salaries abated. When salaries are abated no monies are remitted to either Italian or UK authorities, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, instead the salaries are determined on a net basis.
| € | |
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the rates and scale of deductions from pay in respect of or in lieu of tax on income are different for locally engaged staff employed in the UK’s embassy in Italy who are UK citizens and those who are not UK citizens; and if she will make a statement. [136111]
Mr. Hoon: In our embassy in Rome the same rates and scales of income tax on salaries and abatement in lieu of income tax apply to local staff who are UK citizens and those who are not UK citizens.
The 2007 rates below are based on current Italian personal income tax rates:
| Salary scale (€) | Tax bands (percentage) |
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much income tax or money in lieu of income tax was collected in respect of (a) UK citizens and (b) non-UK citizens who were locally engaged staff in the British Council in Italy in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what value of these deductions was (i) remitted to the Italian tax authorities, (ii) remitted to HM Revenue and Customs, (iii) retained by the British Council in Rome and (iv) remitted to London and retained by her Department in each year; and if she will make a statement. [136261]
Mr. Hoon: Locally-engaged staff of the British Council in Italy are contracted on local terms.
UK citizens and non-UK citizens who have been locally-engaged by the British Council in Italy have always paid income tax to the local authorities in line with the requirements of Italian law. No money in lieu of income tax was collected by the British Council in respect of staff who were locally engaged by the British Council in Italy.
The following income tax payments were remitted to the Italian authorities:
| € | |
Accurate information has been provided on the actual amounts of personal income tax paid on behalf of locally-engaged staff for the last seven years. In the limited time available to retrieve this data, in some cases from the tax authorities themselves, it has not been possible to disaggregate the data into UK and non-UK citizens, not the least because financial data does not differentiate by nationality, but rather by contract type.
All deductions were consistent with Italian law and have been remitted to the Italian tax authorities for at least the last 10 years:
the employment of all staff who are locally-engaged by the British Council in Italy falls under Italian jurisdiction. There is therefore no question of money being remitted to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs;
all money collected as income tax for locally-engaged UK and non-UK citizens was paid to the local authorities in line with the requirements of Italian law. None was retained by the British Council in Rome; and
no money collected as income tax for locally-engaged UK and non-UK citizens employed in Italy was remitted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
Libyan Arab Republic: Immigration
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK has given to Libya in helping to prevent immigration of Africans to the EU through its borders and ports. [136164]
Dr. Howells: Preventing the transit of irregular migrants from Africa through Libya is a key priority for both the UK and Libya. Dr. Ali Errishi, the Libyan Migration Minister, met Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office Ministers in the UK on 24-26 April to discuss migration issues. UK and Libyan officials are working together to identify projects for co-operation.
Non-Proliferation Treaty
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK’s priorities are for the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in Vienna, 30 April to 11 May. [134862]
Margaret Beckett: The United Kingdom’s priority for the Preparatory Committee is establishing the basis for strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and the wider nuclear non-proliferation regime over the course of this review cycle. There are a number of specific issues on which useful work could be undertaken, many of which were set out in the EU Common Position agreed for the 2005 Review Conference and remain outstanding. It will be important to build consensus on these areas, and any new workstreams, in this and future Preparatory Committees. We hope that this process will culminate in a substantive final document being agreed at the 2010 NPT Review Conference.
Prism Information System
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Prism information system is fully operational. [136355]
Mr. Hoon: The global rollout of Prism has been completed, the implementation programme closed at the end of March, and Prism is now fully operational.
Somalia
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who represented the British Government at the April meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia (ICGS); when the ICGS is next due to meet; and who she expects to represent the British Government at the next meeting. [132457]
Margaret Beckett: At the International Contact Group meeting held in Cairo on 3 April, the Government were represented by senior officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. It was agreed that the UK should host the next meeting. No firm dates have been agreed and no decision has been taken about the level of UK representation.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues were discussed at the April meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement. [132458]
Margaret Beckett: A range of political, security and developmental issues relating to the future of Somalia were discussed at the International Contact Group meeting held in Cairo on 3 April. Discussion focussed on recent violence in Somalia, the humanitarian situation, the African Union’s mission to Somalia and progress in the political and reconciliation process. The outcome of the discussions on these points are summarised in the official Communiqué of the meeting. A copy of the Communiqué will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of the role of Somalia’s clans and tribal groups in the peace process; what assessment she has made of whether political consensus can be achieved across the different clans and tribal groups; and if she will make a statement. [132459]
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