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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2200Wcontinued
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which advertising and marketing campaigns were run by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; which external agencies were involved; and what the cost was of each campaign. [144613]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not keep a central record of amounts spent on advertising and marketing campaigns. The information required to answer this question could be obtained only by requiring individual budget holders in the FCO and its agencies (FCO Services and Wilton Park) to examine all invoices for the last five years. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what make and model of car (a) she and (b) each Minister in her Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case. [141998]
Margaret Beckett: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given to him by the Minister of State, Department for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 14 June 2007, Official Report, columns 1268-69W.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in her Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each. [141956]
Margaret Beckett: I refer the right. hon. Member to the reply my right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to her on 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1263W.
On costs, I refer the right. hon. Member to the reply my right. hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary gave to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 14 February 2006, Official Report, columns 1905-06W.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in 2007; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment has been; and if she will make a statement. [143087]
Mr. Hoon: The processes for determining annual pay and bonus awards for Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff in the senior management structure and in the delegated grades follow a timetable, which reaches a conclusion in late July. We will not therefore be in a position to supply the figures requested until August.
I will write to the hon. Member as soon as this information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings (a) she and (b) her Department's Ministers held with trade union representatives in 2006. [128755]
Margaret Beckett: Ministers meet a large number of trade union representatives in the course of their official duties. These include face to face meetings, meetings where they are part of a delegation or on the sidelines of speeches or other official engagements.
Obtaining the information required for the time period specified by the right. hon. Member would incur disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997. [139907]
Mr. Hoon: The fees paid to our Travel Management Company (American Express) since 1997 are as follows:
£ | |
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomats were asked to leave London following activities incompatible with their diplomatic status in each of the last 10 years; and from which countrys embassy each was expelled. [143510]
Mr. Hoon: No diplomats have been asked to leave London for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status in the past 10 years.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the human rights situation in Egypt. [144024]
Dr. Howells: We continue to have serious concerns about certain aspects of the human rights situation in Egypt. We regularly raise these and concerns about other issues, including religious freedom, with Egyptian officials both bilaterally and with EU partners. We hope that Egypts election to the UN Human Rights Council will encourage progress.
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) direct and (b) indirect discussions her officials held with the Hamas leadership in the Palestinian Territory between March and 16 June 2007. [144227]
Dr. Howells: We have not met with any members of Hamas, including when they were part of the National Unity government, to discuss political issues. To discuss the Alan Johnston case, our Consul-General in Jerusalem met Ismail Haniya, the Hamas Prime Minister and Hamas Government spokesman, Ghazi Hamad, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have also met with Ghazi Hamad in London, No other issues were discussed.
As the UK has made clear, we are willing to work with those who are committed to the Quartet principles: renunciation of violence; recognition of Israel; and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the invitees to the forthcoming conference at Wilton Park entitled Human Trafficking: how best to stem the flow; and what the cost of the conference is to each attendee. [144053]
Dr. Howells: The information requested constitutes personal data and we do not have the consent of the individuals concerned to disclose such information. However, the conference programme, with the names of confirmed speakers, the cost of participation, as well as general information and reports of conferences is available on Wilton Parks website:
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the Iranian bank Bank Saderat being used by the Government of Iran to transfer money to terrorist groups in the Middle East; what assessment she has made of those reports; and if she will make a statement. [143777]
Margaret Beckett: The Government are aware that the United States Government identified Bank Saderat in a press statement of 8 September 2006 as being involved in the transfer of funds to
Hizballah and other terrorist organizations,
cut off from all access to the US financial systems, direct or indirect.
We are keeping the situation under review.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made since July 2006 towards achieving the priorities and aims of rule of law development in the Iraqi provinces of (a) Al Basrah, (b) Al Muthanna, (c) Dhi Qar and (d) Maysan; what (i) human and (ii) financial resources the UK Government has committed to this development; and if she will make a statement. [132519]
Margaret Beckett: In Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Maysan security responsibility has now all been transferred to the Iraqi authorities. Until late 2006, British police advisers were mentoring and advising police officers in Al Muthana, Dhi Qar and Maysan. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) continue to offer support, but they are run by coalition allies rather than the UK. No UK financial resources are currently committed to support the rule of law in these provinces.
In Basra, the Multinational Division (South East) Security Sector Reform team, the consulates civilian police and prisons teams and the PRT work with the Iraqi police, prison service and judiciary to support the rule of law in Basra. Over 80 per cent. of Basras police stations have been assessed as largely or fully capable of
carrying out basic policing duties, a significant increase on the July 2006 figure. The prisons adviser is training local prison officers and advising on the recruitment of new prison officers to staff a new central prison in Basra. The PRT is building the investigative skills of judges and others involved in the judicial process. The PRT is also assisting with the design and construction of an additional courthouse for Basra.
The results of the whole effort can be seen in the improvements in specialist police units, the action taken against some former police officers accused of abuse, and the building projects under way to improve the infrastructure.
The UK provides three staff to work solely on the rule of law with the Basra PRT, 31 police officers and former police officers, and one HM Prison Service officer. The broader military efforts are not included in the estimated cost of £18 million for our rule of law activities in Basra for the current financial year.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, column 982W, on Iraq: politics and Government, how many applications for assistance the Government received in each month since March 2004 from (a) current and (b) former Iraqi employees; how many of these applications were (i) approved and (ii) rejected; what percentage of those approved applications resulted in the granting of refugee status and admission to the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement; [144609]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, column 982W, on Iraq: politics and Government, what assistance measures are offered to the former and current Iraqi employees whose applications for assistance have been approved; and if she will make a statement; [144610]
(3) pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, column 982W, on Iraq: politics and Government, how many applications for assistance the Government received in each month since March 2003 from current and former Iraqi employees at the British Government embassies, consulates, missions or offices in (a) Iraq, (b) Baghdad, (c) Basra, (d) Syria, (e) Jordan and (f) Egypt; and if she will make a statement. [144611]
Dr. Howells: As I said in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 24 May 2007, Official Report, column 1418W the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold a central record of applications for assistance. In order to answer these questions accurately officials at the relevant posts would be required to examine all their records since 2003, which would incur disproportionate cost.
As I said in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 7 June 2007, Official Report, columns 645-46W, in line with our policy worldwide we do not comment on the substance of individual immigration or consular cases and all applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of Turkish troops entering Kurdish areas of Iraq; what discussions she has had with her (a) Turkish, (b) Iraqi and (c) US counterparts on this issue; and if she will make a statement. [142423]
Margaret Beckett: We are aware of counter-terrorist operations by the Turkish security forces close to Turkeys border with northern Iraq. This is usual at this time of year when the Partiya KarkerĂȘn Kurdistan (PKK) steps up its terrorist activities. A series of PKK attacks have struck military and civilian targets in Turkey recently, causing a significant number of fatalities. We utterly condemn the attacks carried out by the PKK, as we do all acts of terrorism.
The Turkish and Iraqi Governments have denied recent media reports of Turkish troops entering northern Iraq. We have no evidence to the contrary.
We encourage Turkey to work with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish regional government to address the PKK presence in northern Iraq. We welcome the ongoing trilateral co-operation between Turkey, Iraq and the US; with each of whom we discuss this issue.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of Turkish troops having undertaken cross-border military operations in Northern Iraq; what representations she has made to her Turkish counterpart on those reports; and if she will make a statement. [142598]
Margaret Beckett: The Turkish and Iraqi governments have confirmed that no incursions into northern Iraq by Turkish security forces have taken place. We continue to follow the situation closely through our Missions in Ankara, Baghdad and Erbil and remain in close touch with the Turkish and Iraqi governments.
We are aware of counter-terrorist operations by the Turkish security forces close to Turkeys border with northern Iraq. This is usual at this time of year when the Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan (PKK) steps up its terrorist activities. A series of PKK attacks have struck military and civilian targets in Turkey recently, causing a significant number of fatalities. We utterly condemn the attacks carried out by the PKK, as we do all acts of terrorism.
We encourage Turkey to work with the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional government to address the PKK presence in northern Iraq and we welcome the ongoing trilateral co-operation between Turkey, Iraq and the US.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the proposals by the United States to establish a long term military presence in Iraq; what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on this issue; and if she will make a statement. [142424]
Margaret Beckett: We maintain a constant dialogue with the US Administration on the security situation in Iraq, and our shared plans and strategies to respond to it. At present, this dialogue is focused on working to reduce the level of violence in Iraq and creating the conditions necessary for the transfer of responsibility for security to the Iraqi authorities in Basra province.
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