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25 Jun 2007 : Column 202Wcontinued
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will urge the Israeli Government to stop the construction of the fence/wall inside the west bank, including East Jerusalem. [145386]
Dr. Howells: We regularly raise our concerns about the routing of the barrier with the Israeli Government and will continue to do so. We fully recognise Israels right to self-defence. But the barriers route should be on or behind the green line, and not on occupied territory. Construction of the barrier on Palestinian land is illegal and is particularly damaging around East Jerusalem where it threatens to divide the west bank in two.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to Israel on its obligation as an occupying power to provide for the protection and welfare of the Palestinian population. [145387]
Dr. Howells: We regularly call upon Israel to abide by its international obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We encourage it to ensure the continued provision of services to the people of Gaza, to facilitate humanitarian access and to keep the crossing points open. The humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories underlines the need to maintain the current political processes.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of civilians killed and injured in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of armed conflict since 1989; and if she will make a statement. [145584]
Dr. Howells: We are aware of a range of different estimates for the number of casualties and fatalities caused as a result of the conflict. Our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi monitor these carefully on a regular basis. We continue to urge both India and Pakistan to seek a lasting solution to the issue of Kashmir, which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. We condemn all violence which leads to loss of life or injuries.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to assist international conservation efforts with regard to Antarctic krill. [145555]
Mr. Hoon:
The UK, led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and supported by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey and Imperial College, plays a leading role in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) which pioneered an ecosystem-based
approach to fisheries management. CCAMLR recognises that krill play a central role in the Antarctic food web. It has therefore taken a number of significant steps, including imposing strict precautionary catch limits to avoid large catches of krill that could compromise the availability of food in key foraging areas of Antarctic fauna.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the next hearing will take place in relation to the possibility of clemency for Mr. Krishna Maharaj in Florida. [144396]
Mr. McCartney: I understand that the next hearing in Krishna Maharaj's case will take place in August 2007. We are in close contact with Mr. Maharaj's legal team who we have asked to keep us informed of the exact date.
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation she conducted with foreign language (a) teaching and (b) using staff in (i) her and (ii) other departments on the decision to outsource her Department's language-teaching operation. [140408]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 21 June 2007]: In its review of language training provision, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services consulted stakeholders, including senior language training managers. It decided in light of this work and a review of its wider activities that its language training operation was uneconomic and that it should withdraw from providing language training as it moved to Trading Fund status.
A separate FCO review of language training policy, which concluded that language training needed to be provided in different ways, involved consultation with users of language training services from the FCO and other Government Departments. Following that review, the decision was taken to outsource the language teaching operation.
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account was taken of potential cost savings within the existing system for foreign language teaching before the decision was made to outsource the operation. [140409]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 21 June 2007]: Potential cost savings within the existing system for foreign language teaching were considered, including organising more group training, more intensive courses and more training overseas; but it was concluded that these changes could only support the conclusion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services review that maintaining a large permanent teaching workforce in London was not viable.
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account was taken of the proportion of existing language teaching services that is outsourced in the decision to outsource the whole of the language teaching function. [140498]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 21 June 2007]: The decision to outsource was taken in order to obtain language training services more cost-effectively. More flexible provision of language teaching will improve efficiency. 40 per cent. of priority language training is already outsourced. Analysis of exam performance suggests that the performance of students is not enhanced by having a permanent workforce.
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account was taken of the cost-saving changes and recommendations implemented following the language training review in the decision to outsource her Department's language teaching operation. [140624]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 21 June 2007]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him today (UIN 140408 and 140409). Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office review of language training policy made a number of potential cost-saving recommendations, it was concluded that the two reviews of this work and the policy underpinning it supported the strategic business decision to outsource.
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost-benefit analysis was undertaken of in-house specialised high-level language teaching in relation to (a) her Department and (b) other Government departments before the decision was made to out-source the operation. [140625]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 21 June 2007]: A detailed cost-benefit analysis was carried out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services review, in relation to the competitiveness of FCO Services' language training for all its customers. FCO Services concluded that it would withdraw from providing these services, and the FCO decided in the light of this and its own review of the policy, that it should move to a new business model.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she will respond to the (a) letter of 13 June 2006 and (b) e-mail of 29 January 2007 from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield. [144986]
Dr. Howells: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the failure to respond to his letter dated 13 June 2006. This was due to an administrative error. However, I was pleased to meet with him and others from the Britain-Palestine All Party Group on 5 June to discuss relevant matters.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has discussed the current closure of the Karni crossing with her Israeli counterpart; and if she will make a statement. [145820]
Mr. McCartney:
We remain concerned about the frequent closure of the Karni crossing point and call upon both parties to implement the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access. My right hon. Friend the
Foreign Secretary has not had any recent discussions about the closure of the Karni crossing point with her Israeli counterpart. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised this with the Israeli embassy on 13 June.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) contribution of EUCOPPS to the promotion of law and order in Palestine and (b) constraints on the work of EUCOPPS caused by (i) conflict among Palestinian groups, (ii) actions of the government of Israel and (iii) policies pursued by the international community; and if she will make a statement. [145860]
Mr. McCartney: Created during the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005, the EU Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOLCOPPS) was launched as a three-year European Security and Defence Policy mission on 1 January 2006. EUPOLCOPPS aims to assist in the implementation of the Palestinian Civil Police Development Plan, designed to support the development of a transparent and accountable Palestinian police force and to co-ordinate EU andwhere requestedinternational assistance to the Palestinian Civil Police.
Following the election success of Hamas in January 2006, and the Quartets statement to suspend all diplomatic and political contacts with and assistance to the newly elected government, the role of EUPOLCOPPS was seriously restricted and was unable to carry out its full mandate. During this period EUPOLCOPPS confined its activities to monitoring and maintenance of existing investments in the Palestinian Civil Police infrastructure, sustaining existing contacts in and around the Palestinian Civil Police and analysing and reporting on developments in the security sector.
We support the re-engagement of EUPOLCOPPS with the Palestinian Authority.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the Middle East peace process includes concrete provisions to address human rights issues. [145388]
Dr. Howells: We are concerned about the human rights situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Roadmap and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions do take into account human rights issues such as freedom of movement and settlements. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on why the Ledra Street checkpoint in Nicosia has not yet been opened. [144805]
Mr. Hoon: We strongly support the efforts of the UN to broker an agreement between the parties which would permit the symbolic Ledra Street crossing point to open. It would constitute a significant confidence-building measure between the two communities. This message was reinforced in the resolution on Cyprus adopted by the UN Security Council on 15 June. Although there have been positive gestures by both sides, key issues, including the demarcation of the buffer zone, remain. We continue to believe that the crossing point should be opened on the basis of arrangements used at existing crossing points and call upon all involved to extend their full co-operation to the UN.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with President Umaru YarAdua on the taking of hostages in the Niger Delta; and what recent advice her Department has issued for Britons working in the oil industry in the Niger Delta. [145096]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct contact with President YarAdua on this.
My noble Friend Baroness Royall of Blaisdon told President YarAdua of our deep concern about the taking of British hostages and about the overall security situation in the Niger Delta, when she attended the Presidents inauguration on 29 May. She emphasised to him the need to secure the release of the five British nationals then held hostage peacefully and without recourse to military action. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Immigration and Asylum (Mr. Byrne), raised the issue of British hostages in similar terms at a meeting with the Nigerian high commissioner on 13 June.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Nigeria was strengthened on 25 May to advise against all travel to three states in the Niger Delta. Following that change a further, consequential amendment was made on 8 June advising that it was unsafe for British nationals to remain in the three states concerned. These reflect the deterioration in the security situation in the Niger Delta since early 2006 and an increase in kidnappings of foreign nationals since 1 May. It stresses the very high risk of kidnapping, armed robbery and other armed attacks against oil and gas industry targets in the Niger Delta and offshore. Our high commissioner in Abuja has informed President YarAdua of the reasons for the raised level of travel advice.
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in assisting the Nigerian authorities to develop the capacity to tackle e-mail fraud and other financial crime as referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2133W, on Nigeria. [144989]
Mr. McCartney: The UK and Nigerian authorities, including the British Police and the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have made significant progress on working together to tackle financial crime since 2005.
This co-operation is yielding results. The Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit has so far restrained £34.6 million of Nigerian assets, and nearly £5 million has been returned to the Nigerian authorities. For example, investigations into the finances of ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, resulted in almost £1 million being returned to Nigeria in July 2006. We have also been active in international fora. In 2005 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided the UN Office on Drugs and Crime with £240,000 for a three year project to strengthen the capacity of the EFCC. We were instrumental in securing European Commission support for US$ 24.7 million for the EFCC to provide equipment and technical support as well as to strengthen the capacity of the judicial system to prosecute in cases of economic and financial crimes, including e-mail fraud.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the main achievements of the UK diplomatic presence in North Korea over the last 12 months. [144997]
Mr. McCartney: Our embassy in Pyongyang has achieved a great deal despite the very difficult operating environment. Our ambassador and officials have been able both to put to Korean ministers our concerns about human rights in their country and to urge them to abandon their nuclear programme. As our embassy is the only representative of the P3 in Pyongyang our voice, especially on these issues, is particularly important.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of North Koreas most recent testing of a short range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan; and if she will make a statement. [145573]
Dr. Howells: The media reported on 19 June that North Korea had test-fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan.
We have since consulted our international partners and concluded that, contrary to initial media reporting, North Korea did not test fire any missiles on 19 June.
Recent media reporting on 21 June also reflected that North Korea did not conduct a missile test launch on 19 June.
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