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9 Oct 2007 : Column 535Wcontinued
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on associations between members of the Afghanistan parliament and al-Qaeda. [156013]
Dr. Howells: We have not received any reports and are not aware of any associations between members of the Afghan parliament and al-Qaeda.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Metropolitan Police inquiry initiated by John Verveker, Governor of Bermuda, into the leak of Bermuda police documents relating to the Bermuda Housing Corporation. [155816]
Meg Munn: Two senior officers (one recently retired) from Kent Constabulary visited Bermuda in June 2007, at the request of the Commissioner of Police, to review the conduct of the Bermuda Police Service investigation into the leak of confidential police files. They concluded that the investigation was being managed in a competent and professional manner.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will appoint a senior United Kingdom police officer to conduct an inquiry into allegations of impropriety in the conduct of the Bermuda Housing Corporation's affairs. [155817]
Meg Munn: These allegations were fully investigated at the time by the appropriate authorities in Bermuda with support from New Scotland Yard.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the findings of the fraud squad investigation concluded in August 2004 into the Bermuda Housing Corporation. [155822]
Meg Munn: A thorough investigation, assisted by officers from New Scotland Yard, resulted in criminal proceedings leading to a custodial sentence.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent inspection of the Royal Bermuda Regiment has been conducted to ensure that deficiencies identified in the report submitted in November 2005 following the inspection conducted by Colonel Baxter have been remedied and his recommendations implemented; and if he will make a statement. [155804]
Meg Munn: Colonel Fairclough, Assistant Military Attache at our embassy in Washington, assessed the Bermuda Regiment's capability in November 2006. Good progress has been made on implementing recommendations from Colonel Baxter with regard to training and in particular on improved training for junior commanders. In terms of equipment replacementnamely vehicles, communications, weapons and boatsbids for funding have been submitted to the Bermuda government and are to be addressed over a five-year period.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the Governor of Bermuda has made to the request of Senator Burch, Minister of Public Safety, on 14 August 2007 that he help address Bermuda's policing difficulties; and if he will make a statement. [156332]
Meg Munn: Under the Bermuda Constitution, the Governor has overall responsibility for the police. He has made it clear on several occasions that there will be no change in this. The Governor discusses policing issues on a regular basis with both the Premier and the Minister of Public Safety.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial contribution has been made by the Government towards the cost of law enforcement and national security in and around the territorial waters of Bermuda; and if he will make a statement. [156334]
Meg Munn: The security of the UK Overseas Territories is the responsibility of the Government. Consequently, Bermuda benefits from assistance provided by Regional Law Enforcement and Maritime Training Advisers funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Bermuda is also visited on a regular basis by Royal Navy ships. The Government of Bermuda, however, meets the cost of its own law enforcement, including within its territorial waters.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers are employed by the British Council. [154634]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The British Council has two press officers working in London. In addition there are two members of staff who spend half their time on press office work.
In most of the 110 countries where the British Council operates, there is a member of staff who has responsibility for press office work although, particularly in smaller operations, this only forms part of their duties.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which dates over the past three years governors of overseas territories who were retiring from the Diplomatic Service have despatched valedictory e-grams or telegrams; and if he will make a statement. [155809]
Meg Munn: The Governors of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands have retired from the Diplomatic Service in the past three years. Their valedictory e-grams were despatched on 26 October 2005, 7 April 2006 and 15 August 2006.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the GDP per head of population is in (a) pounds sterling and (b) US dollars of each of the UK overseas territories, listed in descending order of population size. [155812]
Meg Munn: Gross domestic product (GDP) per head calculations rely on information about economic activity (GDP) and population. All GDP calculations are made by the overseas territories (OTs), who employ either specialised statisticians or analysts. The accuracy of GDP depends on the analytical input that such small offices are able to devote to calculating it. Population data are based on a census, which is usually carried out every few years, as in the United Kingdom. Population estimates have to be made for intermediate years.
Therefore GDP per capita figures will vary in accuracy, and it is not unusual for estimates to be revised after they have been published. The varying populations of the OTs compound thisa small change in population can have a bigger effect on GDP per capita.
The following table lists the OTs best estimates of GDP per capita for 2005 (or 2004 in the case of the Falkland Islands).
Population | GDP per head ( sterling) | GDP per head ($US) | |
These figures are based on £/$US exchange rate at 1 July in the relevant year. The St. Helena figure does not include the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, for which data are not available.
The other OTsBritish Indian Ocean Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Sovereign Base areas on Cyprus, and the British Antarctic Territoryhave no settled populations.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the UN Secretary-General regarding Burma. [155719]
Meg Munn:
We have kept in regular contact with the UN Secretary-General and his staff during the recent events in Burma. My right hon. Friend the Prime
Minister wrote to the UN Secretary-General on 25 September and spoke to him on 26 September. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Burma with the UN Secretary-General on 28 September.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what estimate the UK Government have made of the number of forcibly conscripted child soldiers in the Burma Army; and what reports he has received on the conditions in which they are held; [155672]
(2) what steps he has taken to raise the issue of the forced conscription of child soldiers with the Burmese regime. [155673]
Meg Munn: We receive regular reports about forced recruitment and the use and ill treatment of child soldiers in Burma. We are unable to estimate the number of forcibly recruited soldiers.
On 2 October, the Human Rights Council (HRC) passed a resolution sponsored by the EU, with the strong support of the UK, which expressed deep concern about the situation in Burma. In our statement to the HRC, we drew attention to the regime's persistent violations of human rights, including the use of child soldiers.
We have repeatedly raised the issue with the Burmese regime. My right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney), the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, raised our concerns with the Burmese Foreign Minister in Hamburg on 28 May.
Our ambassador in Rangoon takes every opportunity to raise human rights with the regime, most recently when he met the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister and the Burmese Minister for Labour on 25 September.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict following his visit to Burma. [155674]
Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms Coomaraswamy, following her visit to Burma. However, Ms Coomaraswamy did meet our ambassador in Rangoon during her visit.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the sale of military helicopters to Burma by India containing parts manufactured or designed by (a) EU and (b) UK companies. [154330]
Meg Munn: We are aware of the report published by non-governmental organisations saying that the Indian Government is planning to transfer advanced light helicopters to Burma.
On 27 July, the EU Troika in New Delhi delivered a demarche on the Indian Government about the reported transfer of the helicopters to Burma. They reminded the Indian Government of the long-standing common position on Burma, which includes an arms embargo, and the EU's deep concern about the situation there. The Indian Government reiterated that no such deal was under consideration.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the National Convention and constitution drafting process in Burma. [155717]
Meg Munn: We have repeatedly called on the regime to make progress towards genuine national reconciliation by involving all political and ethnic groups in the National Convention process. Many of these groups did not participate in the National Convention and have not been consulted on the constitutional drafting process. We therefore believe the process lacks all credibility.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief on violations of religious freedom against Christians, Muslims and Buddhists in Burma. [155718]
Meg Munn: There are severe restrictions on the freedom of all religions in Burma, including towards members of the majority Buddhist faith, particularly if they are perceived as anti-government. We condemn all instances where individuals face persecution or discrimination because of their faith or belief, wherever they happen and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.
We have had no discussions with the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief about Burma.
We regularly raise our concerns about human rights in Burma with the regime and in international forums. The UN Secretary-General discussed Burma with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26 September and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 28 September.
On 2 October, the Human Rights Council (HRC) passed a strongly worded resolution sponsored by the EU, with the full support of the UK, which expressed deep concern about the situation in Burma. In our statement to the HRC, we drew attention to the regime's violations, including restrictions on the freedom of religion.
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with his European counterparts on a European Union military mission to Chad during the meeting of Foreign Ministers in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, 7 to 8 September 2007; and if he will make a statement. [156603]
Meg Munn: The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 23 July approved a European Security and Defence Policy mission to Chad as a bridging force until the UN itself is able to deploy a peacekeeping mission there. The UK strongly endorsed this proposed deployment. The meeting of Foreign Ministers in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, on 7 to 8 September, discussed the implementation of this decision.
On 25 September the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1778, which authorised the deployment of an EU military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic and approved a UN multi-dimensional mission to operate in co-operation with the EU force. The UK hopes that both the EU mission and the UN multi-dimensional mission will be able to deploy before the end of the year.
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