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17 Dec 2007 : Column 981W—continued
Project Iris
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to extend Project Iris beyond the existing terminals at which it is installed; and if she will make a statement. [172953]
Mr. Byrne:
The IRIS project was introduced to de-risk elements of the e-Borders Programme. Through this project we have been able to demonstrate that biometric technology can be used to securely permit
the entry of low risk passengers to the UK via an automated barrier. IRIS is available at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester and there are currently no plans to roll out IRIS any further.
As a result of lessons learnt from the IRIS project, wider automated clearance systems are now under development.
Terrorism
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to counter threats of nuclear terrorism against potential targets in the UK. [172976]
Mr. McNulty: Countering the threat posed by nuclear terrorism is part of the Government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST). This involves a large number of wide ranging actions by the Security Services, the Police and Government; the exact details of which cannot be given for reasons of national security.
However, three examples of the type of steps taken by Government to counter this specific threat are:
1. The UK’s Global Threat Reduction Programme which operates and extends a programme of collaboration and international assistance aimed at reducing the threat of proliferation of nuclear and radiological materials. The Programme enables a wide range of non-proliferation and threat reduction activities, ranging from making safe spent nuclear fuel assemblies to improving security at civilian nuclear sites.
2. Programme Cyclamen, which is the joint Home Office and HM Revenue and Customs programme to deploy radiation screening equipment at UK ports of entry. This aims to intercept the illicit movement of dangerous radiological and nuclear materials into the UK. Further details on this programme can be found at:
3. The Home Office-led Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Resilience Programme, established in 2002 to ensure that in the event of a CBRN terrorist incident the response from all concerned will be quick and effective, so that lives can be saved and the impact on property and the environment minimised. This programme has delivered significant improvements in the emergency response to radiological and nuclear incidents. Further details on the programme can be found at:
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she has taken into account on provisions for detaining terrorist suspects before charge in other jurisdictions when formulating her policy on the matter. [174138]
Mr. McNulty: We are aware of the policy on pre-charge detention in other countries. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs published a document entitled ‘Counter-Terrorism Legislation and Practice: A Survey of Selected Countries’ in October 2005. This can be found at:
We also published a document on 25 July 2007 entitled ‘Terrorist Investigations and the French Examining Magistrates System’ which can be found at:
Terrorism: Evidence
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will reconsider the merits of the case for allowing intercept material into evidence in (a) criminal proceedings and (b) proceedings involving offences under anti-terrorism legislation. [173622]
Mr. McNulty: My hon. Friend will be aware of the independent Privy Counsellor Committee, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, which is currently reviewing this subject. The Committee will deliver their report in mid January and we will carefully consider their findings.
Written Questions
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 165425, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 13 November, on the resident labour market test. [171165]
Mr. Byrne: I answered the hon. Member’s previous question on 11 December 2007.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Burma: Arms Trade
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the origin of military hardware being sold to Burma. [174820]
Meg Munn: We have considered the recent media reports about alleged arms sales to Burma. We continue to encourage all international partners not to sell arms to Burma and to observe responsible arms trade policies.
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reiterated in his statement of 15 October, Burma is subject to an EU arms embargo.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what reports he received on the suspension by India of sales of military hardware to Burma following the recent suppression of pro-democracy protests in Burma; [174825]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with Indian ministers on sales of military hardware to Burma. [174826]
Meg Munn:
We are aware of reports regarding the sale of Advanced Light Helicopters by India to Burma. The EU made formal representations to the Indian Government on this issue in July. The Indian Government assured the EU that it had no plans to sell the Advanced Light Helicopter to Burma. We have continued to make clear to the Indian Government—at the most senior level—that we are concerned that EU manufactured military equipment should not reach Burma via third countries. In a statement on 15 October, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said that we would ask the EU to review the implementation of the embargo with
our partners to address any risk that arms or their components might be diverted or re-exported to Burma.
My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, other Ministers and I continue to discuss the situation in Burma with our Indian counterparts. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, also raised Burma during his recent visit to India. We hope India will use its contacts with the regime to press for urgent political reform and dialogue. Like all other partners in the region, they stand to gain from seeing the re-establishment of a prosperous and stable neighbour. We will hope they will join us in working towards that objective.
China: Falun Gong
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with EU counterparts on the human rights of Falun Gong followers in China; and if he will make a statement. [174168]
Meg Munn: We work closely with our EU partners to push for substantive improvements in the human rights situation in China, which includes raising concerns on the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. We do not take a position on the nature of Falun Gong. However, we continue to support EU action to raise individual Falun Gong cases of concern with the Chinese Government. The EU did this at the most recent round of the EU-China Human Rights dialogue, which was held in Beijing in October. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also met a vice president of the European Parliament in September to discuss action on a range of human rights issues, including Falun Gong.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Chinese Government on the human rights of Falun Gong followers in China; and if he will make a statement. [174170]
Meg Munn: The Government do not take a position on the nature of Falun Gong. We do, however, remain concerned by reports of the mistreatment of Falun Gong adherents, particularly those detained in Re-education Through Labour (RTL) camps. We raise our concerns over individual practitioners and for the need to reform RTL with the Chinese Government at every appropriate opportunity. We discussed this at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights dialogue in London on 5 February 2007. More recently, the Director of Public Prosecutions urged the Chinese Government to reform the RTL system during his visit to Beijing in September 2007.
European Gendarmerie Force
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 188, on the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), under what circumstances the Government would give its consent to an EGF operation being held in the UK. [174590]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The primary purpose of the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) is to assist in crisis management operations in post-conflict situations. The EGF will be available on request to any country facing a crisis situation. The Government can foresee no circumstances under which it would give consent to a EGF operation being held in the UK.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the UK did not sign the Treaty of Velsen concluded on 18 October; what discussions he held with other EU Member States on the UK’s participation in a European Gendarmerie Force; what representations he received on the matter before reaching a decision; and if he will make a statement. [174591]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The UK has not held any discussions with other EU member states regarding our participation in the European gendarmerie force, nor have we received any representations.
Guinea Bissau: EU Defence Policy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of the European Security and Defence Policy mission to Guinea Bissau. [173717]
Mr. Jim Murphy: EU Foreign Ministers agreed on Monday 10 December to a general concept for a civilian European security and defence policy mission to provide advice on security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau. After discussion, it was agreed that this mission would have a civilian command chain and be financed as a civilian mission. Planning for the mission will be taken forward within the General Secretariat of the European Council. Further decisions, including final agreement to launch the mission, will be taken in the new year.
Iraq: Overseas Aid
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 9 October 2007, Official Report, columns 437-8W, on Iraq: overseas aid; how much of the £744 million the Government has allocated to Iraq came from his Department. [170807]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 840W.
Iraq: Resettlement
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2007, Official Report, column 1433W, on Iraq: resettlement, and with reference to the statements of 9 October 2007, Official Report, column 27WS, and 30 October 2007, Official Report, column 30WS, if he will make it his policy to allow local staff in Iraq who meet all criteria except completion of more than 12 months continuous service to apply for assistance; and if he will consider their eligibility on a case-by-case basis. [175150]
Dr. Howells: We have no immediate plans to change the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his written ministerial statements on 9 October 2007, Official Report, columns 27-28WS and 30 October 2007, Official Report, columns 30-33WS. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary stated on 30 October that we might review the criteria in the light of experience. We will, however, wish to gather more evidence of the operation of the scheme as originally announced before any such review.
Ministers
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental guidelines his Department uses on the size of delegation that Ministers will meet in a private meeting; and how many meetings each Minister in his Department has had at the request of hon. Members in the last two years. [173449]
David Miliband: There is no formal departmental guidance on restrictions to the size of delegations that meet with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers. However, common practice is to encourage them to be as small as possible. We do not maintain central records of meetings requested by hon. Members.
Pakistan: Human Rights
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Pakistan on the two recently-detained Baluchi nationalists; and if he will make a statement. [174584]
Dr. Howells: We have informed the Government of Pakistan of the arrests of two Pakistani nationals who were charged on 10 December with offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether discussions were held at the EU-Africa summit on the willingness of African countries to send troops to Somalia as agreed under UN Security Council Resolution 1744 of February 2007; and if he will make a statement. [174897]
Meg Munn: Discussions about the security situation in Somalia were held at the EU-Africa summit but did not directly relate to UN Security Council Resolution 1744 or troop contributions to the African Union Mission to Somalia.
Delegates noted that the EU’s Africa Peace Facility is specifically intended to contribute to Africa’s efforts to restore peace to key areas, including Somalia. Discussions highlighted the significant role of the African Union’s Africa Peace and Security Architecture in developing an effective security system in Somalia.
Somalia: United Nations
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007, Official Report, column 1042W, on Somalia: United Nations, what contingency plans the UN Security Council has developed for the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Somalia; and how conditions that would require deployment to take place will be monitored and assessed. [173747]
Meg Munn: UN Security Council members met with UN agencies at expert level on 5 December 2007 to discuss a UN force for Somalia. The UN is planning to send a technical assessment mission to Somalia to assess conditions and inform further planning. The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia is due to brief the Security Council on 17 December 2007.
The UK, including in the Security Council, will continue to support the deployment of the African Union Mission to Somalia and the ongoing political reconciliation process.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking to achieve the participation of stakeholders in the Darfur peace talks; and if he will make a statement. [173672]
Meg Munn: Only an inclusive political process can provide a sustainable solution to the crisis in Darfur. The UK has committed £1 million to support the African Union and UN joint mediation support team, which is currently focused on encouraging the rebel movements to unify further and agree on common platforms ahead of negotiations with the Government of Sudan. We have made clear publicly and directly to the rebel movements that there will be consequences for any party that seeks to obstruct progress.
Civil society and Arab engagement in the political process will be essential for an inclusive process. The UK is filling five key posts in the Darfur-Darfur dialogue and consultation, which will be the main mechanism for civil society engagement in the political process and in longer-term reconciliation and rehabilitation in Darfur.
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