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31 Mar 2008 : Column 525W—continued
Colombia
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Colombia on the proceedings against Diego Montoya. [196283]
Dr. Howells: The Government have not made representations to the Colombian government regarding the legal proceedings against Diego Montoya. We understand that the US authorities have issued a warrant to have Mr. Montoya extradited to the US—he was one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 10 most wanted criminals.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring and evaluation of UK support provided to the Colombian military his Department conducts; by what mechanisms such monitoring takes place; and if he will make a statement. [196285]
Dr. Howells: UK assistance to Colombia, which includes support to a range of civil society organisations, the Colombian Government and the armed forces, is focused on improving the difficult human rights situation, preventing the amount of cocaine from reaching the UK's streets and reducing the threats that landmines pose to the Colombian people.
All British projects in Colombia, as elsewhere, undergo rigorous evaluation before funding is agreed, in areas such as value for money and effectiveness of implementing partners; and carefully monitored whilst projects are under way in terms of proper use of funds, achievement of objectives and outputs. UK staff continually and scrupulously supervise the use of British resources in Colombia to ensure that the highest operational, ethical and human rights standards are maintained in our human rights and counter narcotics work.
We evaluate that UK assistance is having a positive effect on the issues of most concern in Colombia. The UK has played a key role in working to institutionalise respect for human rights in the Colombian armed forces, so that they operate by the same high standards we demand of our own armed forces. Our counter-narcotics work is tightly focused on helping the Colombians tackle drugs production, trafficking organisations and networks. Our training in humanitarian demining has improved the Colombian Government's ability to remove the landmines that illegal armed groups place to harm innocent civilians.
Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who was consulted before the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals decided veterans should accept, but not wear, the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal. [196183]
Meg Munn: Ministers and officials in the Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office and staff of the Ceremonial Secretariat (Cabinet Office) and Buckingham palace were consulted before the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals took the decision that the medal could be accepted but not worn. The Malaysian authorities were also included in discussions prior to the decision being taken.
All members of the Committee itself took part in the discussions.
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations have been received from (a) veterans’ organisations, (b) individuals and (c) hon. and right hon. Members calling on the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals to reconsider its advice to HM the Queen on not allowing veterans to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal. [196239]
Meg Munn: We have received many representations from individuals, veterans’ organisations and hon. Members on this issue. To collate the exact number would incur disproportionate cost.
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the rules governing the award of foreign honours, decorations and medals were last reviewed. [196240]
Meg Munn: The rules governing the award of foreign honours, decorations and medals have been reviewed and revised on a number of occasions over the last 150 years, and were last discussed early in 2007.
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any past or present members of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals has been awarded and accepted an honour, decoration or medal from a foreign, Commonwealth or UK dependency government. [196245]
Meg Munn: The Honours and Decorations Committee dates back to the 1930s. It would incur disproportionate cost to check all potential awards to members dating back to its inception.
However we are aware of examples, in recent years, of when Her Majesty The Queen's Private Secretaries, who customarily serve on the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, have received such decorations in their role as senior representative of Her Majesty The Queen in the context of close relations with or visits involving Her Majesty's Realms. As Her Majesty The Queen is Head of State in Realm countries, no permission is required to accept such awards.
EC President
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the proposed (a) responsibilities, (b) duties and (c) powers of the President of the European Council; if he will place in the Library copies of such representations; and if he will make a statement. [196092]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government strongly support a full-time President of the European Council, who will replace the current rotating President of the European Council, who changes every six months. The Lisbon treaty is clear (Article 1(16)(6), Consolidated Treaty Article 15(6) Treaty of the European Union) that the full-time President of the European Council will:
chair the European Council and drive forward its work;
ensure the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;
endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council;
present a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council;
ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and
assist the General Affairs Council with ensuring follow-up to meetings of the European Council.
This broadly reflects the current role of the President of the European Council in practice. Having a full-time President of the European Council will bring greater coherence and consistency to the EU's actions; and will give member states greater capacity to give direction and momentum to the EU's agenda.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) hon. Members, (b) members of the House of Lords and (c) members of the public will be able to submit nominations for the post of the President of the European Council; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [196093]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The full-time President of the European Council will be chosen by, and accountable to, the Heads of State or Government.
Having a full-time President of the European Council will bring greater coherence and consistency to the EU's actions; and will give member states greater capacity to give direction and momentum to the EU's agenda.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been received on procedures for the appointment of the President of the European Council; what criteria he proposes to adopt for nominating any candidate for the post of President of the European Council; and if he will make a statement. [196094]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government support a full-time President of the European Council to replace the current rotating President of the European Council, who changes every six months. He or she will be chosen by heads of state and Government by qualified majority, and will be accountable to them.
The full-time President of the European Council will not hold a national mandate and will be excluded from holding the post of President of the European Commission at the same time.
Having a full-time President of the European Council will bring greater coherence and consistency to the EU's actions; and will give member states greater capacity to give direction and momentum to the EU's agenda.
Eritrea: Ethiopia
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards the demarcation of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border; and if he will make a statement. [186869]
David Miliband: The Government regret the lack of any progress made by both Ethiopian and Eritrean Governments on agreeing to demarcate their border or proceeding to demarcation on the ground, as they committed to do when they signed up to the Algiers Agreements of 2000. We repeatedly remind both parties of their responsibility under the Algiers Agreements to make progress on demarcating their border.
In this regard, we fully support UN Security Council Resolution 1798, adopted unanimously on 30 January 2008, and expect the parties to implement fully all its provisions, including those relating to demarcation of the border.
European Union: Per Capita Costs
Mr. Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the UK's gross and net contribution to the EU in the most recent financial year for which figures are available; what has been the total gross and net contributions made by the UK since 1978; and what amount per head of UK population these figures represent. [195360]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 18 March 2008]: The hon. Member will find estimates of the UK's gross and net contribution, and abatement, to the European Community Budget in the annual European Community Finances White Paper produced by HM Treasury. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library of the House. The Office for National Statistics produces population figures for the UK.
Gaza: Overseas Aid
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of (a) the ability of international humanitarian organisations to operate in the Gaza Strip in light of current Israeli military operations in the territory and (b) the humanitarian situation in Gaza. [192243]
David Miliband: The operations by the Israel Defence Force in Gaza between 27 February and 3 March made working conditions more difficult for humanitarian organisations. The Palestinian Ministry of Health was particularly stretched to deal with the large number of casualties; a clinic, pharmacy and ambulance of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society were destroyed; and two UN Relief and Works Agency schools were damaged. However, some humanitarian supplies and fuel continued to get into Gaza during this period. International humanitarian organisations currently report that they are able to import items required for immediate relief (e.g. food and medicine), but that items required for longer-term activities continue to encounter long delays or are not getting in at all (e.g. the UN Children's Fund supplies for schools and some spare parts for fixing the water supply system).
We remain gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Essential services, including water and sanitation, are close to breakdown and a number of essential medical items and drugs are out of stock. I have discussed this with the Israeli Defence Minister, Palestinian President and the UN Secretary-General. Department for International Development officials are monitoring the ongoing situation.
Human Rights
Chris Huhne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries his Department lists as being jurisdictions where
homosexuals are at risk of (a) execution and (b) other forms of persecution by (i) state sanctioned bodies and (ii) non-state sanctioned bodies; and if he will make a statement. [196292]
Meg Munn: The nine countries that have a maximum penalty of death for consenting same sex relations are Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria (in 12 northern states where Sharia law operates), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen.
There are a number of other countries where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people may be at risk of persecution. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Travel Advice points to countries where there might be a risk of persecution. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provides specific advice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on the range of issues that they might face abroad. This can be found at: www.fco.gov.uk/travel
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office opposes any form of persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, by whoever, and wherever it occurs. Foreign and Commonwealth officials have been active in promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the future of the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia after 2010; and if he will make a statement. [191979]
David Miliband: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) currently estimates the completion of existing trials and appeals by 2011. The UK strongly supports the Tribunal's efforts to fulfil its mandate as efficiently and quickly as possible. At the same time, the UK is actively engaged in Security Council discussions to agree a coherent framework to deal with residual functions, including a mechanism to try fugitive indictees of ICTY and the other ad hoc tribunals following the completion of their work.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia's ability to achieve the objectives of its completion strategy by 2010. [191980]
David Miliband: Since 2004 the president and prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have provided twice-yearly reports to the UN Security Council on progress towards the completion strategy which envisages the completion of trials by the end of 2008 and appeals by the end of 2010.
The Government note that the ICTY president reported to the UN Security Council in December 2007 that more time is needed to complete its caseload as a result of the capture of fugitive indictees Zdravko Tolimir and Vlastimir Dordevic last May and June respectively. The ICTY currently estimates the completion of existing
trials and appeals by 2011. The transfer of the remaining four fugitive indictees will also have consequences for the projected timescales for the completion of the tribunal's work.
The Government welcome the steps taken by the tribunal to expedite the completion of cases such as greater use of written evidence and the introduction of multi-accused trials. The UK, together with EU and UN Security Council partners, regularly calls on the ICTY to continue to build on these measures to fulfil its completion strategy targets.
International Judicial Archives
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the location of international judicial archives in The Hague after 2010; and if he will make a statement. [191982]
David Miliband: The preservation and location of the archives of the ad hoc international criminal tribunals is a matter which the UN Security Council will consider in the context of other necessary residual functions following the completion of the tribunals' work. Discussions on residual issues is currently underway in the Security Council and involves a number of EU partners.
To assist the Security Council's consideration of this issue, an independent Advisory Committee on Archives has been tasked to prepare a comparative study on archiving solutions. The committee is due to submit its recommendations by the middle of this year.
Iran: Israel
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Government of Iran on President Ahmadinejad's recent statement on the Holocaust. [197447]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Iranian President Ahmadinejad's statements questioning the holocaust and calling for Israel to be ‘wiped off the map’ are deplorable and the Government have consistently condemned them. Although we have seen no reports of recent statements by President Ahmadinejad on the holocaust, we have made clear that such comments are wholly unacceptable and have no place in civilised political debate. These kind of comments damage Iran’s reputation and undermine international confidence that Iran is willing to act as a respectable member of the international community. The Minister for the Middle East, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) placed copies of statements condemning Iranian questioning of the holocaust and anti-Israeli comments in the Library of the House, following the written answer he gave to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1193W
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