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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1709W—continued
Climate Change
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on climate change; and if he will make a statement. [197619]
Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with his US counterpart on a range of issues, including on climate change, as do ministerial and policy colleagues. Tackling climate change is key to global security and prosperity and that is why we have made "promoting a high growth, low carbon economy" one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's four priorities. We will continue to hold regular discussions with the US, and with other international partners, to deliver an ambitious and fair post-2012 deal at the UN conference in Copenhagen in 2009.
Corruption
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what meetings his Department has held with officials of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's anti-corruption working group in the last three years; and if he will make a statement; [198007]
(2) what progress has been made in implementing the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development anti-bribery convention in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [198008]
(3) what documents the Government has (a) provided and (b) been asked to provide to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development working group on bribery; and if he will make a statement. [198009]
David Miliband: The UK is a founder signatory of the 1997 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (OECD Anti-Bribery Convention) which we ratified in 1998—one of the first member countries to do so. My noble Friend the Advocate-General for Scotland, Lord Davidson of Glen Clova, represented the UK at the OECD High Level Conference to mark the 10th anniversary of OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in Rome in November 2007. The Working Group recognised in their Phase 1 bis review that the UK's laws comply with the requirements of the Convention. We continue to work closely with the OECD on improving our anti-bribery procedures. The importance that the UK attaches to this area is reflected in my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's appointment of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform as the Government anti-corruption champion and the range of measures proposed in the 2007 and 2008 anti-corruption action plans.
The OECD Working Group on Bribery is the body responsible for monitoring compliance with the convention. It operates through an established peer review process intended to raise standards across the Group's membership. The Group meets formally in Paris four times a year. The UK has been represented on every occasion by Government officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, home departments and UK law enforcement agencies, including the Attorney-General's Office, city of London police, Crown Prosecution Service, Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform, Ministry of Justice, and the Serious Fraud Office. There are, of course, frequent ad hoc meetings between OECD and member country officials, including the UK.
We shall continue to play a full and active part in the group and in its peer review procedures. Preparation for such reviews usually entails the provision of supporting written material such as laws, regulations and judicial decisions. To ensure the OECD is kept fully abreast of developments, it is also open for member countries to provide these on their own initiative in the interim. The UK has, for example, recently provided the OECD with core documents submitted to the Judicial Review by the Serious Fraud Office, the Law Commission Consultation Paper “Reforming Bribery” and the Constitutional Renewal White Paper and draft Bill.
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department contributes (a) direct funding, (b) informal support and (c) personnel to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; and if he will make a statement. [197850]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The UK does not directly fund the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). PACE is funded from the Council of Europe ordinary budget, to which the UK contributed £18 million in 2008—to equal to the contributions of the other major contributors: France, Germany, Russia and Italy.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office informally supports the UK Parliamentary Delegation to PACE through our staff at the UK Delegation in Strasbourg.
We do not contribute personnel to PACE.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a mechanism exists to enable the Government to respond formally to resolutions passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; what recent representations he has received about the issue; and if he will make a statement. [197851]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Government may choose to respond formally to resolutions passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe when they are part of a recommendation or opinion addressed to the Committee of Ministers. The Committee of Ministers should reply within six months. The Rules of Procedure and the Statute of the Assembly are available at:
The Government are unaware of any recent representations on this issue.
Departmental Publications
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance is issued to members of his Department on the authorship and publication on the internet of material relating to their official duties; and if he will make a statement. [196737]
Meg Munn: The Civil Service Code, the Civil Service Management Code and Propriety Guidance on Government Communications, all provide guidance to staff on the publication of material relating to their official duties. Copies of each of these are in the Libraries of the House. They are also available on the Cabinet Office website at:
Departmental Video Conferencing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set a target to increase the use of video-conferencing by his Department to reduce the need to travel to meetings. [195865]
Meg Munn:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recognises the advantages of video-conferencing and had a target to increase usage, for staff in the UK, by 10 per cent. by 31 March 2008. Between September 2007 and March 2008, usage on the main video-conferencing network increased by 51 per cent. Figures are not available for usage before
then, or for the other (smaller) video-conferencing network. The target for 2008-09 is still to be finalised but it will encourage further usage, including by staff overseas.
The FCO continues to expand the availability of video conferencing and currently has over 140 suites in its UK offices and posts.
Diego Garcia: Rendition
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), whether UK officials met either of the people rendered through Diego Garcia in 2002. [198021]
Dr. Howells: We have no evidence to suggest that the two individuals concerned met UK officials while on Diego Garcia.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), if he will instigate a public inquiry into the use of Diego Garcia by the US for rendition purposes. [198022]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has written to US Secretary of State Rice, further to his statement to the House on 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48, to request clarification on a number of specific issues raised by the new information passed to us on 15 February regarding two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002. In advance of concluding this work, it would be inappropriate to speculate on whether a more formal inquiry is necessary. Our officials continue to work with their US counterparts on the details and implications of the new information.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), who the two men were who were rendered through Diego Garcia in 2002. [198023]
Dr. Howells: As set out in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s statement to the House on 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48, neither of these two individuals was a British national or a British resident. One is currently detained at Guantanamo Bay and the other has been released. However, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no further information to disclose regarding these two individuals.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), when the two men rendered through Diego Garcia in 2002 (a) arrived on and (b) were transported off the island. [198024]
Dr. Howells: The two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia referred to in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48, took place in January and September 2002 respectively. In both cases a US plane with a single detainee on board arrived and refuelled at the US facility in Diego Garcia before departing. The detainees did not leave the plane.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Statement of 21 February 2008, Official Report, column 547, on terrorist suspects (renditions), (1) where the two men rendered through Diego Garcia were held prior to their transfer from Diego Garcia; and whether either of them were held on the island itself or on ships close to Diego Garcia; [198025]
(2) where the two men rendered through Diego Garcia were taken having been transferred through Diego Garcia; and what steps he has taken since their rendition to assess the treatment of the men whilst in custody of the US or another state. [198026]
Dr. Howells: Our officials continue to work with their US counterparts on the details and implications of the new information passed to us on 15 February regarding two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has written to US Secretary of State Rice, further to his statement to the House on 21 February 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48, to request clarification on a number of specific issues. While my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no further information that he is able to disclose regarding these two individuals, the US has assured us that no detainees have been held at Diego Garcia.
Europe: Finance
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on gender responsive budgeting. [190919]
Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 4 March 2008]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with EU counterparts on the specific issue of gender responsive budgeting.
However, the Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn) on 13 March 2008, Official Report, column 643W.
Exports: Licensing
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which countries the UK has refused an export licence on the grounds of human rights since 1997. [197791]
David Miliband:
Human rights considerations are at the forefront of the UK assessment of all export license applications. Criterion 2 of the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing criteria requires us to
assess the attitude of the country of final destination towards principles established by international human rights instruments.
Information about the refusal of certain export licence applications under the EU and National Arms Export Licensing consolidated criteria has been published in the UK strategic export control annual reports available since 2001. This information can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website at www.fco.gov.uk
We do not as a matter of course collate information about refusals broken down by the criteria applied, for example, over concerns over human rights in individual countries. It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this information for the period requested.
Fiji: Foreign Relations
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what permission (a) the Prime Minister’s Office or (b) his Department gave to Fiji to use his image to promote a tourism campaign; and what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK’s diplomatic relations. [198250]
Meg Munn: The Prime Minister’s Office does not give permission for images of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to be used in commercial promotions, as was made clear at the time of the Fiji Visitors Bureau’s February 2008 advertising campaign. I do not believe this incident has had an impact on the UK’s diplomatic relations.
Football Banning Orders
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department has been consulted by the Home Office on banning orders on visa applicants wishing to visit the UK in the last three months. [197333]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office maintains regular contact with the Home Office over additions and deletions to UN Security Council and EU travel ban lists, over exclusion decisions and over visa applications. The Government do not keep central statistics for these contacts.
France: European Council Presidency
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on France's presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2008; and if he will make a statement. [190600]
Mr. Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed possible priorities for the French presidency with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs at the UK-France Summit on 27 March 2008. This discussion was continued at an informal meeting with other EU Foreign Ministers in Paris on 31 March.
My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, and Foreign Secretary and I have regular contact with our French counterparts and discuss a wide range of EU issues. There is also frequent contact at official level.
The joint UK-France declaration, issued after the Summit, outlines key areas for UK-French co-operation, including during the French presidency. These include work on a new EU Migration Pact, an EU-wide strategy for tackling climate change and securing energy supplies, taking action to reduce global poverty and improving civilian crisis management capabilities.
Gaza: Weapons
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has made to the Government of Egypt on stopping the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. [199564]
Dr. Howells: Arms smuggling into Gaza remains a great concern. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met his Egyptian counterpart Aboul Gheit on 19 February 2007 to discuss the situation on Gaza. The Quadrilateral Committee, which consists of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and the US has been working closely to address the issue of smuggling and border control.
Human Rights
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of international compliance with conventions banning torture and other degrading practices; what steps the UK Government is taking to (a) encourage other countries to ratify such conventions and (b) monitor compliance; and if he will make a statement. [197610]
Meg Munn: Despite the fact that a large number of states have ratified various international conventions prohibiting torture, torture continues to be committed with impunity in many parts of the world. The UK remains fundamentally opposed to torture and continues to be one of the most active countries in the world in the fight to eradicate it.
For example, we continue to support wider ratification of the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT) through bilateral lobbying campaigns, EU demarches and our work in UN fora such as the Human Rights Council. We also use a combination of project work and diplomatic activity to encourage implementation of OPCAT, including by the establishment of national preventative mechanisms. Since September 2006, 13 additional states have ratified OPCAT. This marks significant progress, although there is of course more to be done.
The UK continues to support various bodies which have a role to play in monitoring and promoting compliance with international conventions and standards relating to the prohibition of torture, including the UN treaty bodies formally mandated to help enforce the CAT and OPCAT, and the European Court of Human Rights.
Further information on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) work in this area can be found in the FCO’s 2007 Annual Human Rights Report. The report is also available on the FCO’s website at:
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