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7 July 2008 : Column 1333W—continued
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many jobs his Department expects to relocate under the policy of civil service job dispersal. [213409]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to relocating 450 posts under the Lyons relocation project by March 2010.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) his Department’s strategic workforce plan of December 2007 and (b) the FCO High Level Change Plan. [216299]
David Miliband: I have instructed my officials to place the latest versions of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Strategic Workforce Plan (published in December 2007) and the High Level Change Plan (published in July 2008) in the Library of the House.
Egypt: Terrorism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens, broken down by (a) sex and (b) age were (i) injured and (ii) killed in Egypt as a result of terrorist activity in each of the last 10 years; what discussions he has had with the Government of Egypt about improving security in Egypt for British tourists during the last 12 months; what response was received; and if he will make a statement. [214052]
Mr. Jim Murphy: We express our sincere condolences to the families of the British citizens killed in Egypt and other countries due to terrorist activity. We regret that in 2004, a man and a woman—ages unknown—were injured as a result of terrorist activity. In 2005, six men—ages 14, 16, 17, 17, 28, 30—and five women—ages 16, 31, 43, 50, 70—were killed as a result of terrorist activity, and one man aged 22 and one woman, whose age is unknown, were injured. In 2006, three men—ages 24, 31 and 42—were injured as a result of terrorist activity. Between 1998 and 2003, and in 2007, there were no British nationals injured or killed as a result of terrorist activity in Egypt.
Our embassy in Cairo regularly discusses the safety and security of British nationals with the Egyptian authorities, including at ministerial level. We have worked together to provide training for those involved in protecting tourists and intend to continue to do so.
Eritrea: Djibouti
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent conflict on the Eritrea-Djiboti border; what assessment he has made of the effects of the conflict on the prospects for (a) peace in the Horn of Africa and (b) a durable settlement between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [214226]
Meg Munn: There has been fighting on the Djibouti/Eritrea border after an incursion of Eritrean forces into the disputed Djibouti border region. This has led to casualties on both sides. We supported the UN Security Council (UNSC) presidential statement of 12 June condemning Eritrea's military action and urging both sides to show maximum restraint.
On 24 June, the UNSC renewed its call to Eritrea and requested it to withdraw its troops from the front-line with Djibouti. The Security Council asked for a UN fact- finding mission to the disputed region.
We call on Djibouti and Eritrea to enter into a bilateral dialogue to resolve peacefully any outstanding issues and avoid escalating tension and further military action.
We remain concerned about security and stability in the Horn of Africa region. The clashes along the Djibouti-Eritrea border contribute to the instability in this region, but we have not seen any read across to the Ethiopia-Eritrea border situation.
Ethiopia: Eritrea
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2008, Official Report, column 329W, on Eritrea: Ethiopia, to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks, what representations the Government have made to Ethiopia and Eritrea to agree to re-activate the work of the Military Co-ordination Commission; and if he will make a statement. [212908]
Meg Munn: The Military Co-ordination Commission (MCC) last met on 31 July 2006.
The meetings of the MCC ceased when the Government of Ethiopia said they would only participate if Eritrea withdrew its military forces from the Temporary Security Zone. The Government of Eritrea said they would continue with the MCC meetings once Ethiopia agreed to participate.
As a bilateral mechanism, established under the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, 18 June 2000, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, they both bear the responsibility to re-activate the work of the MCC. The Government are prepared to support any initiative which will assist the parties in doing this and resolving the border dispute peacefully.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 June 2008, Official Report, column 369W, which sets out the Government’s policy towards the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute.
European External Action Service
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Third Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 2007-08, on Foreign Policy Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty HC120, paragraph 22, what reports on the development of the European External Action Service have been made to Parliament since 20 January 2008; and what steps he plans to take to inform Parliament of progress in discussions on the service. [210252]
David Miliband [holding answer 13 June 2008]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, wrote to the European Scrutiny Committee on 22 April about Treaty Implementation and I gave oral evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 11 June. In light of the Irish referendum result, the planned discussions on the External Action Service at the EU General Affairs Council and the European Council were cancelled. That was the right response to the outcome of the referendum in Ireland. No further work will be carried out, and the work has stopped in the UK until such a time as there is a new suggestion from the French Presidency or a way forward suggested by the Irish Government.
Food
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on (a) food and (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years. [214875]
Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently maintain such records for its UK offices or overseas posts, and consequently, the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the (a) cost and (b) quantity procured was in each case. [214876]
Meg Munn:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently maintain such records for its UK
offices or overseas posts, and consequently, the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: Wines
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of all guidance issued to Government departments by the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee on the purchase of wine in the last 12 months. [215141]
Meg Munn: The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine (GHACPW) offers advice to Government Hospitality, Protocol Directorate, on purchases for the Government cellar and maintenance of current stock. The GHACPW does not issue guidance to individual Government Departments. The GHACPW issues an annual report, copies of which will be placed in the Library of the House.
Guinea-Bissau: EC External Relations
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EU assistance is provided for the Guinea-Bissau security structure. [214165]
Meg Munn: A European Security and Defence Policy Mission in support of Security Sector Reform (SSR) is providing advice and assistance to help Guinea-Bissau implement its own National Security Sector Reform Strategy through drawing up implementation plans for the downsizing and restructuring of the security forces, identifying Guinea-Bissau's capacity building needs and facilitating the mobilisation and engagement of donors. The mission deployed on 16 June and will last for an initial period of up to 12 months.
A team of experts has deployed under the European Commission's (EC) instrument for stability to provide strategic SSR advice to the Defence Minister and the technical committee of the SSR process. The experts were deployed in October 2007 and will stay for 12 months.
The EC provided €19.5 million under the ninth European Development Fund (EDF) for SSR, rule of law and administrative reform. A potential €27 million has been allocated under the tenth EDF (2008-2013) for conflict prevention including SSR, administration reform and justice.
The EU is also currently developing a policy on situations of fragility. Guinea- Bissau is one of the pilot countries.
Iceland: Whales
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Iceland on the resumption of commercial whaling by Iceland. [214610]
Meg Munn [holding answer 1 July 2008]: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met the Icelandic Prime Minister on 24 April 2008 and during the meeting made clear the UK's disappointment and strength of feeling on this issue.
International Criminal Court
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether mechanisms exist under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court for the UK to refer a situation in a third country to the attention of the Court; and if he will make a statement. [215371]
David Miliband: Under article 14 of the Rome Statute, a State Party can refer to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation, a situation in a third State in which one or more crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction appear to have been committed. The effect of article 13 of the Rome Statute is that such a referral can only be made where the third State is a party to the Rome Statute. The UN Security Council (UNSC), acting under chapter VII of the UN charter, can also refer a situation to the ICC Prosecutor. The UK has made no unilateral referrals, but we played a leading role in the UNSC’s adoption of UNSC resolution 1593 (March 2005) which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC.
Iran: Baha’i Faith
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Iran about the arrest of six Baha'is on 14 May 2008; and if he will make a statement. [216593]
Dr. Howells: In addition to the EU statement of 14 May which expressed deep concern at the arrests of the Baha'i leadership in Iran, both the UK and the EU highlighted this situation at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 6 June and called for the Iranian Government to release them. I raised the issue with the Iranian ambassador to London soon after the arrests. We remain extremely worried by their on-going detention, the lack of access to legal representation and their families and the institutional persecution of members of the Baha'i faith in Iran more broadly. We will continue to stress our concerns about this and have recommended that the EU formally raises this issue once again in its next meeting with the Iranian authorities in Tehran.
Iraq: Entry Clearances
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider introducing visa issuing facilities at the UK consulate in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [214974]
Mr. Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
Our embassies in Amman and Beirut have been designated as the visa-issuing posts for Iraqi nationals (although visit visa applications may be lodged at any UK visa-issuing post around the world). Given the current security situation, there is no prospect of expanding the limited visa service currently available in Iraq in the foreseeable future. We will, however, continue to keep the matter under review as the security situation develops.
Maldives: Chevening Scholarships Programme
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening scholarships were awarded to citizens of the Maldives in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) sex and (b) age of recipient. [216261]
Mr. Jim Murphy: There has been one Chevening scholar from the Maldives each year since 1997-98, except 2004-05 when there were none, and 2002-03 and 2006-07 when there were two each year. The distribution of all Chevening scholarships is given in the Chevening Programme Annual Reports. The reports for the years from 1998-99 to 2005-06 are available at:
A breakdown by sex and age of recipient is not held centrally and to provide these details would incur a disproportionate cost.
Middle East: Administration of Justice
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the proportion of arrests in (a) the Palestinian occupied territories, (b) Israel, (c) Saudi Arabia and (d) Iran which are followed by a case investigation and court hearing. [213361]
Dr. Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information. In order to obtain the information we would need to contact the relevant Ministry of Interior or Government office of each country for the information. The information cannot be provided, except at disproportionate cost.
The UK believes that all trials should be conducted in accordance with international minimum standards.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct the British Embassy in Tel Aviv not to entertain leaders of settler communities in the West Bank at public expense. [214171]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 26 June 2008]: The Government's view on settlements is clear: all settlements are illegal under international law. Reports of recent settlement expansion are at odds with Israel's roadmap commitments—which call for a freeze on all settlement construction—and threaten negotiations on a two-state solution. As I made clear in an answer to the House on 24 June, the presence of settlers at the recent party at our embassy in Tel Aviv—celebrating Her Majesty the Queen's birthday—did not send out helpful signals in our efforts to hold Israel to its roadmap commitments on settlements.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 23 June 2008, Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), whether the human rights record of Israel in the occupied territories was considered in the discussions on the EU-Israel Association Council in the margins of the GAERC. [214432]
Dr. Howells: There were no discussions on the human rights record of Israel in the occupied territories during the EU-Israel Association Council.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Steering Committee set up by the Annapolis Agreement of November 2007 has met; and if he will make a statement. [213459]
David Miliband: The work of the Steering Committee is ultimately a matter for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but we understand that it has met regularly since November 2007. The Government continue to offer their strong support to both sides as they take discussions forward on all issues in the context of the Annapolis process.
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