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22 July 2008 : Column 1114W—continued


Nimrod Aircraft

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft have been recorded in the last 12 months. [164431]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July 2008:


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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fuel leakages on a Nimrod aircraft have been reported since January 2007. [199452]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.

Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July 2008:


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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

1 Carlton Gardens

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 15 May 2008, Official Report, column 1774W, on departmental official residences, who owns the freehold to 1 Carlton Gardens; and what the current duration is of the leasehold; [219174]

(2) what the timetable is for the negotiations with the Crown Estate for the future of the lease on 1 Carlton Gardens. [219176]

Meg Munn: The freehold for 1 Carlton Gardens is held by ‘The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of Her Crown, care of the Crown Estate Commissioners’. The lease has expired and is the subject of ongoing negotiations.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional remuneration is to be paid to British police officers posted to Kabul. [219621]

Dr. Howells: Officers from the Ministry of Defence Police working in the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, the US command structure responsible for security sector reform in Kabul (CSTC-A) receive a total of £4,750 in taxable allowances in addition to their salary per calendar month. Other British police officers working within the CSTC-A or the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan receive an allowance of €95 per day whilst in mission and €65 per day whilst on decompression break. One retired British police officer is employed through a private contract.

Differences between remuneration packages reflect the different terms and conditions under which officers work.

Arctic

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have made claims to rights over the (a) Arctic and (b) Antarctic in the last five years; which claims the UK recognises; and what the process is for resolving disputed claims. [220805]

Meg Munn [holding answer 21 July 2008]: We are not aware of any new claims having been made in either the Arctic or Antarctic in the last five years.

While not amounting to a new "claim", in November 2006 the Government of Norway submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf information on the limits of that country's continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Part of the submission relates to areas of the seabed in the Arctic Ocean.

Any recommendations which the Commission may make are without prejudice to the delimitation of the continental shelf between states with opposite or adjacent coasts. Any disputed claims would have to be settled through negotiation or through other international dispute settlement mechanisms.


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Existing territorial claims to Antarctica pre-date the entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty in 1961. The Treaty precludes any new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica. It also provides a mechanism for the effective management of any disputes.

British Nationality: Torture

Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he takes towards foreign governments alleged to have severely mistreated British citizens, including through the use of torture. [219328]

Meg Munn: The Government would take all allegations of mistreatment by a foreign government against British citizens extremely seriously. Our response would be determined by the circumstances of the case.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which foreign governments the Government has received compensation following allegations of torture of British citizens since 8 December 1988; how much was paid in these cases; and how long the process took in each case. [219329]

Meg Munn: We are not aware of any compensation received by the Government from foreign governments following allegations of torture of British nationals.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep records of payments centrally. Providing a more detailed response would incur a disproportionate cost.

Cuba: Political Prisoners

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss (a) the detention of journalist Victor Rolando Arroyo and (b) the imprisonment of Dr. José García Paneque with the Cuban ambassador to the UK. [217559]

Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials raise the continuing detention of political prisoners in Cuba with representatives of the Cuban government, including the ambassador, on a regular basis. I raised the issue of the continuing detention of all political prisoners in Cuba, including journalist Victor Rolando Arroya and Dr. José García Paneque, with Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Eumelio Caballero on 3 April and with the Cuban ambassador on 11 June.

Departmental ICT

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what IT contracts his Departments and its agencies have entered into in the last two years. [215159]

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its agencies have awarded the following information technology (IT) contracts in the last two years. This list is not exhaustive. Details of IT contracts are not held centrally and a full list could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


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FCO

FCO Services

Wilton Park

Departmental Planning Permission

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 9 July 2008, Official Report, column 1657W, on departmental planning permission, if he will outline the nature of the alterations to the third floor of the Old Admiralty Building; and who the current residents of that floor are. [221286]

Meg Munn: Alterations were made to the third floor of the Old Admiralty Building to provide open plan office space for Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff.


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