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21 Oct 2008 : Column 205W—continued
New Business Ambassadors Group
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what budget has been set aside to secure the work and operation of the New Business Ambassadors Group; from which departmental budget these resources will be drawn; and whether the ambassadors will receive any payment for their services. [225955]
Mr. Thomas: In financial year 2008-09 up to £100,000 has been internally reallocated from within UK Trade and investment (UKTI) resources to support this work overseas. Funding was found from in-year recyclable efficiencies. Within UKTI work has been reorganised internally and redistributed to establish a secretariat to support the business ambassadors.
The business ambassadors will receive no payment for their services, however, reasonable expenses will be allowed. The business ambassadors may make up to one dedicated trip a year to support the Government in promoting the UK around the world, but it is anticipated that the majority of their work as business ambassadors will take place within their own travel schedules, in order to obtain the maximum public benefit.
Overseas Investment: Colombia
John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many UK-based companies have investments in Colombia. [228209]
Mr. Thomas: There are currently 53 UK companies with investments in Colombia according to records held by the British embassy in Bogotá.
Overseas Trade: Somalia
John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of trade between the UK and Somalia was in each of the last five years. [228208]
Mr. Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Somalia are shown in the following table.
| £ million | ||
| UK export of goods to Somalia | UK import of goods from Somalia | |
| Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics. | ||
Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2007 were as follows:
| £ million | ||
| UK export of services to Somalia | UK import of services from Somalia | |
Overseas Trade: Sudan
John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of UK-Sudan trade was in each of the last five years. [228207]
Mr. Thomas: Data on recorded trade in goods with Sudan are shown in the following table.
| £ million | ||
| UK export of goods to S udan | UK import of goods from S udan | |
| Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics. | ||
Estimates of trade in services are not available for the full five years. ONS data published in the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2007 were as follows:
| £ million | ||
| UK export of services to S udan | UK import of services from S udan | |
Trade: Jurisdiction
Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from UK business trade and industry representatives on US extraterritorial jurisdiction and intervention; and if he will make a statement. [225944]
Mr. Thomas: The Department periodically receives representations from businesses, business representatives and individuals usually, but not exclusively, in respect of US trade sanctions against Cuba.
The Government are opposed to excessive assertions of extraterritorial legislation and jurisdiction and frequently makes their views known in contacts with the US.
We have made our opposition to US policy clear through our vote every year against the US embargo on Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly, most recently on 30 October 2007, and UK officials raised the issue again with US officials in Washington in May. The UK and the US agree that though they share the same policy aim, peaceful transition to pluralist democracy, they differ on how to achieve that aim. The US favours isolation of Cuba, while the EU prefers constructive engagement and dialogue.
UK Trade and Investment: Arts
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to enhance the international competitive position of the UK's creative industries. [227181]
Mr. Thomas: UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) mission is to deliver maximum value for the UK economy and for business in an increasingly globalised and competitive world. Our latest performance results show that 54 per cent. of all businesses—some 10,000 companies—assisted through UKTI trade services over an annual period improved their business performance as a direct result of UKTI support.
UKTI, with the Creative Industries Marketing Strategy Board chaired by Sir John Sorrell, is leading an international marketing strategy aimed at raising the profile of the sector overseas and helping UK creative companies maximise international opportunities. The marketing strategy has concentrated on developing new messaging, focusing UK promotional efforts and developing a new set of initiatives to market the UK's creative industries more effectively overseas.
UKTI engages with the creative industries through a number of export advisory groups to ensure that the creative companies benefit from the full range of UK Trade and Investment services such as Passport to Export, the Trade Access Programme, sector missions and seminars.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will publish UK Trade and Investment's five-year strategy to enhance the international competitive position in the UK's creative industries. [227215]
Mr. Thomas: "Creative UK: Towards an International Marketing Strategy for the UK's Creative Industries" was published on 16 July 2007. A copy rests in the House of Commons Library.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Central African Republic: Armed Conflict
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of cross-border violence between the Central African Republic and Darfur; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been internally displaced as a result of the violence. [226086]
Gillian Merron: We rely on United Nations' agencies to provide us with information on cross-border violence between the Central African Republic (CAR) and Darfur. They advise that bandit and poacher groups routinely carry out cross-border raids. They have reports of one cross-border attack on the town of Am Dafok in the CAR at the end of September by a group that retreated to a base in Sudan.
We cannot assess the number of those displaced because of such cross-border violence. However, the number of people internally displaced in CAR has fallen this year, and now stands at 108,000. The number displaced has also fallen in the Vakaga prefecture, which borders southern Darfur. According to the UN, security in the region has improved in recent months, partially as a result of the deployment of EUFOR, the EU Force in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR.
China: Human Rights
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the human rights situation in China following the conclusion of the Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement. [225063]
Bill Rammell: We remain concerned about the human rights situation in China and continue to devote considerable attention to encouraging respect for international standards. In certain areas, China’s hosting of the Olympics has led to improvements. For example, we welcomed the media regulations put in place for foreign journalists prior to the games and are encouraged by indications that China will maintain a more flexible reporting regime for foreign media. We also welcome the higher profile given to the rights of disabled persons following the Paralympics and China’s ratification of the International Covenant on the Rights of Disabled People earlier this year.
None the less, we were disappointed that greater improvements in human rights did not take place in the run-up to the Olympic Games, and are concerned that in certain areas reports of human rights violations have increased. We remain particularly concerned about the situation in Tibet, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised recently with Premier Wen and President Hu, and continue to urge transparency and substantive dialogue as the way to address the underlying human rights issues. We were also disappointed that the areas designated for authorised protests set up during the Olympic Games were not utilised.
We continue to believe that the extension of personal freedoms would be in China’s own interest, and we will continue to encourage China to meet its commitments to international human rights standards, including through ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Human rights will continue to be an area of major focus in our engagement with China in the years ahead.
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest of Bishop Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding on 24 August 2008 by the Chinese authorities; what assessment he has made of the Bishop’s health and the conditions in which he is held; what representations he has made to his Chinese counterparts; and if he will make a statement. [225064]
Bill Rammell: We remain concerned about the wellbeing of Jia Zhiguo, following reports of his recent detention on 24 August. We have previously raised our concerns on Bishop Jia’s situation with the Chinese Government: we included his name on a list of individual cases of concern raised with the Chinese during the 16th round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue held in Beijing on 28 January 2008. We continue to monitor his case.
We continue to be concerned that restrictions on religious groups and the harassment of practitioners undermines freedom of religious belief in China. We have repeatedly made clear that such actions are not in line with article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which we continue to urge the Chinese to ratify. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this issue with the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi when he visited China on 25-29 February.
Chinese People's Liberation Army: Royal Military Academy
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was first informed that members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army were attending RMA Sandhurst. [225409]
Bill Rammell: The decision to allow a member of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to attend training at Sandhurst was in line with our overall strategy of engagement with China which has been agreed across Government, including by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary therefore would not expect to be consulted on individual issues such as this and indeed was not consulted in this case.
Colombia: Arms Trade
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the trade in small arms with Colombia. [228170]
Gillian Merron: All export licence applications, including those for small arms to Colombia, are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of the circumstances prevailing at the time and other relevant announced Government policies.
An export licence will not be issued if the arguments for doing so are outweighed by the need to comply with the UK's international obligations and commitments, by concern that the goods might be used for internal repression or international aggression, by the risks to regional stability or by other considerations as described in the EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Colombia: Human Rights
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Colombia on the incidence of human rights abuses in that country. [228202]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the human rights situation in Colombia with Jaime Bermudez, the Colombian Foreign Minister, on 9 October 2008. Following that meeting, the Foreign Secretary issued the following statement:
“Colombia and the UK are partners of long standing, working to an agenda of tackling the drugs trade, promoting human rights, encouraging trade and investment and working to protect those whose rights have been abused. It is vitally important that the United Kingdom works with the government of Colombia to reduce the flow of cocaine to Europe and the UK, which does so much harm to all the countries and communities involved.
We want to help the Colombian government improve the difficult human rights situation in Colombia, and to promote stability, prosperity, democracy and the rule of law. Those guilty of abuses—whoever they are—must receive justice for their actions. Colombia's people—particularly those most vulnerable: indigenous communities, the displaced, human rights defenders and trade unionists—deserve the full protection of the law, and the support of both the Colombian government and its international partners.”
I also raised human rights issues when I spoke to the Colombian Foreign Minister on 16 October.
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