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5 Nov 2008 : Column 490W—continued
Uganda: Armed Conflict
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ugandan Government on their forcible disarmament programme. [228175]
Gillian Merron: The Ugandan Government launched a disarmament programme in the Karamoja region of northern Uganda in 2001. This programme has continued as part of the Karamoja Integrated Disarmament and Development Plan, launched in 2008. In co-operation with partners in Uganda we have visited the Karamoja region and raised concerns both on the ground, with the Ugandan military and civil society organisations and with the government in Kampala. With partners we are currently seeking a meeting with the Ugandan Government to discuss the security and human rights situation in Karamoja.
Uganda: 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 Uganda about human rights abuses by the Lord’s Resistance Army. [228174]
Gillian Merron: We have repeatedly condemned the actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army and the heinous crimes they have committed.
The Government are actively engaged in dialogue with the Government of Uganda on a range of issues relating to northern Uganda, including human rights. We continue to strongly support efforts to restore peace and stability to the region and are working closely with the Government of Uganda and international partners in efforts to implement the Final Peace Agreement and the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan to ensure that the people of northern Uganda benefit from a sustained peace. The British Government have provided £60 million of humanitarian assistance to northern Uganda since 2006.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Uganda. [228177]
Gillian Merron: Although some serious problems persist, including extra-judicial detention and limitations on the freedom of the press and assembly in the approach to the 2006 elections, our overall assessment is that there is continuing progress in Uganda’s human rights performance. The Uganda Human Rights Commission’s 10(th) Annual Report showed a 14 per cent. reduction in registered complaints in 2007 against the previous year. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ last report said that there had been a distinct improvement in the human rights and security situation observed in conflict-affected northern and north-eastern Uganda and that they recognised Government efforts towards strengthening the protection and promotion of human rights. The Ibrahim Index of African Governance also records improvement in Uganda’s human rights situation. There are active civil society organisations working largely unhindered in the human rights field contributing greatly to investigative and accountability efforts.
Our high commission in Kampala closely follows the human rights situation and regularly discusses human rights issues with the Ugandan Government, the Uganda Human Rights Commission and other interested parties. We continue to push for more action on topics such as politically motivated harassment, illegal detention, torture, media freedom and the rights of people in northern Uganda, including in the Karamoja region.
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on (a) the appointment by President Mugabe of members of his Zanu-PF party to key cabinet positions and (b) assessments of his constitutional mandate for doing so. [230359]
Gillian Merron: Robert Mugabe's attempt to allocate ministerial portfolios unilaterally runs counter to the spirit and letter of the political agreement signed with the two Movement for Democratic Change parties on 15 September. Zimbabwe deserves a government which reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people as expressed in the 29 March elections, which gave Morgan Tsvangirai and those opposed to Mugabe a clear majority.
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the position of Thabo Mbeki as official mediator between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change; and if he will make a statement. [230360]
Gillian Merron: Former President Mbeki deserves thanks for the work he has done so far and for his continuing efforts. Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai are primarily responsible for following through on the 15 September agreement. But it is increasingly clear that the current mediation effort is running out of steam. We are encouraging former President Mbeki, South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union to work collectively towards a resolution that reflects the 29 March election outcome without further delay.
Duchy of Lancaster
Breast Cancer: Males
Dr. Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of all breast cancer diagnoses in England in each of the last five years were diagnoses to men. [231060]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 October 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of all breast cancer diagnoses in England in each of the last five years were diagnoses to men. [231060]
Table 1 gives the percentage of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in England that were in men, for each year from 2001 to 2005 (the latest data available).
| Table 1. Percentage of all newly diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasm of breast -which were in males, England, 2001-05( 2) | |
| Percentage | |
| (1) Newly diagnosed cases of cancer registered with malignant neoplasm of breast, identified using code C50 of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. (2) Cases which occurred in each calendar year, and had been registered by the time that the file was closed for the latest year reported. Source: Office for National Statistics | |
Charities: Bank Services
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment has been made of the effects of the Icelandic banking crisis on the investment returns of UK charities in the forthcoming financial year. [233363]
Kevin Brennan:
As agreed at a meeting between Ministers and charity representatives on Friday 10 October, the Cabinet Office is working with the Association of Chief
Executives of Voluntary Organisations (acevo), the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Charity Finance Directors Group (CFDG) and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to ascertain the full extent of investment assets affected by the position of the Icelandic Banks.
On 28 October, the Minister for the Third Sector received information from a number of third sector bodies about the effect of the collapse of the Icelandic banks on UK Charities. This includes estimates based on data collected by acevo, the Association of Charitable Foundations, the CDFG, the NCVO, the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. This information has identified £86.2 million invested by 46 charities in the Icelandic banks. Background information has been collected for 39 of the 46 charities, including the identification of the individual charities which have been most significantly affected.
We continue to work with third sector partners and HM Treasury to assess the effect on UK charities. As part of this process, we are consolidating our information for a sector-wide summit with NCVO on 24 November.
Civil Servants: Manpower
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed in the City of York by each Government department and executive agency in each year since 1996-97. [230251]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed in the City of York by each Government department or executive agency in each year since 1996-97.(230251)
In order to provide the information requested for York, an ad hoc analysis has been required. This analysis is based on the Mandate collection (1997-2006) which provides approximately 90 per cent coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies and
the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (2007 only) which provides 100 per cent coverage. For years prior to 2003 coverage is lower. For comparison purposes, employment numbers for the Yorkshire and the Humber region are therefore presented alongside the statistics for York i) as published for the total Civil Service and ii) as available from the Mandate survey. The breakdown by department and agency (as available from Mandate and the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey) is provided in Annex B.
| Annex A: Civil Service Employment for Yorkshire and the Humber and York, 1997 to 2007( 1) | |||
| Permanent employees; Full-time equivalent | |||
| Year( 2) | Civil Service Yorkshire and the Humber( 3) | Civil Service (Mandate only) Yorkshire and the Humber | Civil Service York |
| (1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) 1 April unless otherwise stated. (3) 1997-2006 figures are based on Mandate collection and departmental returns to provide 100 per cent. coverage. The 2007 figure is based on the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. (4) Mandate only - incomplete coverage of Civil Service departments (5) Excludes employees of Central Science Laboratory. If Central Science Laboratory employees are included the estimate for York would change to 2,850 (see Annex B). Sources: (Unpublished) Mandate collection 1997-2006; (Unpublished) Annual Civil Service Employment Survey 2007. | |||
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