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17 Nov 2008 : Column 181W—continued
China: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Tibetans held in detention in China following the protests of March and April 2008; and
what representations he has made to the Chinese authorities on obtaining due process for these detainees. [207811]
David Miliband: There has been no official confirmation of the number of Tibetans held in detention following the protests in March and April 2008. Unofficial estimates vary considerably—International Campaign for Tibet, for example, gives a figure of 4,000 people detained, of whom 2,000 had been released by 14 April.
We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to ensure due process for all Tibetan detainees, including that they be allowed access to lawyers of their choice. We have also stressed the need to differentiate between those who peacefully express their views and those who commit violent crimes. I have spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang on several occasions since the protests emphasising the need to respect human rights. My officials have raised the detentions directly with the Chinese authorities both in Beijing and London.
At the end of March, EU Foreign Ministers called for all Tibetan detainees to be treated in conformity with international standards. The rights of the Tibetan detainees were also raised at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Slovenia on 15 May.
Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals hold honours. [196078]
Gillian Merron: The following members of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals hold honours as shown:
Sir Gus O’Donnell KCB
Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB
Sir Peter Ricketts KCMG
Jeremy Heywood CB CVO
Sir David Normington KCB
Right hon. Christopher Geidt CVO OBE
Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Residence
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the number of British citizens believed to be in critical areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what steps have been made to ensure their safety. [233064]
David Miliband: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice advises against all travel to eastern and north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including North Kivu. British nationals in the affected areas are likely to be working with international aid agencies and UN agencies. These organisations have their own security systems in place for evacuation of staff and take advice from MONUC locally. The British embassy in Kinshasa is able to provide limited consular assistance to British nationals in need of emergency assistance. The embassy also has a diplomat based in Goma who, as part of his role, is able to offer ad hoc consular advice and assistance.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the UK has put forward on mediation to secure a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement. [233066]
David Miliband: A ceasefire was declared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 29 October. While the situation in the region remains uncertain, it appears to be holding. During my visit to the region on 1-2 November with my French counterpart, I urged the Presidents of DRC and Rwanda to find a political solution to the problems of the region, including through the full implementation of the Nairobi Agreement. I also offered full support for President Kikwete of Tanzania's initiative to hold a regional meeting, which would include Presidents Kabila and Kagame.
I also welcome the UNSG's appointment of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as his special envoy to the DRC on 3 November. I look forward to working with former President Obasanjo in his efforts to bring about a lasting settlement in the region.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what initiatives are being considered. [233071]
David Miliband: I have remained in close contact with my French counterpart since the recent upsurge in fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 16 October. On 1-2 November, I visited DRC, Rwanda and Tanzania with M. Kouchner. During the visit, we urged President Kabila of DRC and President Kagame of Rwanda to seek a political solution to the problems in eastern DRC, including through the full implementation of the Nairobi and Goma agreements. We also discussed with President Kikwete of Tanzania his initiative to hold a regional meeting, which would include Presidents Kabila and Kagame.
I will continue to work closely with my French colleague and other partners to bring about a lasting settlement in the region.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Rwanda on steps to alleviate the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement. [233063]
David Miliband:
I met President Kagame on 1 November with my French counterpart Bernard Kouchner. I urged President Kagame to support efforts to find a political solution to the problems in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown attended the Nairobi Summit on 7 November and will
be visiting Kigali on 19 to 20 November where he plans to discuss the crisis further with the Government of Rwanda.
Departmental Air Travel
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether staff of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies who are entitled to business class or first class air travel are permitted to (i) travel in a cheaper class to the destination and (ii) benefit in monetary terms or kind from the saving. [222105]
Gillian Merron: All official travel by the Department and its agencies is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Resources Guidance.
Staff are permitted to travel in a cheaper class to their destination, both in the UK and overseas. They receive no benefit except as shown below.
Staff who are travelling to and from their posting at a British mission overseas on transfer and on leave journeys can choose to travel in a cheaper class than the approved route entitlement and may use any additional savings made for additional travel when taking leave during that posting. Unused entitlements remain available to the officer until the end of the posting but are then cancelled. This allows staff to travel in a way which best meets operational and personal needs, and involves no additional cost to the taxpayer.
Departmental Appeals
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department has instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from (a) the Court of Appeal and (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected. [220821]
Gillian Merron: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what his Department’s policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it (a) rents and (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years; [221082]
(2) what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to (a) rent and (b) purchase those buildings. [221098]
Gillian Merron:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) sets environmental objectives for our UK estate which are in accordance with UK Government-wide Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE)
targets. These targets cover carbon emissions, energy efficiency, waste management, recycling, water consumption, and utilisation of low-carbon or renewable sources of energy.
One of the SOGE targets is to increase energy efficiency per square metre of both owned and rented buildings by 15 per cent. by 2010 and 30 per cent. by 2020, compared to a 1999-2000 baseline. Detailed figures for the FCO’s energy efficiency performance since 1999-2000 can be found on the Sustainable Development Commission website. The relevant figures from the Fifth and Sixth Annual Sustainable Development in Government Reports are at:
http://www.sd-comission.org.uk/publications/downloads/sdig report 2007.pdf
By 1 October, all FCO sites in the UK were displaying Display Energy Certificates (DECs). The FCO is using the information obtained through DECs to further improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.
The FCO is working to fully integrate environmental factors into the design, construction and management of all new buildings and major refurbishments in the UK and overseas. For buildings in the UK we use the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). We have developed a bespoke BREEAM model for all new builds and major refurbishments in our overseas estate. Two recently completed office buildings—the British embassy in Manila and the ICT building in Hanslope Park—have both achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Very good’ for their sustainability.
We have worked with the Carbon Trust to establish targets for improving the energy efficiency of the operations of our overseas trust and are in the process of developing a programme of actions to achieve these targets by 2012.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations have received (a) free and (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case. [221583]
Gillian Merron: The information requested is not held centrally by the FCO and to obtain it for the last five years would incur disproportionate cost.
Departmental Databases
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what use (a) his Department and (b) its agencies make of (i) MOSAIC data and (ii) ACORN data. [222103]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no central record to indicate that MOSAIC or ACORN data have been used. To provide more detailed information would require a search by all directorates and posts which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department and its agencies have been (a) dismissed and (b) disciplined for their conduct in the last two years. [217409]
Gillian Merron: From 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008, seven Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and four FCO services staff were dismissed for their conduct.
During the same period, 39 FCO staff and 14 FCO services staff were disciplined for their conduct, including those dismissed.
Departmental Equality
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department met the Civil Service diversity targets set out on page 51 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007 by April 2008. [204706]
Gillian Merron: As at 1 April 2008, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) fell short of its diversity targets for the Senior Management Structure (SMS), as set out in the Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007. We aimed for 25 per cent. women (achieved 19.4 per cent.), 4 per cent. ethnic minority staff (achieved 3.7 per cent.) and 3.2 per cent. of staff with a declared disability (achieved 2.4 per cent.).
Departmental Expenses
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much Ministers in his Department claimed in expenses in each of the last three years. [222819]
Gillian Merron: Expenses reimbursed to Ministers in each of the last three financial years are as follows:
| £ | |
Departmental Information
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what types of data have been sold by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations in the last 12 months. [222106]
Gillian Merron: Core information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be re-used free of charge under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence which is administered by the Office of the Public Sector Information in accordance with the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations.
During the last 12 months the Documents of the British Foreign Policy 1919-39, Third Series, Vols II, III and IV has been re-used under the Click-Use Value Added Licence for which re-use fees are charged.
Departmental Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT in each of the last three financial years. [228425]
Gillian Merron: The following table summarises the gross information technology additions to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's tangible and intangible fixed assets in the past three financial years, as reported in its Resource Accounts:
| Addition (£ million) | |
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. [217063]
Gillian Merron: The following table records the monthly change in the number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services between July 2006 and July 2008. Due to the way in which central records are kept, it is not possible to give a separate breakdown of FCO and FCO Services figures without incurring disproportionate cost.
| UK civil servants | |
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