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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1574W—continued
EU Countries: Carbon Emissions
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Polish and Czech counterparts on carbon dioxide emission reductions. [242468]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s discussions with EU partners on emissions reduction targets have been largely in the context of delivering the EU’s 2020 climate and energy legislative package. The package represents the delivery phase of the commitments which were agreed by heads of Government at the 2007 spring European Council, and puts the EU on track towards a low carbon economy. We welcome the agreement of the ambitious 2020 package at the December European Council.
Throughout 2008, Government officials had good contact on the package with their Polish and Czech opposite numbers and the Foreign Secretary also discussed climate and energy issues with Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski and Czech Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg.
Guantanamo Bay: Detainees
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek the return to the UK of British residents detained in Guantanamo Bay. [249524]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 20 January 2009]: By December 2007 the Government had secured the return from Guantanamo Bay of four individuals previously lawfully resident in the UK. The UK has, since August 2007, sought the release and return of two further former residents, Mr. Shaker Aamer and Mr. Binyam Mohamed, who remain in detention at the facility.
We remain in ongoing discussions with the US regarding Mr. Mohamed’s case and continue to press for his release and return at all levels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has raised the case with former Secretary of State Rice, as has our Ambassador in Washington with senior members of the US Administration. Senior UK officials across Government have also raised with their counterparts in State Department, Department of Defence and NSC.
The US has not agreed to release and return Mr. Aamer to the UK in light of security concerns expressed in relation to his case. We maintain dialogue with them regarding Mr. Aamer’s welfare but are no longer in active negotiations for his return to the UK. Our request for his release and return remains open should the US position change.
Israel: EU External Trade
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a review at EU level of Israel's trade status with the EU. [247794]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 15 January 2009]: We do not believe that economic sanctions are the best way to engage or to influence Israel. We therefore have no plans to seek a review of Israel’s trade status with the EU.
Languages
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 16 July 2008, how many of his Department's staff received language training in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07, broken down by language. [242669]
Gillian Merron: I will write to the hon. Member separately, and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to help bring an end to the conflict in Gaza. [248352]
Bill Rammell: We have been very active in seeking to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza. From the outset, we have called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken frequently to key leaders. Security Council Resolution 1860 was tabled by the UK, and the Foreign Secretary played a leading role in securing its adoption. We are now being similarly active in seeking to ensure that the ceasefire is built on.
Morocco: EU External Relations
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Morocco's compliance with UN Security Council resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination have been raised in EU-Morocco discussions on granting advanced status to Morocco. [244338]
Bill Rammell: The issue of Western Sahara was discussed at the 13 October 2008 meeting of the EU-Morocco Association Council. Western Sahara remains part of the political dialogue between the EU and Morocco, which will be strengthened as part of the advanced status.
The UK continues to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution (1813) of 30 April 2008, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN in this respect and looks forward to the appointment of a new UN Secretary General Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, and the resumption of the Manhasset negotiations.
Palestinians: Diplomatic Relations
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s policy is on holding discussions with elected Palestinian representatives in Gaza. [252125]
Bill Rammell: President Abbas is the elected leader of the Palestinian people. We work very closely with him and his Government.
We do not believe it is productive to talk to Hamas directly until it makes significant movement towards the Quartet principles of rejecting violence, accepting Israel’s right to exist and recognising previous agreements. The Arab League has mandated Egypt to communicate with Hamas. We are in regular contact with both the Arab League and Egypt. Turkey, Syria, Qatar and others are also speaking to Hamas.
Peace
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on (a) peace education, (b) mediation, (c) conflict prevention, (d) conflict resolution, (e) interfaith dialogue and (f) other peace development initiatives since January 2002; and if he will make a statement. [252109]
Gillian Merron: Most of this information is not held centrally in these specific categories, and obtaining it would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does hold information on conflict-related programme activity funded through trilateral (FCO, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development) funds since 2002.
From 2000 to 2007, the FCO funded its conflict-related programme activity through the tri-departmentally managed and owned Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) and Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP). The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) was established in April 2008 to replace the GCPP and ACPP. The CPP funds a broad range of conflict prevention work including education and mediation initiatives, and currently supports work in a number of regions (the Balkans, the Americas, Africa, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States). A separate Stabilisation Aid Fund (SAF) was established in April 2008 to fund stabilisation and reconstruction activity in Afghanistan and Iraq.
From financial year 2001-02 to 2007-08, GCPP expenditure amounted to approximately £448 million, and ACPP expenditure amounted to approximately £341 million. For financial year 2008-09, £112 million has been allocated to the CPP, and £73 million has been allocated to the SAF.
Somalia: Armed Conflict
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterpart on Ethiopia's announcement that it will withdraw its troops from Somalia by 31 December 2008. [243874]
David Miliband: My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Security and Counter-terrorism at the Home Office, Lord West, discussed Ethiopia’s withdrawal from Somalia during his meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, on 12 December 2008 in Addis Ababa. At the meeting, Mr. Meles confirmed that Ethiopian forces would withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year.
Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment of the political situation in Sri Lanka is. [251996]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 29 January 2009]: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement issued on 21 January 2009 by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, Official Report, columns 29-32WS.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking on the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka. [251998]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 29 January 2009]: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement issued by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21 January 2009, Official Report, columns 29-32WS.
Sudan
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of child victims of the Darfur conflict being passed in to slavery with the complicity of the Sudanese Army; and if he will make a statement. [250380]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 22 January 2009]: We are aware that, in a report published in December 2008, the Darfur Consortium group of non-government organisations (NGOs) described the abduction of women and children in Darfur. While we do not have independent verification of these allegations, we are deeply concerned and join the report’s authors in condemning all instances of abduction, people trafficking and other forms of slavery.
We agree with many of the report’s recommendations, including the need for full deployment of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), a comprehensive ceasefire and inclusive peace process for a sustainable resolution of the conflict in Darfur. We are working closely with UN, African Union and international partners to achieve these objectives, especially UNAMID’s efforts to improve security for internally displaced persons and to ensure humanitarian agencies and NGOs can operate effectively in the region.
USA: Armed Forces
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1795-96W, on USA: Central Asia, what the grade is of each of the two personnel from his Department contributing to the work of the American Central Command Assessment Team. [246311]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 12 January 2009]: Foreign and Commonwealth Office participation in the American Central Command Assessment Team comprised one D7 grade officer and one Senior Management Structure officer. The UK was pleased to be able to contribute to the wide-ranging discussion on security, rule of law and issues of global concern.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Carbon Emissions: Waste Disposal
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 22 October 2008, Official Report, column 361W, on carbon emissions: waste disposal, whether the work on estimating dioxin emissions from domestic burning has been completed. [252211]
Jane Kennedy: No. The current contract should be completed by the end of this financial year.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in the last five years; how much has been spent on wallpaper since 2001; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration. [248053]
Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has 230 properties in its portfolio, most of which have minor decorative work carried out as part of ongoing maintenance. These works are not always recorded separately from other associated works.
Gathering the data together would incur a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months. [252372]
Huw Irranca-Davies: No works or refurbishments have been carried out in offices allocated to DEFRA Ministers in the last 12 months.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by his Department, agencies and non-departmental bodies to (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if he will make a statement. [251484]
Huw Irranca-Davies:
In response to the economic downturn, DEFRA has with HM Treasury approval
brought forward capital expenditure from 2010-11 into 2009-10 as shown in the following table.
| £ million | ||||
| Organisation | Measure | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Domestic Waste: Contracts
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 842W, on domestic waste: contracts, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) peer review of WR0106 and (b) the final report for WR0506. [252205]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA’s arrangements for publishing peer reviews are set out in its science handbook. This requires peer reviews to be carried out on completed, published reports in certain defined cases.
In this case, a peer review was carried out on a draft research report before its completion or publication. In accordance with standard practice, therefore, it would not be appropriate to publish it.
Fisheries: Licensing
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boats have been licensed for scallop dredging in England in each of the last five years. [254273]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the number of boats licensed for scallop dredging in England from 2004-08.
| As at year ending 31 December | Number of vessels |
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