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20 May 2009 : Column 1418W—continued
Bill Rammell: The arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi on 14 May 2009 is of serious concern and shows how determined the regime are to silence her. Our embassy in Rangoon was in contact with the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately on 14 May. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister issued a statement on the morning of 14 May, condemning the regime's actions, The UK actively pursued a statement issued on behalf of the EU and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed with EU counterparts in Brussels on 19 May 2009 further steps the EU should take.
We are continuing to discuss the situation with our international colleagues in the UN. Once the outcome of the trial is known, we will actively consider how best to engage members of the UN Security Council further on the situation in Burma.
China: Christianity
Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese government on the detention of two Chinese Christians, Alimiyiang Yimih and Wusiman Yiming; and if he will make a statement. [276434]
Bill Rammell: The case of Alimjan Himit (who we believe is also known as Alimujiang Yimiti) was raised at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January as part of an individual case list. We urged the Chinese to consider freeing Alimjan, and to ensure he had access to a defence lawyer. The Chinese responded that Alimjan was detained in Kashgar Detention Centre, and that his physical conditions were normal and he enjoyed the rights to family visits and to hire a defence lawyer according to law.
The case of Osman Imin (known as Wusiman Yiming in Chinese documentation) was also raised at our bilateral Human Rights Dialogue in January as part of the case list. We asked for information on the nature of the charges brought against Osman, information on where he is being held and his expected release date. To date we have not yet had a response.
We will continue to monitor both of these cases and raise them wherever appropriate. We will also continue to raise broader issues of religious freedom and to urge the Chinese Government to ratify the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights.
Departmental Contracts
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which services his Department has outsourced in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [274448]
Gillian Merron: The provision for UK based language training for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officers was outsourced in 2007 after the completion of a tender process in accordance with Government guidelines. A framework agreement was signed with 15 providers. Within the framework, each newly commissioned course is subject to competition between these providers.
Information and data covering the FCO’s global outsourcing of services are not held centrally and could, therefore, be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Data Protection
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to maintain the security of its databases; and if he will make a statement. [274085]
Gillian Merron: The Security Policy Framework, the Data Handling Report and the National Information Assurance Strategy produced by the Cabinet Office provides a strategy for protecting information that government handles and puts in place a set of mandatory measures which Departments must adhere to.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is compliant with the security policies contained in the Government Security Policy Framework including those for information security.
Departmental Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff employed in London on work contracted out by his Department earn less than £7.45 per hour. [274947]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 12 May 2009]: Details for every Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) directorate are not held centrally, and to give a comprehensive answer would incur disproportionate cost. However, among those FCO directorates that principally contract out work in this way, there are currently 70 staff performing work which is contracted out and who earn less that £7.45 per hour.
Those contracted on a temporary basis and sourced via an agency, rather than being contracted by the FCO, remain employees of and paid for by the agency concerned. The FCO pays an hourly rate to the agency for the provision of the service which includes the agency's management fee, mandatory employers' contributions, and a remuneration element, but the FCO does not necessarily have sight of the breakdown detailing the exact remuneration element.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 27 April 2009, Official Report, column 1032W, on departmental public expenditure, how many overseas posts received overseas price mechanism uplifts in 2008-09; and how much uplift funding each such post received. [272912]
David Miliband: The following table highlights the posts that received an uplift in 2008-09. The exchange rate risk for posts in the Americas is managed by a devolved budget holder. The budget holder received a total £7.595 million uplift to maintain post budgets in 2008-09.
| £ | |
| Post | Uplift received in 2008-09 |
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