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15 Jun 2009 : Column 70W—continued
| Use of restraint for the purpose of preventing incitement to cause harm or damage property | |||||
| Rainsbrook | Oakhill | Medway | Hassockfield | STC total | |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Aung San Suu Kyi
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma on Aung San Suu Kyi. [279194]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have regularly called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, through direct contacts with the regime.
Most recently, our ambassador in Rangoon conveyed to the Burmese authorities our deep concern on receiving news of the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi on 14 May 2009. Whenever possible, he has attended the trial. In addition, my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Bill
Rammell), the then Minister of State, raised recent developments in Burma with EU and Asian participants at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Asia-Europe meeting in the region at the end of May. He spoke directly to Burmese foreign ministers to call for her release, and the release of all other political prisoners in Burma.
Burma: Politics and Government
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma on the pro-democracy movement in that country. [279195]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Through the EU and United Nations, and directly with the regime, the UK has regularly called for the elections proposed to be held in Burma to be free and fair. We have made clear our views that unless all political prisoners are released, and democratic opposition and ethnic groups can participate freely in the 2010 elections, they will have no validity or international credibility.
Most recently, my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Bill Rammell), the then Minister of State, spoke directly with the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Phnom Penh on 27-28 May 2009. He called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, and for the start of a genuinely inclusive political process.
Colombia: Foreign Relations
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Colombian counterpart to discuss UK-Colombian relations. [279359]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no meetings with the Colombian Foreign Minister scheduled. Our ambassador in Bogota maintains regular contact with senior Colombian Government officials, including the Foreign Minister, to discuss bilateral relations and broader global issues.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of invoices his Department and its agencies paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [278830]
Chris Bryant: The figures for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are as follows:
| Invoices paid within 10 days | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
This information was not collected before November 2008.
The FCO is aware of the importance of paying suppliers promptly, and makes every effort to pay invoices as quickly as possible.
Departmental Gifts and Endowments
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what gifts his Department has given to members of EU institutions since 2005. [277110]
Chris Bryant: None. It is not official policy to give gifts to members of EU institutions and we are not aware of any official gifts being given since 2005.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks of 15 May 2009, Official Report, column 1061W, on departmental public expenditure, for what reason the administration allocation for the Basra post was reduced from £6,800,947 in 2007-08 to £1,426,582 in 2008-09; what categories of cost are now incurred at this post; and how much staff security at the post cost in the latest period for which figures are available. [276798]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since 1 April 2008 funds for major contracts in Iraq have been managed from London as this is more cost-effective. The funds managed at post are for local running costs.
The total allocations for London and posts in Iraq Directorate for financial year (FY) 2007-08 were £39.2 million. In FY 2008-09 total allocations reduced to £36.1 million. The decrease in allocation was because of the renegotiation of major contracts, which led to lower costs while maintaining appropriate levels of security for our staff.
Costs incurred at Basra include those for security, transport, medical, catering and other life support costs.
The value of the contracts for security at Basra in 2008-09 was £4.2 million.
Election observers
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of (a) short-term and (b) long-term observers the UK will provide for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission to the Albanian parliamentary elections. [278795]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK will send two long-term observers (7 per cent.) and 20 short-term observers (5 per cent.) to the election observation mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for the Albanian parliamentary elections which will be held on Saturday 28 June 2009.
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2009, Official Report, column 1196W, on elections: monitoring, if he will make it his policy that the Government provide no less than 10 per cent. of observers to all election observation missions undertaken by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. [279142]
Chris Bryant: Our policy on OSCE election observation missions will continue to be to provide up to 10 per cent. of observers to all election observation missions, on an ad hoc basis.
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of (a) short-term and (b) long-term observers the Government plans to contribute to the election observation mission to the Albanian parliamentary elections organised by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. [279143]
Chris Bryant: The UK will send two long-term observers (7 per cent.) and 20 short-term observers (5 per cent.) to the election observation mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for the Albanian parliamentary elections which will be held on 28 June 2009.
Gibraltar
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the designation by the Spanish Government of a maritime conservation area encompassing British Gibraltar territorial waters; under what authority that designation was made; and if he will make a statement. [279059]
Chris Bryant: The UK has made written and oral representations at ministerial and official level to the European Commission regarding Commission Decision 2009/95 EC. As the UK is the only member state competent to propose a site covering British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW), we do not recognise the validity of the adopted site. The UK is deeply concerned that Spain should seek to designate an area of BGTW and that the UK was not formally consulted. In our view, the adoption procedures were deficient, and there was a clear lack of transparency and effective consultation involved. We continue to press the Commission to rectify this matter urgently.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Spanish Government on its designation of waters off Gibraltar as a marine conservation area; what assessment he has made of the effect of the designation on (a) fishing rights, (b) allocation of airspace and (c) development rights; and if he will make a statement. [279060]
Chris Bryant:
Under Commission Decision 2009/95 EC, Spain has put forward a Site of Community
Importance under the habitats directive which encompasses British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). As the UK is the only member state competent to propose a site covering BGTW, we do not recognise the validity of the adopted site and do not consider that the decision allows Spain any rights in BGTW, nor would we accept that it would have any effects in BGTW. The UK is deeply concerned that Spain should seek to designate an area of BGTW and that the UK was not formally consulted. The UK has made written and oral representations to Spain (and to the Commission) at ministerial and official level on this issue and will continue to do so until such time as the issue is resolved.
India: Tourism
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the behaviour of British tourists in Goa. [278606]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have received no reports about the behaviour of British tourists from the Goan authorities. However, last year 131 British nationals required consular assistance while in Goa.
In response to this, our high commission distributed over 18,000 information booklets direct to British tourists in Goa during the main six-month tourist season last year. They plan a further distribution this year and are hoping to open up further distribution channels to increase this amount.
Iran: Baha'i Faith
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 May 2009, Official Report, column 45W, on Iran: Baha'i faith, what representations he has made to the Iranian government on the detention of seven Baha'i leaders in Iran since his public statement on 16 February 2009. [279323]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We continue to express our concerns to the Iranian Government regarding the treatment and continued detention of the seven Baha’i leaders.
14 May 2009 marked the one-year anniversary of their arrest and on this date my predecessor as Minister of State, my hon. Friend the member for Harlow (Bill Rammell), issued a press statement in which he urged the Iranian Government to ensure that their lives and rights are protected in accordance with international law.
The EU, with strong UK support, issued a declaration on 25 May 2009 on behalf of all member states, reaffirming our concern for the Baha’i leaders and expressing wider concerns about the increasing violation of religious freedom in Iran.
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