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1 July 2009 : Column 282W—continued
Delara Darabi
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Iran on the execution of Delara Darabi on 1 May 2009; and if he will make a statement. [282497]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We were appalled to learn of the execution of Delara Darabi on 1 May 2009 for a crime she had allegedly committed at the age of 17. The EU, with strong UK support, issued a declaration on 2 May 2009 condemning her execution and urging the Iranian authorities to eliminate the death penalty for juveniles from its penal code.
In a press release issued on 7 May 2009 my predecessor, now the Minister for Armed Forces my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Bill Rammell), echoed these sentiments and expressed our deep sorrow at the news.
My hon. Friend also summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to condemn Ms Darabi’s execution and the continued practice of executing juvenile offenders. He expressed concern at Iran’s continued disregard for international human rights law; and reminded Iran of their freely undertaken obligations.
Iran is signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which unequivocally prohibit the use of the death penalty for crimes committed by those under the age of 18.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2009, Official Report, column 917W, on departmental billing, how much his Department's non-departmental public bodies have paid in interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years. [282326]
Chris Bryant: No payments of interest for late payment of commercial debts were made by Foreign and Commonwealth Office non-departmental public bodies in the last three years.
Departmental Contracts
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which companies his Department, excluding its overseas posts, entered into contracts in the last financial year. [282659]
Chris Bryant: The following list gives the companies with which the contracts teams in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services have entered into new contracts during financial year 2008-09. It does not include contracts that were entered into prior to or after this period by these teams, or placed by others in the FCO in the UK during this period. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Adhunik Vatanukool;
AES Electrical Systems;
Alchemist Partnership Limited;
ALCIS Ltd.;
Alfaplan Gradenje;
Ambrose HR Ltd.;
Asbestos Removals Logistics Ltd.;
ATG Access Ltd.;
Avail Consulting;
Balticare;
Bramble.cc Ltd.;
Bright Horizons Family solutions;
Building Services Group Ltd.;
Business Objects (UK) Limited;
Bymaro;
Cambridge Econometrics;
Capita Group PLC;
Certes Computing Ltd.;
Coffey International Development Ltd.;
Cogent Electrical Services Ltd.;
Computacenter;
Concerto Consulting;
Controlled Building Services Ltd.;
Coombs Consulting Ltd.;
Corporate Value Associates;
CP Recoveries;
Cranfield University;
Crown Agents;
Data Capture Solutions;
DGSI;
Disposal Services Authority;
Dytecna Limited;
Ebla Translations;
Elan;
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP;
Fugro Middle East;
G4S Security Services (UK) Limited;
Gardaworld;
Gilbert Ash Fit-Out;
Gleeds (QS);
Gleeds Building Surveying;
GMW Architects;
GP Supplies Limited;
GTZ;
Haig Consulting Ltd.;
Hanover Aviation Consultants Ltd.;
Hay Group Management Limited;
Heathrow Airport Limited;
Hoare Lea;
HOK International;
Intuity Consulting Ltd.;
Jedi Systems Consulting Ltd.;
Jordan + Bateman;
Kellogg Brown and Root Limited;
Knight Frank;
KPMG LLP;
LA International;
Mayfair Building Services;
MCI UK Ltd.;
Methods Consulting;
Minimal Risk Consultancy Ltd.;
Morson Human Resources Ltd.;
Morson International;
Mott MacDonald;
NSSL;
ODEC Ltd.;
Olive Group;
ORC International;
Orostream International Contracts Ltd.;
Ove Arup;
Oxford Policy Management Ltd.;
PA Consulting Group;
Parity;
Pemco Co. Ltd.;
Pepco Energy Services;
PMR Products Ltd.;
Projected Consulting Ltd.;
Purcon Ltd.;
QA Ltd.;
Ridge and Partners;
RN Golds Associates;
RPS Health Safety;
SMA Ltd.;
South Midlands Communication;
Spire Business Support Ltd.;
Thales UK Ltd.;
The Carbon Trust;
TMP (UK) Ltd.;
Toffco SDN BHD;
TPS Consult;
Tribal Consulting;
UCT Ltd.;
Venn Group Ltd.;
Veredus;
Windell Ltd.;
Zeal Interiors.
Departmental Opinion Polls
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 435W, on departmental opinion polls, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Survey of partners across Government. [283234]
David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office survey of Partners Across Government 2009 has just been completed and the report is currently being finalised. Once the final report is available a copy will be placed in the Library.
Eritrea: Human Rights
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the human rights situation in Eritrea; and what steps he plans to take to have human rights included on the Article 8 Political Dialogue agenda for discussion between the EU and Eritrea. [282824]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our ambassador to Eritrea regularly discusses the human rights situation with her EU counterparts in Asmara. The chief reason for these discussions is to raise human rights issues with the Government of Eritrea as part of the Article 8 Political Dialogue.
In furtherance of the EU's desire to discuss human rights with the Government of Eritrea, the EU Heads of Mission produced a human rights report at the end of January. Since initial discussions earlier this year the Government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights included on the Article 8 Political Dialogue agenda for discussion. However, when the EU Heads of Mission last met with the Government of Eritrea on 23 June 2009, we were encouraged by the Government of Eritrea proposing human rights form part of the agenda at the next Article 8 Political Dialogue meeting, scheduled for September.
On 18 September 2008 the UK took part in the European Parliament Human Rights Committee discussion on how to address the growing human rights crisis in Eritrea. At this meeting various non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, presented their human rights concerns to the Eritrean ambassador to Belgium and EU representatives.
My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown raised human rights with the Eritrean ambassador at the end of last year. In February 2009 Lord Malloch-Brown also took part in a debate in the House of Lords, which focused on the human rights situation in Eritrea.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [282825]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We continue to be concerned about reports of human rights abuses in Eritrea. A huge obstacle to making any factual assessment of the human rights situation in Eritrea is that the Eritrean police and security services are not willing to engage with our embassy on human rights abuses. This makes following up or corroborating reports of any abuses very difficult.
The UK raises human rights issues with the Eritrean Government both in Asmara and with the Eritrean ambassador to London on a regular basis, highlighting the amount of public and parliamentary interest we receive. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown raised human rights with the Eritrean ambassador at the end of last year.
We also discuss human rights as part of the EU via the Article 8 Political Dialogue. EU Heads of Mission produced a human rights report at the end of January to discuss with the Government of Eritrea. Since initial discussions earlier this year the government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights included on the Article 8 Political Dialogue agenda for discussion. However, when the EU Heads of Mission last met with the Government of Eritrea on 23 June 2009, we were encouraged by the Government of Eritrea proposing human rights form part of the agenda at the next Article 8 Political Dialogue meeting, scheduled for September.
We will continue to seek to engage the government of Eritrea on human rights issues at both EU and bilateral levels.
G8: Meetings
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the meetings of (a) G8 Heads of Government and (b) G8 Foreign Ministers in 2010 and 2011 are scheduled to take place. [282590]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: In 2010 Canada will host the G8 summit for Heads of Government in Huntsville, on 25-27 June 2010. Dates for Canada's G8 Foreign Minister meeting have not yet been publicly announced.
France holds the G8 presidency in 2011, but has not yet announced the dates for a Heads of Government summit or Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Iran: Demonstrations
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise in the UN Council of Human Rights the handling by the authorities in Iran of the public demonstrations on the outcome of the recent presidential election. [282459]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 26 June 2009]: The UK regularly raises concerns about human rights in Iran, most recently at the 11th session of the UN Council of Human Rights which took place from 2-18 June 2009.
The UK has strongly supported statements by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a joint statement under five UN Special Procedures. These statements voiced grave concern about the use of excessive police force, arbitrary arrests and killings in the Islamic Republic of Iran and urged the Iranian Government to refrain from using excessive force and to fully guarantee freedom of expression and assembly throughout the country.
The next session of the Human Rights Council is scheduled to take place from 7-25 September 2009, and the UK will continue to monitor the situation in Iran closely and raise concerns as appropriate.
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