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6 July 2009 : Column 545W—continued
Aung San Suu Kyi
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Burma on the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. [284305]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 3 July 2009]: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has expressed UK's deep concern over the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, commenting that it shows the Burmese regime is intent on finding any pretext to extend her unlawful detention. He released a statement on the morning of her arrest on 14 May 2009 condemning the actions of the regime. On receiving news of her arrest, our embassy in Rangoon also immediately registered its concern with the Burmese authorities. Our ambassador contacted them again on 18 May 2009 and the following days to seek access to her trial.
Former Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Bill Rammell raised the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, the detention of over 2,100 political prisoners and the implications for a genuine transition to democracy in Burma with EU and Asian partners 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 Ministers to express the UK's outrage at their actions.
Most recently, the Prime Minister issued a statement on Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday, 19 June 2009, reiterating his call for her release. Our embassy in Rangoon transmitted a message from the Government to the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs early on 1 July 2009 expressing our continued concern about Aung San Suu Kyi's trial and urging the regime to co-operate with the UN General Secretary upon his visit.
Bermuda: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2009, Official Report, columns 629-30W, on Afghanistan: detainees, what the role of the (a) government and (b) Governor of Bermuda is in respect of Bermudese foreign affairs; and if he will make a statement. [283326]
David Miliband:
The Governor has responsibility for the conduct of any business of the Bermuda Government with respect to the external affairs of Bermuda in
accordance with section 62 of the Bermuda Constitution. The Government of Bermuda have been delegated, subject to certain conditions, authority under a 1968 General Entrustment to negotiate and conclude agreements in certain specified areas with other countries. Other entrustments have also been issued at various times authorising specific negotiations.
Chernobyl: Children
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what progress has been made in discussions with his Belarusian counterpart on arrangements for visits to the UK by children who grew up near Chernobyl; [278169]
(2) for what reasons the Government has not concluded a bilateral agreement with Belarus on safeguarding the status of children connected with Chernobyl. [278170]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 4 June 2009]: I have been asked to reply.
On 22 May, the United Kingdom entered into a bilateral agreement with the Belarusian Government to secure the resumption of organised visits by Chernobyl-affected Belarusian children to the United Kingdom. Parliament was notified of this agreement by written ministerial statement, laid on 11 June 2009, Official Report, columns 48-49WS, available at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090611/wmstext/90611m0001.htm #09061143000079
Departmental Databases
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information databases his Department (a) maintains and (b) uses which do not contain personal information. [284399]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its network of diplomatic posts overseas use a large number of databases, of varying size and complexity. The most significant of these are managed centrally.
These databases support a wide range of activities across the organisation, from the processing of passport applications and recording consular assistance to British citizens overseas, to managing the FCO's financial and personnel administration across the whole network of FCO departments and posts overseas. Each post normally also holds local business and official contacts databases.
Many of the FCO databases may contain personal information about our staff and members of the public who have sought our assistance, but all personal information held on FCO databases is strictly protected in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Departmental Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) sections of his Department and (b) non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have requested money saved from efficiency savings to be used for increased pay in their 2009 pay offers to staff. [282892]
Chris Bryant: Efficiency savings are not used for increased pay in the 2009 pay offer to staff. Efficiency savings are either redirected back into frontline services or to enable the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to live within its comprehensive spending review settlement.
Diplomatic Missions
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 25WS, on diplomatic missions, what discretion local authorities have to withdraw public services from diplomatic missions which do not pay the national non-domestic rates billed to them. [283916]
Chris Bryant: National non diplomatic rates (NNDR) for diplomatic premises is paid in full to local authorities by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA then bills individual missions for the portion which covers services from which missions directly benefit. This is currently calculated as 6 per cent. of the total bill.
As diplomatic missions do not pay NNDR direct to local authorities, it would not be appropriate for local authorities to withdraw services from those diplomatic missions which have NNDR debts.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 25WS, on diplomatic missions, on what date the Zimbabwe mission last paid a bill for national non-domestic rates; and how many months of non-domestic rates arrears the sum given in the statement represents. [283917]
Chris Bryant: The Valuation Office Agency's records indicate that the Zimbabwean mission's debt has been accumulating since 2000-01. Since that time they have only paid one year's beneficial portion of national non-domestic rates, for the year 2006-07. The sum given in the written ministerial statement represents eight years' accumulated debt.
Interpal
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has had discussions with the Quartet representative on the designation by the US administration of the charity Interpal as a terrorist organisation. [284463]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have not discussed Interpal with the quartet representative.
Our officials are in discussion with their US counterparts about how to facilitate legitimate charitable work while protecting against any risk of funds being misused by terrorists. These discussions have included reference to the Interpal's status in the US as a designated organisation.
Israel: Internally Displaced Persons
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the eviction of families from the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem; what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the matter; and if he will make a statement. [284949]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by the continued eviction notices served on Palestinian families in East Jerusalem and have pressed the Israeli Government to suspend these eviction notices immediately. We have supported an EU presidency statement expressing the EU's deep concern about the issue of eviction notices to the al-Rawi and Hanoun families in East Jerusalem and calling for the al-Kurd family to be allowed to return to their home.
Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made the UK's concerns clear in his statement to the UN Security Council on 11 May 2009 and it was also discussed during the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting on 15 June 2009. The UK will continue to raise this with Israeli officials both in public and in private.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of his Department are based in 10 Downing Street as foreign policy advisers to the Prime Minister. [284026]
Chris Bryant [holding answer 3 July 2009]: There are currently three members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office based in 10 Downing street working as foreign policy advisers to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
Peru: Rain Forests
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Peru on the protection of rainforest in that country. [284214]
Chris Bryant: We have frequent discussions with the Peruvian Government as part of our close and friendly bilateral relationship. This includes with Peru’s Environment Minister on his commitment made at Poznan in December 2008 to reduce Peru’s deforestation to zero by 2019. We have offered our support to the Peruvian Government as they seek to strengthen Peru’s legal framework for protecting the Amazon.
Terrorism: Compensation
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to introduce a compensation scheme for British victims of terrorism overseas; and if he will make a statement. [282500]
Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply as Minister for Humanitarian Assistance.
An inter-departmental working group is putting together detailed proposals on financial support for victims of terrorist attacks overseas. The group will report to Ministers shortly.
Defence
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 26 February 2009, Official Report, columns 394-97W, on Records of detention (review conclusions), what the names of each of the two individuals transferred from Iraq to Afghanistan in 2004 are; at what US detention facilities they (a) have been and (b) are being held; what steps the Government has taken to verify US assurances on the treatment of the two individuals; whether the UK has the power to demand (i) access to and (ii) the return of the two individuals; on what date officials were first made aware of (A) the intention to transfer the two individuals and (B) the transfer itself; what international law applies to people held on behalf of other coalition forces; and if he will make a statement. [283335]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 30 June 2009]: It is not the practice of this Department to release personal information, such as the names of these two individuals. The individuals were initially held at a US detention facility in Baghdad before they were transferred to US detention facilities at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. As my predecessor made clear in his statement, when this information came to light officials immediately engaged with their US counterparts and were assured that the individuals are held in a humane, safe and secure environment that meets international standards that are consistent with applicable cultural and religious norms. I am satisfied that these assurances are reliable; although there is no formal legal power for the UK to demand access to the individuals, close relationships with the US satisfy me that this is not required. After 31 December 2008 the UK has no power of detention in Iraq so demanding the return of these two individuals would not be practical nor possible.
The review examined the available historical records, which suggest that British officials became aware of an intention to transfer in March 2004, although this was some days after the initial capture had occurred. British officials had learned by mid-June 2004 that the individuals had been transferred to Afghanistan.
What particular international law provisions apply will depend on the operational theatre and the circumstances; I am not in a position to make general statements on what legal provisions may apply as each operational theatre is different.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan triggered by (a) weight, (b) command wire and (c) remote detonation by electronic signal in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. [283548]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many locally employed translators are working for the armed forces in each region of Afghanistan. [283553]
Mr. Kevan Jones: The armed forces employ nine locally employed translators in Afghanistan. Of these six are in Kabul and three in Helmand Province.
The armed forces also employ 397 locally employed interpreters. Of these six are based in Kandahar, 32 in Kabul and 359 in Helmand Province.
Air Force: Training
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training flights in each type of aircraft have been undertaken by RAF pilots in each training area in each of the last 10 years. [283661]
Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Available information related to low flying training is published annually in the report, "The Pattern of Military Low Flying across the United Kingdom". The report relating to the training year 2008-09 will be published, and placed in the Library of the House, before the summer recess.
Armed Forces: Afghanistan
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum number is of members of the armed forces who may be deployed to serve in Afghanistan. [284242]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 3 July 2009]: The endorsed force level for UK military operations in Afghanistan is 8,300.
The Prime Minister announced on 29 April 2009, Official Report, column 869, the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan to provide extra security during the Afghan election period. This has temporarily increased troop numbers in Afghanistan to 9,000.
Armed Forces: Health Services
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met Scottish Executive Health Ministers to discuss the care of soldiers and veterans in each year since 1999; [282935]
(2) on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met Scottish Executive Health Ministers to discuss the sharing of best practice between the Defence Medical Services and NHS Scotland in the last two years; and what other mechanisms are in place to ensure that best practice between those services is shared. [283201]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Details of topics discussed during meetings between Ministers are not held centrally. Both my predecessor and the Under-Secretary of State have met with Shona Robison, on 14 May 2009 and 23 April 2009 respectively to discuss a variety of issues.
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