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12 Oct 2009 : Column 47W—continued
Pakistan: Christianity
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the government of Pakistan on the attacks on Christians (a) in Korian and Gojra and (b) elsewhere in Pakistan; what response has been received; and if he will make a statement. [292398]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK supports freedom of religion and condemns any persecution on grounds of faith or religious belief. Incidents such as the attacks on Gojra and Korian are examples of the discrimination faced by religious minorities in Pakistan.
The UK regularly raises human rights concerns both bilaterally with the Government of Pakistan and together with our EU partners. The latest attacks on the Christian community have been strongly condemned by both the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan. And the Government of Pakistan has announced a package of compensation for those affected by the attacks.
Following the attacks, our high commissioner in Islamabad raised our concerns about the attack in Gojra with the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif. Mr. Sharif assured the high commissioner that the perpetrators would be brought to justice and that he had instructed the Lahore High Court to conduct an inquiry.
Petar Sutovic
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Serbian government on (a) the death of Petar Sutovic in Belgrade in 2004 and (b) the subsequent removal of his organs. [292147]
Chris Bryant: We have raised various aspects of the investigation into Petar Sutovic's death with the Serbian Government at the family's request and continue to make requests for information on behalf of the Walthamstow Coroner's Office which is conducting a second inquiry into Petar's death. We requested information from the Serbian Government regarding the removal of organs and we await a reply.
Punjab: Religious Freedom
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the status of religious minorities in the Punjab province of Pakistan. [292311]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK continues to view the difficult situation facing religious minorities in the Punjab and indeed all of Pakistan as a cause for concern. The latest attacks on the Christian community in Gojra and ongoing persecution of the Ahmadiyya community are examples of the dangers faced by religious minorities, and serve as reminders of the need to protect the religious freedom of all Pakistanis.
Alongside our EU partners, the UK continues to encourage the Government of Pakistan to repeal or amend the blasphemy laws to reduce the widespread misuse of this legislation to discriminate against minority groups. In December 2008, the EU called upon the
Government of Pakistan to promote tolerance, to effectively protect freedom of belief and freedom of expression and to reform discriminatory legislation such as the blasphemy laws. In August 2009, the EU also raised the attacks on Christians in Gojra with the Pakistan Foreign Minister.
We continue to encourage Pakistan to fulfil its commitments under the UN Human Rights Council. During the last Universal Periodic Review in May 2008, we secured a commitment from the Government of Pakistan that checks would be introduced to regulate investigations into allegations of blasphemy that affect minority groups.
Security
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred on engaging private security companies and private military companies for work undertaken in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each of the last three years. [291779]
Chris Bryant: The total values of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's contracts with private security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan in each of the last three years are as follows. We do not contract with private military companies.
| Iraq | |
| £ million | |
| Afghanistan | |
| £ million | |
The figures above cover contracts put in place by London, and reflect in the main the contract values and not the expenditure. They also now include contract variations and have also been calendar-year annualised. These contracts also cover Partners Across Government with the costs thereof being shared out accordingly.
Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government is giving to the government of Sri Lanka to implement political and constitutional reforms. [291526]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
We regularly discuss with the Sri Lankan Government the need for an inclusive political solution to address the underlying causes of the recent conflict. It is ultimately for the Sri Lankan people to decide what a solution must look like, but we believe it would need to be based on equality, consent and rule of law. The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) was set up by the Sri Lankan President to build consensus on political reforms. In 2008, we funded a visit by APRC members to England, Wales and Northern Ireland to share our experiences of devolution, and peace building
in Northern Ireland. We encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to reach a satisfactory conclusion of the APRC process as soon as possible.
Sudan: Females
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sudanese Government on the imprisonment of Lubana al-Hussein and the punishment of women arrested with her for wearing trousers. [291657]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We raise human rights issues in Sudan through the EU and we have been in regular discussion with EU representatives in Khartoum and Stockholm regarding the arrests and trial. We have also made representations to the Government of Sudan (GoS) during the current session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and highlighted the case in a statement to the Council on 15 September 2009.
Whilst we welcome the release of Ms Hussein on 8 September 2009, we continue to call upon the Government of Sudan to act in the spirit of the rights set out in the Interim National Constitution and in particular the Bill of Rights provision that no person should be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Western Sahara: Fisheries
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2009, Official Report, column 291W, on Western Sahara: fisheries, if he will make it his policy to seek the inclusion of a reference to the territorial extent of Morocco in any proposed agreement on fisheries between the EU and Morocco. [289327]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government have no plans at present to seek the inclusion of a reference to the territorial extent of Morocco in any future EU fisheries agreement with Morocco.
Future negotiations on the expiry of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement in 2011 will take into account any changes that may occur before that time.
Western Sahara: Human Rights
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the establishment of a human rights monitoring mechanism in the Western Sahara. [290401]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK supports the call by the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on the UN Mission for Referendum in the Western Sahara (MINURSO), for the parties to remain engaged in a continuous and constructive dialogue with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to make progress on the human dimension of the conflict.
The Government believe that greater openness and transparency on human rights by all the parties in the Western Sahara could create a significantly better environment for political dialogue between the parties.
Work and Pensions
Attendance Allowance
Mike Penning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in attendance allowance to residents of (a) Hemel Hempstead
constituency, (b) Dacorum, (c) Hertfordshire and (d) England in (i) 1980, (ii) 1997, (iii) 2001, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2008. [289405]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is shown in the table.
| Attendance allowance, expenditure: Cash terms | |||||
| £ million | |||||
| 1980-81 | 1997-98 | 2001-02 | 2005-06 | 2008-09 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are expressed in £ million and rounded to the nearest £100,000 for all areas except England which is rounded to the nearest £1 million. 2. Expenditure is in cash (nominal) terms. 3. Figures given for Hemel Hempstead represent the Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency. 4. Figures given for Dacorum represent Dacorum local authority. 5. Figures given for Hertfordshire represent the county of Hertfordshire which is made up of the following local authorities: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, St. Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford, Welwyn Hatfield. 6. Expenditure for 1980 is not available for these areas. 7. Figures are consistent with benefit expenditure tables available on the DWP website through the following link: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp Source: DWP statistical and accounting data. | |||||
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on proposals to abolish attendance allowance outlined in the recent Green Paper, "Shaping the future of care together", in the last five months; and if she will make a statement. [292102]
Jonathan Shaw: The Department of Health's Green Paper, "Shaping the Future of Care Together", was a product of very close working between Government Ministers across a number of Departments, including the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Attendance Allowance: Birmingham
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in attendance allowance to residents of the Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath constituency in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2008. [291447]
Jonathan Shaw: The information is provided in the following table.
| Total value of attendance allowance payments to people in the Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath parliamentary constituency in 2001, 2005 and 2008 | |
| £ million (nominal terms) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are consistent with budget 2009 expenditure forecast. 2. Benefit and expenditure and caseload information is available on the Department website at: http://reasearch.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting data | |
Carer's Allowance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have ceased to receive carers allowance due to the receipt of (a) a pension and (b) an other income replacement benefit in (i) St Ives constituency, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) England in each of the last five years. [287927]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following table:
| Number of people who ceased to receive carer's allowance when they began claiming state pension or another income replacement benefit | |||
| March to February each year | St. Ives parliamentary constituency | Cornwall unitary authority | England |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data show those people who ceased receiving carer's allowance and began receiving state pension or another income replacement benefit in the same quarter but retained underlying entitlement. Source: Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | |||
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 690W, on carer's allowance, if she will extend carer's allowance to include a costs-related element. [289331]
Jonathan Shaw: There are no plans to extend carer's allowance to include a costs-related element.
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people were eligible to receive carer's allowance in each local authority area on the latest date for which figures are available; [289390]
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