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3 Nov 2009 : Column 935W—continued
Colombia
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009, Official Report, column 67W, on Colombia: trade unions, what the cost was of his visit to Bogota. [297471]
Chris Bryant: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual list of overseas travel by Ministers costing in excess of £500. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate. Copies of the list are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. A list of overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 will be published in due course. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Colombia: Armed Forces
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which official in his Department is responsible for monitoring the compliance with human rights standards of those Colombian security forces which have received training or other assistance from the UK. [296718]
Chris Bryant: The monitoring of the human rights or other performance of individual Colombian military personnel is the responsibility of the Colombian armed forces.
Our embassy in Bogota keeps a record of Colombian security force personnel who receive UK training, whether in counter-narcotics, human rights or humanitarian demining, in case information emerged to suggest that they subsequently become involved in human rights abuses. No such information has emerged to date.
Disclosing the details of the record held by our Embassy could endanger the lives of those involved.
Colombia: Drugs
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on counter-narcotics assistance in Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [297478]
Chris Bryant: We do not disclose the value of our counter-narcotics assistance to Colombia. To do so would put British and Colombian lives at risk. This decision has been upheld by the parliamentary ombudsman.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to seek to encourage MONUC and the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
to ensure that Operation Kimia 2 does not cause harm to civilians in eastern DRC; and if he will make a statement. [294736]
Chris Bryant: The UK continues to support civilian protection as the UN mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (MONUC)'s highest priority under UN Security Council Resolution 1856, and will do so for its new mandate. MONUC forces have performed well in very difficult circumstances. The UK is working closely with the UN to address the security situation in the areas most vulnerable to violence.
MONUC's response in this area includes deployment of joint civilian-military protection teams, where civilian staff specialising in different areas (human rights, child protection, civilian affairs etc) go out into the field with MONUC military and undertake a range of liaison activities with the local population to better understand their protection needs. MONUC has developed a conditionality policy as a means of withdrawing support from Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) units implicated in serious human rights abuses.
We also continue to urge DRC government of the need to respect International Humanitarian Law and not force Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return. IDPs and refugee returns is a key strand of the DRC government Stabilisation and Reconstruction Plan and the Humanitarian Action Plan. We will keep working with the DRC government to implement these plans in co-ordination with humanitarian partners.
Departmental Rail Travel
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on first-class rail travel by its officials in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [293208]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spend on first-class travel within the UK was as follows:
| Financial year | £ |
| (1) January to March. (2 )Up to September. | |
The Hogg Robinson Group took over the travel contract in December 2007 and figures prior to this date are not available.
UK Staff on duty travel are only entitled to first-class rail travel when the journey time is over two hours, all other journeys must be made in standard class.
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek to ensure progress in proceedings relating to Radovan Karadzic in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. [296809]
Chris Bryant:
The Government welcomed the arrest last year of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. The UK has provided co-operation to the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to ensure that his trial was able to commence on 26 October. The handling of proceedings against Dr Karadzic is an independent judicial matter for the court.
Iran: EU Action
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on diplomatic action against Iran following the sentencing of Hossein Rassam. [297573]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary briefed EU partners in confidence at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 26 October 2009 after receiving initial news of the sentence handed down to Hossein Rassam.
Once the sentence was confirmed, the EU presidency issued a statement on 29 October 2009 condemning the sentence and making clear that action against one EU member state was an action against all.
EU partners also took co-ordinated action in summoning Iranian ambassadors in capitals to underline their concerns about this case, and the European Council expressed its continuing concern about the situation of staff members of European Union Missions and European citizens in Iran who have recently been on trial, and called for their prompt and unconditional release.
Israel: Nuclear Weapons
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answers to the hon. Members for Islington North and Lewes of 20 October 2009, Official Report, columns 757 and 773, what steps he is taking to persuade Israel to (a) abandon its nuclear capability and (b) sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. [295576]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are clear in our call, both privately and publicly, on Israel to accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. We also call on Israel to ratify the comprehensive test ban treaty.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Permanent Under Secretary, Peter Ricketts, emphasised our commitment to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction in meetings during his visit to Israel earlier this month.
We continue to believe that a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, delivering a viable Palestinian State alongside a secure Israel, is a critical part of achieving peace and security in the region.
Middle East: Overseas Aid
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of funding provided by (a) the Government and (b) the EU which has contributed to the Palestinian economy in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [296651]
Mr. Michael Foster: I have been asked to reply.
The UK contributes to the Palestinian economy through budget support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and support to the development of the private sector.
Since March 2008, the UK Government have provided £53.5 million in budget support to the PA through the World Bank Trust Fund. The European Commission also provided £281 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA) through its PEGASE mechanism in 2008. The funding provided through the World Bank Trust Fund and PEGASE has enabled the PA to stabilise its finances and catch up with arrears of salary payments. This has helped stabilise the economy, reduce household debt and improve investor confidence.
In May 2008 we set up the £3.3 million Facility for New Market Development to enable Palestinian businesses to develop new products and research new markets for their goods. This project has helped over 180 companies in both the West Bank and Gaza. The UK has also funded two conferences to encourage investment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. These have resulted in the construction of a £25 million hotel development in Ramallah, the establishment of the Palestine British Business Council, and training courses for Palestinian IT professionals in Ramallah by Google.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East; and what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Palestinian and (b) Israeli authorities on that matter. [296501]
Chris Bryant [holding answer 2 November 2009]: From my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister down, we work closely with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and our international partners, to promote efforts towards a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Most recently, the Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu on 15 October, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Defence Minister Barak on 13 October and to Prime Minister Fayyad on 28 October.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK is giving to the Palestinian Authority to improve its policing and security systems; and if he will make a statement. [296623]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK provides considerable support for security sector reform in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Since March 2008, we have been funding a £1.16 million project to provide the Palestinian civilian police with information technology and communications equipment, and to help fund their criminal investigation training.
We also support the work of the US Security Co-ordinator General Dayton. This includes advice to the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior, and support to a Senior Leadership Course which trains future leaders of the Palestinian security sector.
A strong and reformed Palestinian security sector is central to the peace process and the establishment of a successful Palestinian state. The reforms undertaken by the Palestinian Authority have helped improve Israeli and US confidence in the capability of the Palestinian security forces, and delivered economic benefits for ordinary Palestinians. We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority to build on these successes and further improve the security situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Middle East: USA
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of relations between the United States of America and Middle Eastern countries. [293312]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Relations between the US and countries in the middle east are primarily a matter for those concerned.
We welcome President Obama's speech in Cairo on 4 June and his determination to make progress towards peace in the region. This offers a real opportunity and we continue to work with the US and partners across the region to support progress towards this goal.
Northern Cyprus
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the Turkish Cypriot authorities to seek a reversal of the decision of their Higher Broadcasting Council to forbid the use of Turkish Cypriot dialect on television and radio in northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [295162]
Chris Bryant: The Government are not aware of any decision to forbid the use of the Turkish Cypriot dialect in the north of Cyprus.
Overseas Aid: Domestic Violence
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding his Department has allocated to projects overseas to tackle domestic violence and sexual abuse in each year since 2001. [292777]
Chris Bryant: The Department for International Development leads on this issue globally and supports a range of initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women, including domestic violence, through its development assistance programmes. This has included work in Ghana and Sierra Leone supporting the implementation of new legislation on domestic violence; and in Nepal, providing technical assistance to the Prime Minister's Office on the national campaign to end gender-based violence.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has funded one related project on domestic violence overseas in the recent past. This was a three-year community policing project being run in Russia between 2006 and 2009 (at a cost of approximately £300,000) by the Global Opportunities Fund for Human Rights. The aim of the project was to train police officers on prevention of community and domestic violence, working with
justices of the peace, non-governmental organisations and relevant municipal organisations, to reduce domestic violence.
The FCO's Human Rights and Democracy Strategic Programme Fund supports projects on equality, including tackling the structural and institutional roots of gender discrimination through effective implementation of international law, but it does not have dedicated funds for tackling domestic violence and sexual abuse overseas.
South America: Conflict Prevention
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 July, Official Report, columns 108-9W, on Colombia: land mines, for what reason the Conflict Prevention Pool no longer funds projects in South America. [294787]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009 announced the Government's arrangement for conflict funding in 2009-10. We have increased the resources available for conflict activity in 2009-10; a significant symbol of the importance we attach to these issues. However, we face competing demands and we cannot fund all activity to the same level as in previous years. The funding for Latin America was withdrawn as the limited funds available were allocated to regions where the risk and impact of conflict is greatest, including south Asia and the middle east. The UK still undertakes significant work in Latin America on issues such as human rights and democracy, climate change and counter-narcotics. We continue to work alongside international partners, including the UN, on conflict issues.
Tibet: Human Rights
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to (a) (i) monitor and (ii) witness the trial of the Tibetan film-maker Dhondup Wangchen who has been in detention in Tibet since March 2008 and (b) establish his medical condition. [296883]
Chris Bryant: We are aware of Dhondup Wangchen's case. We are concerned about his well-being following his continued detention pending a trial, and about the conditions of his detention. His case was raised at the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue in Prague on 14 May 2009, where his name was included on an individual case list. On this the EU side asked for clarification as to the whereabouts and the grounds of his detention, as well as for his release. Most recently, my hon. Friend, Ivan Lewis, Minister of State for the Middle East and the Far East, also raised this case during his trip to Lhasa and Beijing in September, reiterating our concerns for his safety and welfare. The Chinese response was to inform us of the nature of his arrest, that the relevant Chinese authority raised charges against him and that his case was under judicial proceedings. We will continue to raise this case at every appropriate opportunity.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek urgent clarification from the Chinese authorities on the whereabouts of Tibetans, Tenzin Phuntsok, Kangtsuk and Penkyi from Sakya county who each received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve in April 2009. [296884]
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