| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Nov 2009 : Column 815W—continued
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from his Department are seconded to work on the Chilcot Inquiry; and if he will make a statement. [293568]
David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 11 November 2009, Official Report, column 413W.
Israel: Foreign Visits
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities his Department offered Ehud Barak during his visit to the UK in September 2009; and what meetings took place between Mr. Barak and representatives of the Government. [299217]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 10 November 2009]: We adhere to our international legal obligations to implement appropriate security measures for all visits by foreign dignitaries to the UK to ensure their safety and dignity are not compromised, but we do not discuss the details of any protection arrangements that may be provided for public figures as to do so may compromise their safety.
Mr. Barak met my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 21 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms M. Dolan. [299054]
David Miliband: We first received this letter on Monday 9 November 2009 when a copy was faxed to us. I replied today.
Mongolia: Foreign Relations
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the state of relations between the UK and Mongolia; and if he will make a statement. [299771]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
Relations between the UK and Mongolia have always been strong. In 1963 the UK became the
first western country to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia. This long association has given the UK a special position in Mongolia. Both countries continue to look at ways to further develop the relationship by working on areas such as investment, education, regional security, climate change and international peacekeeping.
The approval of an investment law in Mongolia in August 2009 has opened up major opportunities for commercial ties. For example - Rio Tinto, Ivanhoe Mines and the Government of Mongolia signed a contract in October 2009 to mine copper and gold at Oyu Tolgoi, one of the largest undeveloped deposits in the world with resources in excess of $290 billion. This project has the potential to radically transform the Mongolian economy, and has already attracted unprecedented UK interest in doing business with Mongolia. We hope that the upcoming European Bank of Reconstruction and Development conference in December will further promote trade and investment ties. And we welcome the recent establishment of a UK-Mongolia Chamber of Commerce in London.
Our interest in deepening relations with Mongolia goes beyond trade and investment. Mongolia makes important contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, Sudan, Kosovo and Somalia. These deployments have always been held in high regard by the UK. They demonstrate Mongolia's commitment to playing a responsible role on the world stage.
On other global challenges, we have welcomed Mongolia's proposals to increase co-operation with their regional partners on tackling climate change. Through our embassy in Ulaanbaatar and other dialogue with the Government of Mongolia we look forward to developing co-operation further on this and other international priorities.
Outreach Events
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which cities and towns in the UK senior officials from his Department have visited as part of the PREVENT initiative; how such towns and cities were selected; which senior officials took part in each visit; when each visit took place; how much each visit cost; how many people attended each event; how attendees were selected; and if he will make a statement. [299565]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Violent extremists use misconceptions about foreign policy as a way to radicalise vulnerable young people in the UK. We have a programme of outreach to Muslim communities around the UK by Ministers and senior officials to discuss foreign policy issues and challenge extremists' distortions of British foreign policy.
During the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Leadership Week (when Heads of Mission return to London) in March this year, the following outreach events took place:
9 March: Paul Johnston, Director for International Security, visited Glasgow
23 March: Robert Chatterton Dickson, Head of Counter Terrorism Department, visited Tower Hamlets
24 March: Richard Makepeace, HMA(1) Jerusalem, gave a foreign policy briefing on Gaza to key Muslim stakeholders
26 March: James Watt, HMA(1) Amman, visited north London
26 March: Martin Hatfield, HMA(1) Indonesia, visited Luton
26 March: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh, visited Oxford
26 March: Rob Macaire, HC(2) Nairobi and John Marshall, DHM(3) Addis Ababa visited Tower Hamlets
26 March: Robert Brinkley, HC(2) Islamabad, and Stuart Eldon, Permanent Representative North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) visited Birmingham
26 March: Chris O'Connor, HMA(1) Tunis, visited Reading
26 March: Andrew Henderson, HMA(1) Algiers, visited Islington
27 March: Dominic Asquith, HMA(1) Cairo, visited Ealing
27 March: Nick Baird, HMA(1) Ankara, visited Nottingham
27 March: Simon Collis, HMA(1) Damascus, visited Sheffield
27 March: Christopher Prentice, HMA(1) Baghdad, visited Brent
27 March: Paul Madden, HC(2) Singapore, visited Woking Mosque
Following on from this, outreach events to date have been:
28 May: Steven Evans, HC(2) Bangladesh visited Bangladeshi communities in Brick Lane and Tower Hamlets
3 June: Stuart Eldon, Perm Rep NATO took part in a Q and A discussion with the forum Open Discussions in London
15 July: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh visited Redbridge
16 July: Robert Brinkley, HC(2) Islamabad visited Derby
17 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate, visited Glasgow
24 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate visited Birmingham
27 August: Adam Thomson, HC(2) Islamabad designate, visited Bradford
15 September: William Patey, HMA(1) Riyadh visited Edinburgh
15 September: Sir Peter Ricketts, PUS(4), hosted an Iftar in Brick Lane
24 September: Christopher Prentice, HMA(1) Baghdad, visited High Wycombe
9 October: Sir Peter Ricketts, PUS(4), visited Edinburgh
12 October: Tim Morris, HMA(1) Rabat, visited North West London
We work with local authorities, other Government Departments and community organisations to reach as wide an audience as possible. In most cases, local authorities approach us when they have established there is appetite for outreach in their areas. We do not select attendees and attendance numbers vary significantly from event to event.
The cost of events has ranged from £0 to £1,500, which includes venue hire, catering and travel costs for officials.
Planned outreach events for the coming months will take place in Lambeth, Kirklees, Birmingham and Manchester. There will also be an inward visit to the FCO by young Muslim students from Reading.
As with past events, the costs will range from £0 to £1,000
(1) HMA = Her Majesty's Ambassador
(2) HC = High Commissioner
(3) DHM = Deputy Head of Mission
(4) PUS = Permanent Under Secretary
Overseas Trade: Corruption
Sir Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received representations from the
government of (a) South Africa, (b) the Czech Republic and (c) Tanzania on allegations of corruption in those countries by British companies or individuals. [299679]
Chris Bryant: We have not received any representations by the Government of South Africa, the Government of Tanzania or the Government of the Czech Republic concerning allegations of corruption in those countries by British companies or individuals.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2009, Official Report, column 1153W, on trade unions, what the function of the Trade Union Secretariat (TUS) is; and whether the TUS may engage in political activity related to trade union representation. [299335]
Chris Bryant: The Trade Union Side (TUS) Secretariat represents the staff side of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Departmental Whitley Council. It co-ordinates the views of constituent trade unions and members recognised by the FCO (Prospect, the Diplomatic Service Association and Public and Commercial Services union). It leads, representing the views of the constituent trade unions, on behalf of staff in formal and informal negotiations and consultations with FCO Management on a variety of issues, including pay, terms and conditions of employment, recruitment, appraisals and promotions, redundancy, organisational change, diversity, equality and health and safety.
The TUS would not normally engage in political activities as such. While members of the TUS Secretariat may attend or be involved in meetings which have a political dimension, political activities such as lobbying would normally be done by the constituent trade unions on behalf of their members. Any political activities are undertaken by individual unions with political funds, and are not within the remit of the TUS.
Western Sahara: Human Rights
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a report from the UK ambassador in Rabat on allegations of repression by Moroccan forces in September in Boujdour, Aaiun and Smra in Western Sahara. [299306]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of allegations made by the Moroccan Association for Human Rights regarding incidents in Layoune and Boujdour in September 2009.
Our ambassador in Rabat and his staff regularly meet with representatives from human rights non-governmental organisations and discuss a range of issues. The Government take allegations of human rights violations in Morocco seriously and, along with EU colleagues in Rabat, raise individual cases with the Moroccan authorities as appropriate.
International Development
1GOAL
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had about the GCE-FIFA 2010 Word Cup initiative 1GOAL. [298334]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is very supportive of the FIFA 1GOAL campaign, and the role it will play in moving towards MDG 2-achieving universal primary education. DFID is working closely with the Global Campaign for Education to help deliver the initiative around the world and has contributed £1 million this financial year for this purpose.
Most recently, on 6 October, Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, attended the Global Leaders' launch, at which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister spoke alongside other supporters including South Africa President Zuma, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Afghan Action: Finance
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the organisation Afghan Action in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [299866]
Mr. Michael Foster: Afghan Action was awarded a grant of £225,000 in 2005 from the Department for International Development (DFID) following an application to the Business Linkages Challenge Fund. No further payments have been made.
The grant was awarded to help Afghan Action cover start-up costs and develop a viable carpet business, designed to provide training and employment for local people in Kabul. By August 2005, 75 people had been employed and 30 people trained in their own carpet-making workshop.
Africa: HIV Infection
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps he has taken to support community-based HIV campaigns in Africa. [299839]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides support to community-based organisations in several places:
In Zimbabwe, we and other donors are jointly providing £23 million in predictable funding for over 130 community-based organisations, which will reach over 180,000 orphans and other vulnerable children.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have made a £4.5 million grant to Christian Aid to support community-based care for HIV sufferers.
In Kenya, we are providing £10 million over five years to the African Medical and Research Foundation to develop the capacity of local NGOs to prevent and treat HIV.
We also support civil society via our funding to Governments. In Malawi, we contribute some £14 million to the national response to HIV/AIDs which supports
more than 1,000 community-based organisations, while in Nigeria a significant proportion of the £100 million that we have committed for the period 2009-14 is going to civil society groups particularly in areas such as home-based care and support to vulnerable groups and orphans.
A major part of UK HIV/AIDS funding is channelled through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) to which we have committed £1 billion for the period 2008-15. 12 per cent. of the fund's grants in Africa go to civil society organisations.
Burma: Overseas Aid
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much cross-border humanitarian assistance his Department plans to provide for eastern Burma in 2010; and how much was provided in 2009. [298465]
Mr. Michael Foster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2009, Official Report; column 572W, to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Mitchell).
Chars Livelihoods Programme
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons his Department signed a second contract with Maxwell Stamp plc in respect of the Chars Livelihoods Programme before undertaking a financial audit of its first contract with that company; and if he will make a statement. [300082]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Maxwell Stamp plc was awarded a contract to design and, subject to the approval of that design, implement the second phase of the Chars Livelihoods Programme following an open, competitive tendering process that followed European Union directives.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to audit the (a) impact and (b) other claims made by Maxwell Stamp plc in respect of its work for the Chars Livelihoods Programme. [300083]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: All projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) are subject to an annual review to assess progress and measure results.
Financial claims are checked against the contract terms and physical progress, in line with DFID's standard procedures.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has carried out an independent audit of the contract signed by his Department and Maxwell Stamp plc in 2004 in respect of management services for the Chars Livelihoods Programme in Bangladesh. [300084]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development carries out annual independent audits of Maxwell Stamp plc's spending in Bangladesh on the Chars Livelihoods Programme.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |