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16 Dec 2009 : Column 1227W—continued
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the directions given to civilians in Gaza by Palestinian armed groups in respect of going to or remaining at sites targeted for attack under Operation Cast Lead. [306679]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There have been various reports conducted into the Gaza conflict, some by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. However, the specific issue of directions given to civilians in Gaza by Palestinian armed groups is documented in the Government of Israel's July 2009 report "The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects" (paragraphs 186 to 189) and the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report.
Copies of these reports can be found at:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the use of (a) hospital facilities and (b) ambulances by (i) the authorities in Gaza and (ii) Palestinian armed groups during Operation Cast Lead. [306680]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There have been various reports conducted into the Gaza conflict, some by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. However, the specific allegations of misuse of medical facilities and ambulances is documented in the Government of Israel's July 2009 report "The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects" (pp64-67, paragraphs 171 to 180) and the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report (page 117).
Copies of these reports can be found at:
The Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on (a) the number of incidents in which Israeli military forces have fired on Gazan (i) farmers and (ii) fishermen in each of the last four quarters and (b) the resultant injuries. [306776]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: According to the UN in 2009 (to November) one fisherman has been killed, 24 fishermen and six farmers have been injured as a result of warning shots fired by Israeli forces.
The UK recognises Israel's right to defend itself but calls upon the Israeli Government to act with restraint and in accordance with international law.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Israeli naval restrictions on Gazan fishermen. [306784]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Israeli restrictions on Gaza, including those on Gazan fisherman, continue to have a detrimental effect on the Gazan economy. We are clear in our call for Israel to relax its restrictions on Gaza.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Prime Minister has received a response to his joint letter of 16 October 2009 with President Sarkozy to his Israeli counterpart on the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza; and whether the Israeli Government has taken any of the actions requested in the letter. [306798]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The joint letter was the culmination of substantive discussions between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, President Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of an important vote in the Human Rights Council on the serious issues raised by
the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza report. Ministers have followed-up with further discussions, notably my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with his Israeli counterpart on 25 November 2009 and the Secretary of State for International Development with Defence Minister Barak on 1 December 2009.
On 25 November 2009, the Israeli Government announced a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary made clear in a statement that same day that we want this announcement by Israel to become a step towards resuming meaningful negotiations to achieve the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security, based on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, and a fair settlement for refugees.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the Iranian Qods force in terrorist activity in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement. [307117]
David Miliband: The Qods Force (QF) is a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Force (IRGC). We have previously expressed concern that the IRGC and the IRGC-QF are involved in training, equipping and supplying, to varying degrees, Iraqi armed militia groups, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups. This further undermines international confidence in the Iranian regime's intentions, and is at odds with the regime's claims to the international community and its own people to want to work for stability, security and prosperity.
Morocco
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK the matter of the movement of Moroccan settlers to occupied Western Sahara. [304824]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government have not discussed the movement of population between Morocco and Western Sahara with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK and have no plans to discuss the matter with Her Highness at this time.
The Government see the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute, providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross.
Origin Marking: Morocco
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the labelling of produce originating from territories occupied by (a) Morocco and (b) Israel. [305506]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
On 10 December my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs tabled a written ministerial statement concerning technical advice on the labelling of produce
from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. That advice has been issued in response to consumer and retailer concern about a lack of clarity on whether such produce comes from Israeli settlements or Palestinian producers.
We do not regard the two situations as comparable and there is no technical advice in place for commercial products originating from the territory of Western Sahara. For example the Government regard the status of Western Sahara, as distinct from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as undetermined pending resolution under the auspices of the UN.
Palestinians
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence his Department has evaluated on the uses to which the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza was put before December 2008. [306678]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have no reports of the use of the Palestinian Legislative Council building, other than by Hamas as an administrative building.
Palestinians: International Assistance
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request his Israeli counterpart to allow aid items into Gaza. [306806]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We continue to press the Israeli authorities, both at an official and ministerial level, to ease border restrictions into Gaza and allow the passage of essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction material. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this, during a telephone conversation, with his counterpart on 25 November 2009. These concerns were also highlighted by the EU Foreign Ministers at their meeting on 8 December 2009.
Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Armstrong Formula was introduced in relation to peacekeeping costs; and when and for what reasons its usage was withdrawn. [307051]
David Miliband: The Armstrong formula was introduced in 1984 during a period of relative stability in UN peacekeeping. Vote responsibility for all peacekeeping operations rested with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and money was annually allocated to the FCO in the public expenditure survey to meet these costs. Under the Armstrong formula, in the event of an unforeseen increase that could not be met in-year from within existing funds, and subject to Treasury agreement, the FCO had recourse to Treasury's central contingency reserve.
Peacekeeping activities increased sharply in the early and mid 1990s, and peace support operations became more complex, requiring a broader range of political, military, development and economic activities. In 2001 two new tri-departmental Conflict Prevention Pools (the Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools) were established with strands for both peacekeeping and programme activity. Under current arrangements, the
first £374 million of assessed contributions are met by HM Treasury and costs above that are borne by FCO, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development from the Conflict Pools and/or from within departmental expenditure limits.
Russia: Detainees
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on President Medvedev's aim to reduce the level of legal nihilism in that country; and if he will make a statement. [307492]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had detailed and wide ranging discussions with Foreign Minister Lavrov when he visited Moscow from 1-3 November 2009 including on the importance of the rule of law. I also discussed these issues during my recent meetings with Deputy Foreign Ministers Karasin and Grushko.
We welcome President Medvedev's focus on the need to strengthen the rule of law in Russia, including his focus on tackling corruption and promoting the independence of the judiciary. Promoting the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, is a key element of the UK's and EU's engagement with Russia. These issues were raised in the last EU/Russia human rights consultations on 5 November 2009. The annual UK/Russia bilateral human rights talks have enabled us to raise our concerns and we will do so again at the next talks planned for early 2010.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently provides funding for work on preventing false charges from being made by law enforcement agencies and increasing awareness of the importance of complying with international human rights standards across the criminal justice system.
Security Companies
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond to the public consultation on promoting high standards of conduct by private military and security companies. [306914]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) launched a public consultation on the Government's proposed policy to promote high standards of conduct in the Private Military and Security Companies industry internationally on 24 April 2009.
We received detailed responses from over 20 organisations and individuals. Officials have analysed these in detail. We will publish the final summary of responses, including a Government response to the contributions received, today, 16 December 2009, on the FCO website. This will be announced by a written ministerial statement laid before the House on the same day.
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department (a) has had and (b) is planning to have with US officials on regulation of private military and security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [307012]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has maintained a regular dialogue with US officials on the question of international regulation of private military and security companies (PMSCs), since June 2008. The US, UK and Swiss Governments in conjunction with industry representatives, relevant trade associations and non-governmental organisations have been working together to agree a set of draft international standards for the PMSC industry. We hope to agree these standards in the course of next year.
Sudan: War Crimes
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the International Criminal Court's citation of Sudan's President al-Bashir. [307659]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have a long-standing position of support for the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an independent judicial body, and also of not commenting substantively on its decisions. We have consistently urged the Government of Sudan to co-operate with the Court, and reiterated our support for peace in Sudan. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and to make clear our expectation that all countries should cooperate with the ICC investigation, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of 2005, and the particular legal obligations of States Party to the ICC.
Travel Information
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has commissioned from (a) within and (b) outside his Department studies of the likely effectiveness of (i) his Department's Know Before You Go campaign and (ii) subsidiary campaigns undertaken since 2001. [305475]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Know Before You Go campaign (including its subsidiary campaigns) is evaluated by external agencies on a six monthly basis to ensure targets are being met and that it effectively reaches the population. For example, in 2008-09 the campaign reached an estimated 64 per cent. of UK adults, in some cases up to 28.5 times. The report also evaluates value for money, such as number of people reached per £1 spent, and the advertising value equivalent of the campaign. The most recent evaluation showed the return on investment for the campaign as a whole to be over 16:1, i.e. every £1 spent achieved £16 worth of value. In addition, every 6 months a qualitative and quantitative survey is commissioned to monitor changes in travellers' behaviour and attitudes, as well as providing guidance for the future direction of the campaign.
Uganda: Armed Conflict
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what countries the Lords Resistance Army is active; and what recent representations he has made to try to effect a ceasefire in those areas. [307658]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We assess that the largest concentration of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) is in the Central African Republic, with smaller numbers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
The UK will contribute $400,000 to the existing UN Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo disarmament, demobilisation and repatriation activities, which will be targeted towards encouraging the LRA to end hostilities. We continue to press for greater coordination between peacekeeping operations in the region in pursuing the LRA and to prioritise civilian protection activities.
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