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7 Jan 2010 : Column 565W—continued
The General Affairs Council on 7 and 8 December 2009 took stock of progress, commended Croatia for good overall progress, underlined the importance of meeting all benchmarks, called for the completion of a credible investigation into military documents requested by the Prosecutor of ICTY and welcomed the establishment of a working group for drafting an Accession treaty.
Departmental Air Travel
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on the accumulation and use of air miles by his Department's personnel flying at public expense. [308484]
Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), the then Secretary of State, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson) on 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 995W.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether officials posted to UK embassies overseas who are not officials of his Department operate under the authority of the British Ambassador in that country; and if he will make a statement. [307050]
David Miliband: Staff of other Government Departments work under the authority of the Head of Post of the Mission in which they serve. They work to the objectives of their own Departments but the Head of Post has the right to issue instructions on any matter affecting the overall work and safety of the Mission and the Government's interest in the country concerned, and to take decisions on issues such as waiver of immunity or removal of a member of staff from post.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much press officers in his Department claimed in reimbursable expenses in each of the last three financial years. [303768]
Chris Bryant: For the amounts claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London in financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn) on 15 September 2008, Official Report, column 2179W.
The amount of reimbursable expenses that press officers at the FCO claimed from the press office budget in London in the financial year 2008/09 totalled £2,074.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day. [307542]
Chris Bryant: In recent months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has significantly improved its performance in answering named day PQs on time. The numbers of such PQs received and answered on time from January 2009 to Prorogation in November 2009 were as follows. Reliable statistics are not available for December 2008.
| Questions | ||
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Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the 'Guide to Parliamentary Work', at:
In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.
Hotels
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many hotel room nights were booked by officials in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each year since 2007; and how much (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies spent on fees of third party agents in relation to booking hotel accommodation in each such year. [309320]
Chris Bryant: Booking and paying for hotel accommodation is devolved to individual Departments and posts to allow them to travel as needed to deliver the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Strategic Objectives. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Records for accommodation and travel are grouped together and to provide a breakdown spanning the period from 2007 to present could be done only at disproportionate cost.
International Criminal Law
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in securing an internationally agreed definition of the crime of aggression; what the Government's proposed definition is; and if he will make a statement. [307787]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: A Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression concluded its work on 13 February 2009. The report is available at:
It includes proposals on the definition of the crime of aggression, with which the UK is generally content, as well as on the conditions for the exercise of jurisdiction over the crime. The proposals on the latter issue include a number of options. The proposals will now be considered at the Review Conference of the International Criminal Court to be held in Kampala in 2010. The Government continue to believe that any proposals must be consistent with the Charter of the UN and in particular with the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security.
We have no plans at present to make a further statement.
Kenya: Foreign Relations
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives he has set for UK foreign policy in respect of Kenya. [309147]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: UK foreign policy aims to encourage and support implementation of the National Accord agreed by the Kenyan Government following the 2007-08 post-election violence, to address issues that threaten the country's stability and prosperity. These include promoting a better constitution that reduces the "winner takes all" incentives for violence, making electoral cheating harder, and deterring political violence through reducing impunity. We will continue to support Kenyan leadership in tackling the root causes of violence, including economic inequality, tribal tension, lack of security sector reform and accountability. We will also work to combat corruption in Kenya, which is endemic with little political will to change. This is the same culture that embeds impunity, as seen in Kenya's failure to prosecute those who perpetrated the post-election violence.
The Government work closely with the EU and other partners such as Kofi Annan to co-ordinate support and engagement against these objectives . My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the EU General Affairs Council Meeting in Brussels last July where Council Conclusions on Kenya were agreed. The conclusions highlighted the need for faster implementation of key reforms vital to the interests of the Kenyan people. My noble Friend, Baroness Kinnock, the Minister for Africa, plans to visit Kenya next week, and will reinforce these messages.
National Action Plan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what indicators with which to measure process efficiency and programme effectiveness his Department plans to include in the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. [309231]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are examining the use of indicators as part of the revision of the UK National Action Plan, which is now under way. We have started a stakeholder consultation process that includes the issue of how the UK can best measure progress against a revised plan.
Sudan
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the new agreement between the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement on the rules for the forthcoming referendum in the south of Sudan; what reports he has received on the eligibility to register and vote of (a) southerners living in the north of Sudan and (b) northerners living in the south of Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [309132]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Minister of State, Department for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock issued a statement on 15 December 2009 welcoming the progress made towards the forthcoming referendum in South Sudan following the agreement on 13 December 2009 at the level of the Presidency on the draft Bill.
The draft Bill reflected agreement between the parties on the eligibility to register and vote of southerners living in the north of Sudan and northerners living in the south of Sudan. We welcome the news that, despite last minute difficulties, on 29 December 2009 this Bill was agreed by consensus in the National Assembly in Sudan.
We also welcome the news that the legislation regarding the referendum for Abyei and the popular consultations for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States was passed by the National Assembly on 30 December 2009.
Sudan: Human Rights
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the human rights situation in South Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [308002]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: As a result of tribal fighting, more people have died this year in South Sudan than in Darfur. This, and attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) displaced more than 300,000 people-more than double the number from 2008. The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) face several challenges which include the worsening humanitarian situation as well as security issues, corruption and the mismanagement of food stocks.
Our ambassador met with the Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission in June to assess human rights issues, including the death penalty, women's rights, access to justice and the standard of detention facilities. Our ambassador also meets regularly with the GoSS President and Ministers to discuss citizen insecurity and LRA issues. The UK also works with the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and other international partners to secure peace so that human rights can be protected in Southern Sudan.
My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock will give a further assessment of developments in Sudan during a debate in the Lords today, 7 January 2010.
Sudan: Politics and Government
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives on Sudan the Government has put forward under the recently re-established troika mechanism; and if he will make a statement. [308000]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are in regular contact with key partners on all of the issues that face Sudan. This includes contact with both the US and Norway, who together with the UK constituted the Troika during the negotiations for the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Our ongoing and close contact with the US and Norway forms a part of the UK's continued engagement with key partners on the situation in Sudan.
The parties to the CPA will need to decide between themselves on the initiatives and mechanisms that will support their efforts to arrive at a peaceful conclusion to the Interim Period. International partners should be prepared to play a strongly supportive role.
My noble Friend Baroness Kinnock will give a further assessment of developments in Sudan during a debate in the Lords today, 7 January 2010.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the implementation of the border ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration for the area of Abyei in Sudan in July 2009; and if he will make a statement. [308003]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The implementation of the Abyei ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration made in July 2009 is a key part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). We are concerned that, despite public commitment by both the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to implement the ruling, progress remains significantly behind schedule. We understand that only a small number of border markers along the 230 kilometre border have been placed. Continuing uncertainty over the border increases potential tensions and hinders implementation of other CPA milestones.
We continue to press both parties to ensure that border demarcation, as well as other commitments on Abyei, are urgently completed. A representative of our embassy in Khartoum visited Abyei in early December 2009 as part of a joint delegation with the US embassy and the Assessment and Evaluation Commission. The delegation raised our concerns directly with Government and other interlocutors.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Sudan consequent on the North-South agreement on progress towards the forthcoming referendum; and if he will make a statement. [308064]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The Secretary of State for the Department of International Development (Mr. Thomas) and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock released a statement on 15 December 2009 welcoming the progress
made towards the forthcoming referendum following the agreement on 13 December 2009 at the level of the presidency on the draft Bill.
We welcome the news that, despite last minute difficulties, on 29 December 2009 this Bill was agreed by consensus in the National Assembly in Sudan.
We also welcome the news that the legislation regarding the referendum for Abyei and the popular consultations for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States was passed by the National Assembly on 30 December 2009.
We continue to urge the parties to work together at this critical point in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to make progress on other outstanding areas and to help deliver a peaceful, equitable future for the whole of Sudan.
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