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12 Jan 2010 : Column 956W—continued
North Korea: Political Prisoners
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of political prisoners in North Korea used for forced labour; and if he will make a statement. [310427]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: While there is no doubt that North Korea imprisons large numbers of people for their political and religious beliefs, there are no reliable figures available for the number of political prisoners in North Korea.
Different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) produce various figures based on the observations of defectors, but these are difficult to verify, and often out of date. That is why we have consistently pressed North Korea to allow the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea access to their country. We called for this most recently at the UN Universal Periodic Review of the human rights situation in North Korea in Geneva in December 2009. At the Universal Periodic Review we also raised concerns of NGOs on the existence of political prison camps. North Korea responded by stating that no political prison camps exist.
Overseas Territories Consultative Council
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 206W, on the Overseas Territories Consultative Council, when he expects to publish the final costs of the meeting held on 8 and 9 December 2009. [310279]
Chris Bryant: The final cost of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council and Forum in December 2009 was £36,460.
Russia
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the Russian Federation with his German counterpart. [310195]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State currently has no plans to visit the Russian Federation, but I am currently considering the possibility of joint meetings with the Foreign Secretary's German counterpart during a visit in February.
Uganda: Human Rights
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Uganda on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before the Ugandan Parliament; and what steps his Department plans to take to help improve human rights in Uganda. [309682]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The legislation is a private Member's Bill, which was introduced on 14 October 2009 and is currently at committee stage in Uganda's Parliament. It has not so far been adopted formally by the Ugandan government.
We have grave concerns about the Bill, which we have made clear in representations to Ugandan Ministers including by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to President Museveni and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock to Foreign Minister Kutesa at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Our high commissioner in Kampala takes every appropriate opportunity to engage Ugandan Ministers on this issue. Sweden, which has the local EU presidency in Uganda, has led a demarche of EU member states to the Ugandan Foreign Ministry.
Our concerns include the negative impact the Bill would have on the rights of homosexual and heterosexual Ugandans through the criminalisation of any action that could be construed as support for homosexuality, the introduction of the death penalty for some acts criminalised by the Bill, and the potential impact of the Bill on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
The UK is also in close touch with and is supporting Ugandan civil society organisations campaigning against the Bill.
Uganda: Politics and Government
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Ugandan Government on its proposals for legislation discriminating against gays. [308143]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The legislation is a private Member's Bill, which was introduced on 14 October 2009 and is currently at committee stage in Uganda's Parliament. It has not so far been adopted formally by the Ugandan government.
We have grave concerns about the Bill, which we have made clear in representations to Ugandan Ministers including by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to President Museveni and my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock to Foreign Minister Kutesa at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Our high commissioner in Kampala takes every appropriate opportunity to engage Ugandan Ministers on this issue. Sweden, which has the local EU presidency in Uganda, has led a demarche of EU member states to the Ugandan Foreign Ministry.
Our concerns include the negative impact the Bill would have on the rights of homosexual and heterosexual Ugandans through the criminalisation of any action that could be construed as support for homosexuality, the introduction of the death penalty for some acts criminalised by the Bill, and the potential impact of the Bill on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
The UK is also in close touch with and is supporting Ugandan civil society organisations campaigning against the Bill.
Visits Abroad
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas embassies he has visited in the last 12 months. [310512]
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 most recent list were placed in the Libraries of both Houses in July 2009. 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.
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