Afghanistan and Pakistan
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on public opinion in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Pakistan of unmanned aerial vehicle strikes. [155039]
Alistair Burt: The FCO has supported opinion surveys which looked at attitudes towards governance, religion and society in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). In 2010 and 2011, these surveys included a question related to “US drone strikes in the FATA”. The proportion of respondents that believed that drone strikes were never justified rose from 59% in 2010 to 63% in 2011. No other assessments of the effect of drone strikes on public opinion have been undertaken by the UK.
Altaf Hussain
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the activities of the leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement leader Altaf Hussain; and what his policy is on the activities of that group in the UK. [155491]
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Alistair Burt: The activities of the Muttahida Quami Movement and Altaf Hussain are not a matter for the British Government, provided that they are lawful. The police are the appropriate body to investigate any allegations of criminal acts.
Bangladesh
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that requirements on health and safety in the workplace are taken into account in the conduct of trade with Bangladesh. [154756]
Alistair Burt: The terrible event of the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar has highlighted the importance of following the law, enforcing regulations and eliminating the underlying corruption that increases daily risk to innocent individuals in Bangladesh.
The British Government are committed to improving living and working conditions in Bangladesh. The Ethical Trading Initiative, supported by the Department for International Development (DFID), improves the life of nearly 10 million workers, and the DFID-funded RAGS Fund is promoting the rights of garment workers.
There is still much more to be done and everyone involved needs to play their part. This will involve close cooperation from all parties involved in the supply chain.
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his European counterparts and (b) the European Commission on plans to use preferential trade access to encourage better health and safety regulations in Bangladesh. [154757]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had no recent discussions with his European counterparts or the European Commission on plans to use preferential trade access to encourage better health and safety regulations in Bangladesh.
The preferential trade access is a policy which is owned by the Department for International Development.
George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the killing of large numbers of peaceful protestors in Shapla Square, Dhaka, Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement. [155489]
Alistair Burt: The British Government are very concerned about the recent violent protests and deaths in Bangladesh. There have been a number of outbreaks of violent unrest in Bangladesh since mid-February, resulting in approximately 200 deaths to end April. We continue to monitor the situation closely.
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On the specific 5-6 May violence, we have calls for the Government of Bangladesh to conduct an impartial, transparent, investigation into the violence. The British high commissioner in Dhaka issued a statement on 6 May, urging all parties to restrain from violence or excessive use of force, and to substitute dialogue for confrontation.
The Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi raised concerns about recent violence with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister most recently in a meeting on 25 April. On 13 March, she issued a statement expressing the UK's concerns and urged all sides to exercise restraint, moderation and respect for rule of law.
The British Government respect the right for all citizens to hold their Government to account, including through legitimate and peaceful protests. We hope that citizens are able to freely raise their concerns or grievances through peaceful means, without fear of retaliation or attack.
British Nationals Abroad: Death
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1049-50W, on British nationals abroad: deaths, what the nature is of the assistance provided by his Department to families in such cases. [154313]
Mark Simmonds: The range of support the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can provide in the cases of British nationals killed or murdered abroad is described in its publication, “Support for British Nationals Abroad”. This can be found on the Gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide
I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Senior Minister of State right hon. Baroness Warsi PC, to the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy of Southwark, on 23 April 2013, Official Report,House of Lords, column 1350.
Buildings
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total running costs were for each building used, owned or rented in central London by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three financial years. [154241]
Mr Lidington: The following table shows the net running costs according to Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) records for each of the separate buildings used, owned or rented by the FCO for the last three financial years. This includes buildings leased by the FCO’s arm’s length bodies.
| £ | |||||
| Building | Occupier | Owned/rented | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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| (1) Building vacated in May 2013. (2) Westminster Foundation for Democracy. (3) Great Britain China Centre. (4) British Council 2012-13 figure shown net of subletting income. | |||||
The FCO has two Executive agencies, neither of which rent or own buildings in central London. FCO Services provides technical and logistic support to the Department and its staff are housed in King Charles Street, the Old Admiralty Building and Lancaster House. The cost of their accommodation is not separately recorded. The Wilton Park conference centre is housed in rented premises near Steyning, West Sussex. No Wilton Park staff are permanently based in any part of the FCO's central London estate.
Colombia
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Colombia about the death threat received by the Patriotic March member, Martha Cecilia Díaz Suárez and her two daughters from the paramilitary group Los Rastrojos in the form of two mutilated and red painted dolls. [154250]
Mr Swire: We have received many reports of threats and violent attacks against members of the Patriotic March movement. Officials at the British embassy in Bogota have raised several of these cases with the Colombian Government, including threats against Carlos Lozano and the disappearance of Hernán Henry Díaz. The British ambassador to Colombia met leaders of the March in Bogota this year.
Fiji
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Fiji about that country's human rights record; [154106]
(2) what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Fiji about the status of Fiji within the Commonwealth; [154107]
(3) what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Fiji about the effects on Fiji of its suspension from the Commonwealth; [155600]
(4) what his policy is on the readmission of Fiji to the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement. [155617]
Mr Swire: We regularly raise our concerns about the human rights situation in Fiji with the Fijian authorities, including Ministers, the civil service, Police Commissioners and election bodies. In view of the seriousness of the human rights situation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has included Fiji as a 'country of concern' in its Annual Report on Human Rights for both 2011 and 2012.
Further, in consultation with the British high commission in Suva, the local EU delegation has issued a number of statements on the human rights situation in Fiji, including: concern around the political parties' registration decree; investigations into allegations of torture; and the importance of freedom of expression and assembly. We have also encouraged the local EU delegation to raise these issues with the Fijian Foreign Minister which it did most recently earlier this month. We are encouraging the EU to pursue a dialogue on criteria for EU election observers. In view of the lack of democratic progress, EU development assistance to Fiji remains suspended.
Fiji remains suspended from the Commonwealth until it returns to democracy. Our view is that should democracy in Fiji be restored through free and fair elections, we stand ready to consider further assistance and look forward to the day Fiji is re-instated as a full member of the Commonwealth family. I used my visit to the region last month to make public statements on these points. I have spoken along similar lines to the Fijian high commissioner in London.
I have encouraged the Commonwealth Secretary-General to continue his organisation's outreach to Fiji to discuss assistance that Fiji would need to enable a return to democracy. The British high commission in Suva met a Commonwealth Secretariat needs-assessment mission that recently visited Fiji.
In relation to all of these issues, we continue to work closely with our partners in the region, including Australia and New Zealand.
G4S
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current level of expenditure by his Department is on contracts with G4S; and how much was spent by his Department on contracts with G4S in each year since 2008. [154553]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has over 40 contracts with G4S globally. For the current financial year, these are valued at £36 million approximately per annum. The highest value centrally managed contracts are for the provision of armed static and mobile security services in Afghanistan (£25 million this financial year), guarding services in the UK (£4.5 million per annum) and armed mobile security services in Somalia (over £1 million per annum). The balance of the expenditure is on a number of smaller contracts worldwide. These overseas contracts are also widely used by our other Government Departments, and partially funded/recharged accordingly.
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FCO spend with G4S has been as follows since financial year:
| £ million | |
The spend figures for 2008-09 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department issues on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment to an official in his Department; what the process is for clawing back such bonuses; and on how many occasions this has happened in each of the last five years. [154998]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has performance procedures where a performance related pay (PRP/bonus) is only paid to a qualifying member of staff. There are robust misconduct procedures where the suspension or removal of a PRP/bonus payment could be imposed as a penalty for an act or acts of gross misconduct where dismissal was not appropriate. In such circumstances, the member of staff would be notified in writing and the full amount would be deducted from the next available pay day.
In the last five years there have been fewer than five cases where action has been taken to suspend or remove a bonus payment. For reasons of confidentiality, and to avoid the possibility of revealing the identities of individual staff, the FCO, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, does not disclose more detailed information when overall numbers amount to fewer than five.
Central records are not held centrally for locally employed staff in our overseas posts and to obtain such data would incur disproportionate costs.
Publications
Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on subscriptions to academic journals published by (a) Reed-Elsevier, (b) Wiley-Blackwell, (c) Springer and (d) any other academic publisher in each of the last five years. [154495]
Mr Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spend on subscriptions to academic journals via official suppliers is as follows for the years 2009-2012:
| £ | ||||
| Publisher | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
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Spend for 2008 is not currently available.
Subscriptions to academic journals provide FCO staff with access to external opinion and analysis and an awareness of current issues. This knowledge contributes to informed decision making and enables staff to engage with contacts across and outside Government.
Russia
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Russian Government regarding the detention and trial of Alexei Navalny. [155571]
Mr Lidington: We are concerned that a number of prominent opposition politicians have faced criminal and administrative charges in Russia in the last year. Many observers have suggested that these cases are politically motivated. Senior officials raised the ongoing charges against Alexei Navalny at the 2013 UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue which was held in Moscow on 8 May. We are following developments in the case closely.
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Russian Government on (a) human rights, (b) the independence of the judiciary and (c) the arrest and prosecution of political opposition figures. [155572]
Mr Lidington: At the 2013 UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue held in Moscow on 8 May, the UK delegation set out our concerns about recent human rights developments in Russia including the arrest and prosecution of political opposition figures, and that such action was undermining the rule of law in Russia. We also continue to raise concerns at ministerial level. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), did so during talks with Foreign Minister Lavrov in London in March, and I did the same when I met Deputy Foreign Minister Titov in Moscow in February.
Somalia
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to prevent sexual violence in Somalia. [155203]
Mark Simmonds:
Britain is working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia and the UN Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura, to address sexual violence in Somalia. We welcome the Federal Government's invitation, issued at the Somalia Conference on 7 May, for a UN team of experts to visit at the earliest opportunity, and look forward to the team's subsequent report and
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recommendations. On 1 May, the UK and United Arab Emirates announced £2 million of joint funding for training and capacity building support to the Federal Government of Somalia in order to assist with the implementation of the report's recommendations.
Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the representation of women's issues at the conference on Somalia held on 7 May 2013. [155204]
Mark Simmonds: The single biggest challenge facing women in Somalia remains the impact of conflict and insecurity. The Somalia Conference focused on how the international community could better support the Federal Government of Somalia in providing better security for their citizens, thereby helping to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
Preventing sexual violence was also an important theme at the Somalia Conference, following the request made by the Somali Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam, for UK assistance on this issue during her visit to the UK in January. During the conference, the Federal Government and the UN signed a joint communiqué representing their commitment to tackle sexual violence in Somalia. The UK will continue to work with both parties to progress this work.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with representatives of Somali women prior to the conference on Somalia held on 7 May 2013; and if he will make a statement. [155230]
Mark Simmonds: Together with the Department for International Development and the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted a seminar on 29 April in which prominent civil society members from Somalia and the UK diaspora came together to discuss issues facing women in Somalia today. The event demonstrated the importance the British Government place on the empowerment of Somali women as a core component of our engagement in Somalia.
I chaired a session focusing on the issue of violence against women and girls in conflict and listened to the concerns and advice that these women had for both the UK and for Somalia. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) opened this event and spoke on women's empowerment, while the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) chaired the final session on female genital mutilation and forced marriage. A report of the main conclusions from this seminar was placed in the delegate packs for all those who attended the Somalia Conference on 7 May.
During his visit to Mogadishu on 2 May, in advance of the Somalia Conference, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), held a roundtable with prominent civil society
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representatives and members of the Federal Government of Somalia to discuss, first hand, issues faced by women in Somalia.
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions will be taken with regard to protecting and advancing women's rights in Somalia as a result of the conference on Somalia on 7 May 2013; and if he will make a statement. [155231]
Mark Simmonds: The British Government place great importance on gender equality and on the empowerment of Somali women as a core component of UK engagement in Somalia. Protection of human rights, including women's rights, formed important components of the plans presented by the Federal Government of Somalia at the London Somalia Conference on 7 May. Together with international partners, Britain will be working closely with the Somali Government to implement these plans.
The UK looks forward to working with the Federal Government of Somalia, the UN and other international partners to support these recommendations. On 1 May, the UK and United Arab Emirates announced £2 million of joint funding for training and capacity building support to the Federal Government of Somalia in order to assist with the implementation of the report's recommendations.
During the Somalia Conference, the UN Deputy Secretary General and the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict signed a joint communiqué with the Federal Government of Somalia committing to joint work to tackle sexual violence in Somalia. The UN Special Representative's team will visit Somalia in the summer and make recommendations for practical steps that can be taken to improve Somalia's rule of law systems to prosecute crimes of sexual violence and to support victims.
Syria
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that no UK companies are (a) directly and (b) indirectly involved in selling goods to the Assad regime in Syria; and what discussions he has had with his (i) US, (ii) French and (iii) German counterparts to ensure that companies from those countries are not selling goods to that regime. [155654]
Alistair Burt: The British Government have led the way in introducing EU Measures against the Syrian regime, including against President Assad. All items currently prohibited under the EU Syria sanctions are listed in the official journal of the EU.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:330:0021:0051:EN:PDF
This means that no UK company can sell these goods to or buy them from the Assad regime.
We discuss the evolving situation in Syria with our international partners on a regular basis at ministerial and official level. This includes conversations with the US, France and Germany on ensuring that all appropriate restrictive measures are being taken against the Assad regime.
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UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the UN Security Council for a human rights requirement to be included in the future mandate of MINURSO. [155317]
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Alistair Burt: We continue to make clear, in discussions at the UN Security Council, the importance of full respect for human rights and note that the latest Security Council Resolution on MINURSO added a new emphasis on human rights, encouraging Morocco and the Polisario to continue in their respective efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps.