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Written Answers
Wednesday, 11th February 1998.
Sierra Leone
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What humanitarian relief they and the European Union are providing for the people of Sierra Leone, in accordance with the Conakry Agreement and Security Council Resolution 1132; and what action they have taken to encourage cross-border relief operations from Guinea, and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief by sea to Freetown.[HL489]
Lord Whitty: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £1 million of humanitarian aid to support the life-saving activities of the International Red Cross (ICRC) within Sierra Leone, and approximately £250,000 to selected refugee care programmes in neighbouring countries.
The European Community Humanitarian Office is currently funding six humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone totalling 1.9 million ecu.
The UN Sanctions Committee, under Resolution 1132, of which we are a member, is aware of the problems with processing humanitarian aid on the border. Operational responsibility for the clearance of humanitarian aid across the Guinea/Sierra Leone border was passed from the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to the Guinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More recently, there has been agreement for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) representatives to be stationed at the border of Guinea and Sierra Leone to authorise humanitarian imports.
Humanitarian relief by sea to Freetown is not a preferred route because of the added risk that items will be diverted by armed factions and therefore strengthen the organisers of the coup and not reach intended beneficiaries.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action the Department for International Development has taken, in accordance with the policy of providing assistance to the most vulnerable civilian populations, to relieve the health and nutritional problems of the people of Freetown, Sierra Leone, identified by the United Nations Secretary-General in his S/1997/958 of 5 December 1997.[HL490]
Lord Whitty: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £1 million of humanitarian assistance to support the life-saving activities of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Freetown and other parts of Sierra Leone. The ICRC are providing basic health care and distributing food to vulnerable civilians.
Her Majesty's Government also contribute to the European Community Humanitarian Office, which is
currently funding humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone totalling 1.9 million ecu.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What information they have about the mission of Claude Bruderlein of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs to Guinea and Sierra Leone; and whether they now consider that the total blockade imposed by the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) has caused malnutrition and death by starvation to many Sierra Leoneans.[HL491]
Lord Whitty: The mission led by Mr. Bruderlein is currently in the region assessing the impact of sanctions on the provision of humanitarian assistance.
The principal reason for the suffering of the people of Sierra Leone is the ongoing violence. This is due to the coup which overthrew the legitimately elected Government of President Kabbah.
The continuing fighting and the co-opting of humanitarian items by armed factions makes it enormously difficult to prevent the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to targeted vulnerable groups.
Bahrain
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, at his meeting with Crown Prince and Foreign Minister of Bahrain on 28 January, the Foreign Secretary referred to:
(a) the situation of five exiles who were recently convicted in absentia by the State Security Court in Bahrain;
(b) the attempt by Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, in September 1997 to open communications for mediation between the Bahraini Government and the representatives of the democratic opposition in the United Kingdom;
(c) the detention without trial of opposition leaders, including Sheikh Abdul Amir al-Jamri; and
(d) the request made by the Committee for Popular Petition asking for a meeting with the Amir.[HL393]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The discussions of my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary with the Bahraini Crown Prince and Minister of Foreign Affairs on 28 January covered many areas of mutual concern but focused mainly on the current situation in Iraq. Their discussion addressed the issue of constitutional development and, as I told the noble Lord in my Answer of 4 February, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue of a dialogue between the Bahraini authorities and the Committee for Popular Petition.
Mr. Morteza Firoozi
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will make representations to the Government of Iran concerning the case of Morteza Firoozi, editor of the English language Tehran newspaper Iran News, who has been sentenced to death for espionage on behalf of the United Kingdom and others.[HL394]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have been in close touch with our Embassy in Tehran about Mr. Firoozi. We understand that he has been sentenced to death on spying charges. We are considering with our European partners what action we might take on his behalf.
Uganda
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations have been made to the Government of Uganda concerning national multi- party elections in the country.[HL401]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Democratic principles are a central element to our political dialogue with the Government of Uganda. It is for the Ugandan people to decide what form democracy should take in their country. They will have an opportunity to do so in the referendum schedule for 2000. We look to President Museveni to ensure that constitutional provisions relating to the referendum are fully implemented, including those that will enable advocates of a multi- party system to put their case to the electorate without restrictions.
My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Tony Lloyd, made these points to President Museveni during his visit to Uganda in June 1997, and again at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 1997. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development made similar points during her visit to Uganda in early October 1997. Legislation on political parties is scheduled for debate during the current session of the Ugandan Parliament.
Juveniles: Secure Remand
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Jay of Paddington on 26 November 1997 (WA 123), which referred to 170 new places being provided under the Secure Accommodation Development Programme, what was the source of payment for those places.[HL449]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): The Secure Accommodation Development Programme was funded
by central government via capital grants made by the Secretary of State for Health under S.82 of the Children Act 1989.Teenage Pregnancies
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the commitments regarding teenage pregnancy on pages 23 and 42 of the consultation document, The new NHS--modern and dependable: a national framework for assessing performance, include easier access to abortion services.[HL467]
Baroness Jay of Paddington: The national framework is a consultation document seeking views on performance assessment in the National Health Service. The indicators in the consultation document have been chosen, within the constraints of available data, to throw light on particularly important health service objectives and activities, one of which is the number of conceptions below age 16. The Government have announced a national programme to tackle the problem of unwanted teenage conceptions. The principal aim of this programme is to reduce the number of unwanted teenage conceptions by supporting young people in deferring sexual activity and improving access to advice and counselling services, including contraception for those who are sexually active. Any advice on abortion is given in the context of the 1967 Abortion Act.
Ceasing Smoking: Advice and Support
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What public assistance is currently available to smokers who wish to quit.[HL527]
Baroness Jay of Paddington: In 1997-98, the Government are funding a Health Education Authority-run adult smoking education campaign costing £5.5 million. As part of the campaign, £700,000 is being given to Quit to operate the Quitline--a telephone helpline--which offers smoking cessation advice, counselling and support.
In addition, a wide range of health professionals, notably general practitioners, routinely offer cessation advice and support. These costs cannot be separately identified.
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