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Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they last reviewed the linkages between the British Tamil Association and the proscribed terrorist organisation, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and between the latter and the International Broadcasting Corporation. [HL2149]
Lord Rooker: Links between the proscribed terrorist organisation the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and other organisations are kept under constant review.
Davinder Singh Bhullar
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will raise with the Government of India the case of Davinder Singh Bhullar, who reportedly has been sentenced to death. [HL2080]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We are aware of the case of Davinder Singh Bhullar and share concerns over the use of the death penalty in India. We understand that Mr Bhullar's appeal to the sentence to the Indian Supreme Court is ongoing. We will continue to follow this case closely and are discussing with EU partners what action we can take.
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will urge the Government of India to abolish the death penalty. [HL2081]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The British Government oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. We and our EU partners have repeatedly made clear to the Indian Government our concerns over the use of the death penalty. EU Troika representatives recently conducted a demarche to the Indian authorities on 23 July 2001 in order to raise the question of Indian capital punishment. We will continue to use every appropriate opportunity to press the Indian Government to abolish the death penalty.
Gerry Adams
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have made representations to the Government of the Republic of Ireland concerning any help they may have given to the President of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, on his visit to Cuba.[HL2087]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Her Majesty's Government have made no such representations to the Government of Ireland.
European Union
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 17 December (WA 10), whether they will continue to resist fuller legal personality for the European Union in the run up to and at the 2004 Intergovernmental Conference.[HL2125]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Various proposals for amending the EU treaties are likely to be made in the run up to the 2004 Intergovernmental Conference and these will all be given due consideration by the Government.
Any decisions which propose a change to the treaties will require unanimity among the member states.
UNOMIG Helicopter
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they have proposed to the Security Council following the shooting down of a helicopter of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) on 8 October, killing nine unarmed people on board; and whether, assuming that it is not possible to identify the individuals responsible, they will ask the Secretary-General to publish all the evidence available on the circumstances surrounding the crime.[HL2137]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Government strongly condemned the shooting down of the helicopter belonging to the UN Observer Mission (UNOMIG) in Georgia. The UN is currently investigating the incident and the Georgian Government have established a commission which will co-operate with the UN. The Government will support full publication of the UN findings.
Iraq
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What amount of funds administered by the United Nations for the benefit of Iraq under Resolution 986 are currently unspent; what amount is unspent within the quota allocated to the Kurdish Autonomous Region; and whether they will ask the United Kingdom authorities to speed up payments to worthwhile projects throughout the whole of the Kurdish region.[HL2139]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: About 3.5 billion US dollars of humanitarian funds from the UN Oil for Food (OFF) programme remains unspent by Iraq in UN accounts. A similar amount is unspent within the quota allocated to the three northern governorates.
The UK regularly raises with the UN the issue of speeding up the placement of contracts in the north. It should also be noted that the UN Secretary General's latest report on the OFF programme (19 November 2001) criticises Iraq for obstructing the operation of the OFF programme in the north. The Government of Iraq have been responsible for delaying and/or refusing to grant the required visas for UN personnel and delaying the clearance of imports of essential supplies and equipment required for programme implementation in the north.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action is being taken by international agencies to prevent the expulsion of minority peoples from areas controlled by the Government of Iraq.[HL2140]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Although there are international agencies operating in Baghdad-controlled Iraq, they are not able adequately to monitor or influence the situation in the Kirkuk governorate where Saddam Hussein has been conducting an "arabisation" campaign. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Andreas Mavrommatis, has highlighted the situation in his report but he has been denied access to Iraq by the Government of Iraq.
Those minorities expelled from Kirkuk are given humanitarian assistance by the Unted Nations and international NGOs on arrival in northern Iraq.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ask the United Nations to examine ways in which the inhabitants of the Kurdish Autonomous Region could be provided with valid travel documents.[HL2141]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The inhabitants of northern Iraq are Iraqi citizens and it is therefore the responsibility of the Government of Iraq to issue them with passports. However, HMG are aware of the difficulties faced by those living in northern Iraq in obtaining travel documents and are exploring possible solutions to the problem with the United Nations.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are seeking to achieve greater binding force for the United Nations Resolution 688; and what they believe to be the best means to that end.[HL2142]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: No. The no-fly zones were established in support of UN Resolution 688 and are justified under international law in response to a situation of overwhelming humanitarian necessity.
Middle East
Lord Janner of Braunstone asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What meetings Ministers have had since 11 September with the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom to discuss the Middle East.[HL2160]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The French Ambassador has frequent contact with Ministers and a variety of issues are discussed on an on-going basis.
Gibraltar: Planes Diverted to Spain
Lord Hoyle asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Over the last six months how many planes en route to or from Gibraltar have been diverted to Spain; and how many of these were accepted by the Spanish authorities.[HL2169]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: From 1 of July until 31 December, one airplane en route to Gibraltar was diverted to Spain. We do not collect figures on planes diverted en route from Gibraltar.
UK Assistance to Overseas Military and Police Forces
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assistance the United Kingdom has given to military and police forces overseas.[HL2259]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: UK training and assistance to militaries and police forces overseas have been provided through the ASSIST (Assistance to Support Stability with In-Service Training) scheme, the ASSIST Challenge Fund and English Language Training programme. In total £6.8 million in the financial year 2000–01 supported some 220 training and assistance projects for the military, law enforcement agencies and civilian bodies in over 65 countries, with a strong emphasis on human rights and good governance. Examples include the attachment of a UK Chief Constable to the Indonesian Police Service to help it establish a new structure and code of ethics; English language training for central and eastern Europe militaries to support their international peacekeeping capabilities and NATO candidature; and a project to help UK and South Asian police forces work together on the issue of forced marriages.
Following a review last year of the Government's conflict prevention and resolution activities, the ASSIST budgets have been subsumed into the interdepartmental conflict prevention pools, which continue to fund ASSIST-type activities.
The review of the ASSIST activities for 2000–01 gives more detail. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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