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8 Nov 2004 : Column WA51
Written Answers
Monday, 8 November 2004.
Northern Ireland Office: Questions for Written Answer
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps the Northern Ireland office proposes to improve the quality and speed of answers to House of Lords Questions for Written Answer; and [HL4194]
When they will respond to the Question for Written Answer tabled on 10 September (HL4194) concerning the time taken to answer Questions. [HL4690]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The Northern Ireland Office does its utmost to provide prompt and accurate answers to Written Questions. Unfortunately some delays have occurred largely because of the detailed nature and volume of questions received. Where relevant information has been overlooked or errors occur, the department takes immediate action to clarify the position.
I can assure the noble Lord that the Northern Ireland Office will continue to strive to answer all questions as quickly and fully as possible.
Democratic Republic of Congo: MONUC Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) will take to investigate allegations of sexual violence detailed in the Amnesty International report Democratic Republic of Congo: Mass rape—time for remedies of 26 October, including the allegations against MONUC personnel referred to by the United Nations Secretary-General in his report to the Security Council of 16 August. [HL4683]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): In United Nations Security Council Resolution 1565, adopted on 1 October, the Security Council expressed its grave concern at the allegations of sexual exploitation and misconduct by civilian and military personnel of MONUC, and requested the Secretary-General to continue fully to investigate allegations and to take appropriate action in accordance with the Secretary-General's bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
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The resolution further encourages MONUC to conduct training for personnel aimed at ensuring full compliance with its code of conduct on sexual misconduct.
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are any plans to review the future work of the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia. [HL4685]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The future work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is set out in its completion strategy, on which the ICTY reports at six monthly intervals to the United Nations Security Council. The next report is expected later this month when there will be a discussion of the future work of the ICTY.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have received from the United States Administration regarding the future of the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia. [HL4686]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The United States has made no direct representations to the United Kingdom regarding the future of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). However, we regularly discuss the ICTY with the US in the Security Council and other bilateral and multilateral fora.
The ICTY has an agreed completion strategy on which it reports regularly to the United Nations Security Council.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Non-EU Countries under EUFOR and NATO
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the European Union takeover of the SFOR operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which non-European Union countries will continue to have a presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina after 2 December. [HL4687]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: According to current plans, the non-European Union countries that will continue to have a presence under EUFOR In Bosnia and Herzegovina after 2 December are Albania, Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and Turkey. The non-European Union countries that will continue to have a presence under NATO are the United States, Canada, Romania, Argentina, Turkey and Norway.
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Guantanamo Bay: Detainees
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are under a duty to protect the interests of those who are former British residents and are now detained by the United States Government at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and, if so, whether the duty is affected if those detained had refugee status in the United Kingdom and had not intended to leave this country permanently. [HL4730]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The British Government are not in a position to provide consular or diplomatic assistance to those detainees in Guantanamo Bay who are not British nationals, including those who hold refugee status and are, or were, resident in the United Kingdom.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made representations to the United States Government in respect of the cases of Mr Bisher al-Rawi and Mr Jamil el-Banna; and, if so, what information about these cases they have asked the United States to take into account. [HL4731]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna are not British nationals. The British Government are therefore not in a position to provide them with consular or diplomatic assistance or to seek to make representations to the US Government on their behalf.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek to prevent the deportation of Mr Bisher al-Rawi to Iraq and Mr Jamil el-Banna to Jordan on the humanitarian grounds that their families are resident in Britain and that the men themselves might be at risk of death or torture if they were to be deported. [HL4732]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna are not British nationals. The decision on whether they will be released from Guantanamo Bay, and if so to which country they may be returned, is a matter for the US Government.
UN Convention Against Torture
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they have taken to fulfil the obligations imposed upon the United Kingdom as a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984) and, in particular, to comply with Article 15 of the convention by ensuring that any statement which is established to have been made as a result of torture shall not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings, except against a person accused of torture as evidence that the statement was made. [HL4501]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Details of the Government's actions to fulfil the United Kingdom's obligations under the convention are given in the United Kingdom's 4th Periodic Report under the convention, which was submitted to the United Nations in November 2003. The report can be accessed at http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/ff12cfd554742700c1256edf00559e29?Opendocument.
The Government unreservedly condemn the use of torture and have made it an important part of their foreign policy to pursue its eradication worldwide. The Government are not aware of any proceedings in a UK court in which any statement which is established to have been made as a result of torture has been invoked as evidence, except against a person accused of torture.
House Prices
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average price of a dwelling in each of the nations and regions of the United Kingdom and for the United Kingdom as a whole, in (a) 1984; (b) 1993; (c) 1997; and (d) 2003. [HL4678]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The average dwelling prices are tabled below:
Source:
Building Societies Mortgages/Survey of Mortgage Lenders
Notes:
1. The data for 1984 are calculated as simple averages derived from the 5 per cent sample survey of Building Societies Mortgages (BSM).
2. The data for 1993 and 1997 are calculated as mix-adjusted averages derived from the 5 per cent sample survey of all mortgage lenders (the Survey of Mortgage Lenders (SML)), except for the north-west. At the time, the north-west and Merseyside were separate Government Office Regions and the mix-adjusted averages were calculated on this basis. We are only able to produce simple averages for a combined north-west and Merseyside region for 1993 and 1997.
3. The data for 2003 are calculated as mix-adjusted averages derived from a significantly enhanced sample of all mortgage lenders (SML) for all countries and regions.
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