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Visas

Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:

What monitoring takes place of the handling of visa applications from overseas nationals by entry clearance officers and the Immigration Tribunal Service. [HL2873]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Visa categories that have the full right of appeal are considered by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. Other categories that have a limited right of appeal fall under the remit of the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance, who monitors a sample of applications. We also have internal procedures within the visa section to ensure consistency of decision making.

West Papua

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

What further consideration they have given to self-determination for West Papua since the Question for Short Debate on 26 February (Official Report, House of Lords, cols. 620—34); and whether they are in contact with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture concerning the alleged excessive force used by police and others in that country. [HL3110]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): We recognise the territorial integrity of Indonesia as it is currently constituted. We believe that full implementation of the special autonomy legislation offers the Papuan people the means to achieve their economic and social development goals.

We welcome Dr Manfred Nowak's, the UN Special Rapportuer on Torture, visit to Indonesia in November 2007, at the invitation of the Indonesian Government. In an address to the UN Human Rights Council on 4 March, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, expressed appreciation for the importance of the work of the special rapporteurs and undertook to sustain Indonesia's dialogue with them. The report of Dr Manfred Nowak's visit was published at the UN Human Rights Council on 10 March. It notes the considerable progress made in Indonesia since 1998 and the commitment of the current government to uphold and promote human rights. It also raises concerns about torture and ill treatment in places of detention, particularly in the metropolitan areas of Java.

We are continuing to study Dr Nowak's report and are consulting with EU partners on how we might engage with the Indonesian Government on its findings.

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