To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates since his appointment the Minister for Europe has attended Cabinet; and if she will make a statement. (102572)

[holding answer 23 November 2006]: I attend Cabinet each week. Following are the dates on which I have attended since my appointment on 5 May 2006:

11 May

25 May

1 June

22 June

29 June

6 July

13 July

20 July

14 September

12 October

19 October

26 October

2 November

9 November

16 November

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what responsibility the Minister for Europe has for Ugandan affairs. (102573)

[holding answer 23 November 2006]: I only have responsibility for Ugandan affairs where they relate specifically to European matters. These activities do not constitute a significant part of my ministerial workload.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Minister for Europe’s official job title is; what his full job title as set out on the official plaque on his office is; what the previous Minister for Europe’s full job title as set out on the official plaque on his door was; when that plaque was last changed; and what the cost of that change was. (102574)

[holding answer 23 November 2006]: My official title is Minister for Europe.

I do not have a plaque outside my departmental office.

There is, however, a plastic coated sign stating “Minister for Europe’s office” and listing the names of my private secretaries. This is the same sign used by my predecessor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the overseas visits undertaken by the Minister for Europe since his appointment. (100474)

In line with his responsibilities, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe has visited the following member states since his appointment in May 2006 for discussions on key EU dossiers: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland, and the Czech Republic. He has also visited Istanbul and Ankara for talks on Turkish accession and Gibraltar and Cordoba for negotiations on the Trilateral Agreement.

As his portfolio includes Russia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus and the Balkans, he has visited Moscow, Almaty, Astana, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje and Podgorica for bilateral discussions.

He represented the Government at the EU-Africa Migration and Development Conference in Rabat in July and was in the ministerial team who attended the United Nations General Assembly in September. He also supported my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the EU-Latin America Summit in Vienna in May.

In addition, he is regularly present when the monthly General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels takes place as well as attending the European Parliament Plenary in Strasbourg. He represented me at the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers in Lappeenranta in Finland in September.

He will visit Dublin on 20 November to give a speech at the Institute of European Affairs.