To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits have been made to Tamil refugee camps in Sri Lanka by representatives of his Department in the last 12 months; and what recent representations he has made to the government of Sri Lanka on the operation of those camps. (286764)

[holding answer 14 July 2009]: Representatives from our high commission in Colombo regularly visit the camps for internally-displaced persons in northern Sri Lanka, most recently on 16 to 18 June 2009. We take every available opportunity to urge the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the camps meet international standards. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to work in partnership with the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies to address the ongoing needs of internally displaced persons and to ensure they are able to return to their homes as soon as possible.