asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the Declaration for a Democratic Solution to the Kurdish Question, published by the Democratic Communities of Kurdistan in November 2007; and whether they will ask the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture to publish its findings on the Imrali Island Prison in Turkey. [HL1348]

We are aware of the Declaration for a Democratic Solution to the Kurdish Question, published by the Democratic Communities of Kurdistan in November 2007. It is in the interests of all parties to achieve security and stability in south-east Turkey. We continue to encourage the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government to work with Turkey to tackle the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) presence in Northern Iraq.

The Government publish the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) reports on the UK, and we would encourage the Turkish Government to publish the CPT reports for Turkey, including any findings on the Imrali Island prison. They have done so with an earlier report in 2005. (www.cpt.coe.int/documents/tur/2006-30-inf-eng.pdf).

The situation in Imrali Island prison is a matter for the Turkish Government, but we urge the Turkish Government to ensure that conditions of detention and the treatment of all prisoners are in line with European Court of Human Rights standards.