To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to the G8 in response to the World Food Programme's request for help for hungry and malnourished people. [11588]

At the request of the US and UK, the G8 has agreed to work urgently with partners to improve the effectiveness and availability of humanitarian assistance and adequately fund urgent humanitarian needs in Africa.

I also refer my hon. Friend to the communique" issued at the G8 summit. This is available on the No. 10 website.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1292, on tax credit overpayments, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Yeovil; and if he will make a statement. [10818]

I replied to the hon. Member yesterday.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps have been taken to tackle discriminatory behaviour against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the provision of goods, facilities and services. [10314]

Since 1997, Government action has been directed to making a real difference to the lives of a great many of lesbian, gay and bisexual people across the country. Having said that, we recognise that there is still discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the provision of goods, facilities and service and these are difficult areas which need to be looked at carefully.

We announced in February this year our intention to review discrimination law and look in detail at the best ways to address the current gaps and difficulties. The work of this review is now under way. A proper investigation of how the law should be shaped particularly in important areas such as providing protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services is a key area for the Discrimination Law Review.

The review will lead to proposals for a fairer, simpler and more effective framework; and will enable this Government to deliver its manifesto commitment to introduce a Single Equality Bill in the lifetime of this Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide further broadband availability assistance to East Sussex county council in order for it to meet its broadband targets. [10869]

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is now running a number of programmes targeting broadband take-up in addition to availability. SEEDA funding of £150,000 is supporting a broadband partnership which is led by East Sussex county council in partnership with East Sussex Economic Partnership, Business Link for Sussex, BT Group, the local education authority in East Sussex, and the Learning and Skills Council. The title of the project is Social and Economic Advancement in East Sussex through Accelerated Broadband Service Availability". Its aim is to grow demand for broadband services and to develop the benefits to businesses and less advantaged communities in priority areas. The project started in late 2004 and is likely to run for at least two years.

No direct funding from DTI is offered specifically to increase broadband availability in the East Sussex area, although we are working closely with BT to minimise the small number of remaining broadband 'blackspots' across the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding assistance has been given to East Sussex county council to assist it to meet its broadband availability targets in the county. [10870]

Broadband coverage in the South East of England is extensive, with over 99 per cent. of households able to receive broadband as indicated to in my previous answer to the hon. Member of 29 June 2005, . All telephone exchanges except one in East Sussex are enabled for broadband and that one, Isfield, has a commercial wireless service installed. The wireless solution at Isfield was funded from a grant of £50,000 from the South East of England Development Agency to the East Sussex county council to support wireless broadband community co-operatives. Apart from this, no direct funding has gone to East Sussex county council because we have successfully focused upon delivering a competitive marketplace to encourage the rollout of broadband.Official Report, column 1570W

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the infrastructure requirements to sequester carbon dioxide in reservoirs in the North sea. [10978]

holding answer 11 July 2005

One of the tasks arising from the carbon abatement technology strategy which I announced on 14 June 2005 will be to assess the sources and North sea sinks for CO₂ which in itself would identify possible infrastructures. We would plan to publish the results of this work within the next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of barrels of oil that can be recovered as a result of enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration in (a) the UK sector of the North sea and (b) the Scottish sector of the North sea. [10979]

holding answer 11 July 2005

We have conducted studies to look into the potential for injecting carbon dioxide into mature UK North sea oilfields for sequestration and for extracting more oil. These studies show that the additional recovery could be as much as 2 billion barrels if the technology is applied extensively. However this is prior to full economic evaluations being done.

Most of the fields that went into the study are in the central North sea, northern North sea and west of Shetlands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

(1) if the Government will assess the merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the level of protection for consumers who purchase a defective vehicle; [10694]

(2) if he will re-examine the effectiveness of legislation protecting consumers from faulty goods. [10695]

The Government are committed to improving Britain's consumer regime and any intervention should be based on an evidence-based and risk-assessed approach. I have seen no evidence to suggest that the current legislation in this area is not working effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry

(1) what steps he is taking to promote English wine during the EU presidency; and if he will make a statement; [9144]

(2) if he will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties he hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if he will make a statement. [9165]

The Department of Trade and Industry is organising several informal events in the UK during the UK presidency, in order to facilitate progress on key EU priorities at formal meetings to be held in Brussels. Catering for these events is procured in line with the EC's procurement rules and obtains value for money for the Department. During the presidency, DTI ministerial colleagues, officials and I are planning to serve English and Welsh wine, as well as other UK produce, wherever catering contracts at event venues permit this.

For formal Council meetings in Brussels we are working with the Council Secretariat to try to provide British food and drink for all formal EU Council meetings during the presidency, including English wine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2005, Official Report, columns 898–99W, on the export control and non-proliferation directorate, whether the report written by ASE Consulting on the potential privatisation of the export control and non-proliferation directorate recommended that outsourcing as a means of service delivery was compatible with the executive functions of that directorate; what steps his Department is taking following ASE Consulting's recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [10251]

The report, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of the House, did not conclude that outsourcing would be incompatible with the executive functions of the directorate. The Department is currently considering the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with representatives of oil companies since June 2004 on the future of the Iraqi oil sector, broken down by (a) date and (b) location; if he will publish the minutes of those meetings; and if he will make a statement. [11460]

There is no record of any discussions having taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on the allocation of individual carbon allowances in order to help the UK meet Kyoto targets for carbon dioxide emissions; and if he will make a statement. [10755]

I have been asked to reply.

The Government have recognised the fact that additional measures are necessary to meet the UK's ambitious domestic emission reduction targets. The current review of the UK Climate Change Programme is looking at how existing policies are performing and the range of policies that might be put in place in the future to put us back on track to achieving our domestic goals.

Allocation of individual carbon allowances (sometimes called domestic tradable quotas) raises several issues that need to be addressed before coming to a conclusion on feasibility, including whether the benefits of introducing such allocations are proportionate to the costs of administering them as well as the public acceptability of such a scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the MG brand. [5870]

The future of the MG brand is not yet clear as it depends on the outcome of the efforts of the administrators to sell the assets of MG Rover.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers made redundant at MG Rover have found new employment; what assistance he is giving to workers who have not yet found employment; and if he will make a statement. [8100]

Of the 4,991 former MG Rover and Powertrain workers who registered with Jobcentre Plus, 1,355 had found new employment by Tuesday 5 July 2005. In addition, some 400 former MG Rover employees chose not to register and a proportion of these will have found new employment.

All former employees are being offered a personal training plan and as at 24 June 2005 a total of 3,151 such plans had been developed, with 1,318 individuals actually undergoing training. Various agencies working under the auspices of the Rover Task Force have worked with colleges of further education and other providers in the West Midlands to expand capacity so as to accommodate this extra demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects on the UK textile industry of Ministry of Defence textile contracts being awarded in China. [10786]

No direct contracts for clothing have been awarded by MOD to Chinese companies although contractors based in the EU have let sub-contracts to Chinese based companies.

No assessment has been made of the effects on the UK textiles industry of sourcing from China. Most combat clothing in the UK is categorised as non warlike. MOD's supplier base optimisation (SBO) programme in relation to non warlike supplies has to comply with EU public procurement regulations against the criteria of the most economically advantageous tender. However, industrial implications are noted during the tender process and brought to the attention of Ministers in the ministerial submission for SBO contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) current UK nuclear operators, (ii) overseas nuclear power generators and (iii) investors in respect of conditions which would be necessary for them to consider constructing or financing new nuclear power plants in the UK. [10814]

The Department is always willing to meet companies engaged in the energy industry and we have regular update discussions with a wide range of such companies including those in the categories referred to. Where issues relevant to new nuclear build are raised, we are quite prepared to listen to the views put to us.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to reduce the UK's dependency on imported oil. [10875]

Although the UK currently remains a net exporter of oil, it is likely we will become a net importer by around 2010. However, relying on imports need not be a problem in itself, although it does require us to take a longer-term strategic international approach to energy reliability. Oil is an internationally traded commodity and all countries, whether import-dependent or not, have a common interest in promoting open markets. Most other advanced industrial economies already import significant proportions of their oil needs without noticeable disruption.

Notwithstanding this, however, the Government remain committed to maximising the economic recovery of the UK's own oil (and gas) reserves. The PILOT initiative—a joint programme involving the Government and the UK's oil and gas industry—is central to this aim. Moreover, the Government are already putting in place policies that will help ease the UK economy away from power supplied primarily through fossil fuel supply, by increasing energy efficiency and developing alternative technologies. Information on these policies can be found in the Energy White Paper 2003 Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy" (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/index.shtml).

In parallel, the Government have put in place a number of measures to improve the average fuel efficiency of vehicles, as set out in the July 2002 Powering Future Vehicles Strategy. These include fiscal incentives, such as the graduated, CO₂ based Vehicle Excise Duty and Company Car Tax schemes. The Government are also promoting the use of renewable transport fuels, such as biofuels, by means of fuel duty incentives. Sales of biofuels have increased rapidly during 2005, and currently stand at some 10 million litres a month, a five-fold increase over sales in 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many direct post offices have closed in the last 18 months in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [11201]

This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL) and the Chief Executive has been asked to reply direct to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to help prevent discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace; and if he will make a statement. [10061]

Employers who discriminate against pregnant women are breaking the law. We have taken the opportunity afforded by the amended Equal Treatment Directive to clarify the law and are amending the Sex Discrimination Act so that it explicitly outlaws pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. These regulations will come into force on 1 October 2005.

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) recently published a final report on their investigation into pregnancy discrimination at work. We will be considering the report and recommendations carefully.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 60W, on Royal Mail, whether the Government will be the only shareholder in Royal Mail in the future; and what plans are being considered to provide shares to (a) employees and (b) others. [11642]

As I said in my previous answer, the Government have given the Royal Mail greater commercial freedom and have no plans to privatise it. Neither do we have plans to issue shares to employees or others.

Our ambition is to see a publicly owned Royal Mail fully restored to good health providing customers with excellent service and its employees with rewarding employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when UK Trade and Investment consulted the Association of Trade Organisations on proposed changes to the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad scheme; and if he will make a statement. [10480]

UK Trade and Investment consulted the accredited trade organisations, including members of the Sponsors' Alliance, in writing in autumn 2004; at an open forum in November 2004; and in small working groups and larger format meetings in the first three months of 2005. UK Trade and Investment is continuing to discuss the implementation of changes to the SESA scheme with the Sponsors' Alliance and accredited trade organisations who are not members of that association.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how UK Trade and Investment plans to help existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets to gain access to these markets; and if he will make a statement. [10481]

Advice and access to a range of UKTI services is available, through international trade advisers based in regional trade teams, to existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets. Support is also available for sectorally based initiatives from which both new and existing exporters will benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that East Sussex receives 100 per cent. coverage of BBC Freeview; and if she will make a statement on BBC Freeview targets for the county. [10871]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 170–71W.

The vast majority of households in East Sussex can, with the appropriate equipment, receive BBC digital television services via either digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.

The Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria will be used to allocate funding from the Big Lottery Fund for a play programme; and when she expects allocations to be made. [10497]

This is a matter for the Big Lottery Fund which is currently undertaking development work on the new play fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [11508]

I refer the hon. Member to table C of the annual publication Civil Service Statistics" which provides staff numbers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency in each year from 1998 to 2004, copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. 2004 figures have been published on the Cabinet Office website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

(1) what assessment she has made of the likely impact the new evaluation methodology of the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme will have on the review of area heritage grant schemes; and if she will make a statement; [10457]

(2) what assessment she has made of the impact of the Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas programme; when a decision will be taken on extending the programme to other areas; and if she will make a statement. [10458]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 28 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1390–91W.

English Heritage's Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) was replaced by Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas in April 2005. This reflected its decision to devolve management of its grant schemes to its regional offices. As with HERS, the scheme applies to any conservation area in an area of deprivation.

English Heritage is reviewing the method by which such schemes are evaluated as part of its work on the Heritage Dividend. Together with the Heritage Lottery Fund and other grant giving agencies, it is also exploring the possibility of a joint area- based grant scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings her Department has held with ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May. [11531]

holding answer 11 July 2005

There have been no meetings between the Department for Culture Media and Sport and ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the publications produced by the vote office print unit since its inception. [10877]

Since its inception in 1994 the vote office print services unit has produced over 48,000 publications. A list of them all in a readily intelligible form could only be produced with disproportionate effort.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what his estimate is of the savings to the House by the use of the vote office print unit since its inception to produce publications previously printed by other sources. [10878]

It is not possible with precision to calculate the total savings to the House by use of the print services unit since its inception. On the basis of prices obtained from external printers relating to the production of a sample of 11 documents currently printed in-House it is estimated that savings in the order of £6 million have been achieved over the 10 years of operation of the unit.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are employed by the vote office print unit; and at what grade. [10879]

10 staff are currently employed in the vote office Print services unit (two grade B; three grade C and five grade D), under the overall direction of another member of staff (grade A) as part of her duties. Six of these members of staff work a rotating shift system to provide a production capability from 7.30am to midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and 7.30am to 7pm on Fridays, in weeks that the House is sitting.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the average printing costs of the vote bundle per printed page were during the 2004–05 financial years. [10920]

The average printing costs of the vote bundle per originated printed page during financial year 2004–05 were £74.15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the local housing allowance rates are for each rental category in each of the original pathfinder authorities. [8864]

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins) on 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1558W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of housing benefit paid to council tenants was in the last year for which figures are available. [9662]

The 2003–04 expenditure for housing benefit rent-rebate cases is £5,037 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the off-flow from jobseeker's allowance (JSA) was for (a) the UK, (b) England and Wales and (c) Birkenhead in each year since 1998, broken down by reason; and what percentage of JSA off-flow this represented in each case. [11693]

The information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from Mid-Bedfordshire constituency have been recruited into the armed forces in each year since 1997. [11093]

This information is not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1199–20W, on armoured vehicles, what the cost is of each complete base unit from Iveco. [10445]

The information requested cannot be provided given the confidential nature of the contract between BAE Systems Land Systems and Iveco.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what other designs were considered in the assessment phase for the Command and Liaison Vehicle. [10444]

Three designs were considered during the Assessment Phase for the United Kingdom's Command and Liaison Vehicle: Alvis Vehicles Ltd. proposed an IVECO Multi-role Light Vehicle (MLV); Vickers Defence Systems proposed a RG32M, and United Defence Limited Partnership proposed a ACMAT Ranger.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the duration is of Alan Garwood's appointment as Head of the Defence Export Services Organisation; and what his annual salary was in each year between 2001–02 and 2005–06. [9321]

Mr. Alan Garwood took up a three-year contract as the Head of Defence Export Services on 23 September 2002. This appointment has an option to extend and this has now been exercised with the contract extended by mutual agreement, for one year to 22 September 2006. Mr. Garwood, who is seconded from the defence industry, receives a civil service salary within the senior civil service pay band 3 (previously deputy secretary level), which as of April 2005 has a range between £93,139 and £198,197. Industry then pays an element that brings the salary to the level which the individual would otherwise receive in the commercial sector. This figure is agreed by the National Defence Industries Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost has been of the Future Offensive Air System; and what the main components of this expenditure were. [9629]

holding answer 4 July 2005

Research and technology work carried out as part of the Future Offensive Air System (FOAS) is being used in continuing work on future combat air systems. The total cost of FOAS to date is estimated to be £114 million. The main components are a range of targeted technology demonstrator programmes, studies into concepts for potential FOAS components, and technical support provided by DSTL and its predecessors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many battalions will operate the medium weight Future Rapid Effects System vehicles; and how many of those vehicles there will be in each battalion. [10446]

Future Rapid Effects System vehicles will be used in the medium-weight mechanised brigades and are also expected to fulfil a number of roles in both heavy armoured and light brigades.

The detailed fielding plans that will define which units will be equipped with FRES vehicles, and the numbers of vehicles to be allocated to individual units are currently being developed as part of the initial Assessment Phase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies (a) expressed an interest in bidding for and (b) bid for provision of electric armour for the Future Rapid Effects System project; and if he will make a statement. [10928]

Five companies expressed an interest in bidding for a contract to demonstrate electric armour technology. On completion of the assessment of these expressions of interest, two companies were invited to tender. Formal bids were received from both companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK forces had in Operation Spear in Iraq; whether the operation was fully co-ordinated with (a) Iraqi security forces and (b) the Iraqi Administration; what armaments were used in the operation; whether civilians lived in the area covered by the operation; what warning was given to civilians; what the Government's policy is on legal liability in joint military operations in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [9786]

Operation Spear was a combined US-Iraqi security force anti-terrorist operation co-ordinated by US forces and the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. Detailed operational information is therefore a matter for the US or Iraqi authorities.

Although there were no specific British plans to support the operation, three RAF Tornado GR4s on routine patrols in Iraq were tasked to respond to calls for close air support assistance from US forces during the course of the operation. Those UK aircraft did not expend any weapons in support of the operation.

It is UK government policy on legal liability on combined operations in Iraq, that each nation would be directly liable for the consequences of actions taken by its own forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian contractors employed by the Department have died during their service in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan since 1997. [11341]

No officially accredited Ministry of Defence contractors have died on operations in Afghanistan or Iraq since the start of the current operations there, in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many public performances military bands have given in each of the last three years; and which were free. [11171]

Military bands undertake a large number of performances each year many of which are open to the public under a variety of arrangements. The level of detail sought in the question can be provided only at disproportionate cost as records are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of service (a) men and (b) women who successfully applied to sign on for a permanent commission in the RAF, broken down by (i)supply, (ii) administration and (iii) engineering in each of the last five years. [10357]

The following figures show the numbers of personnel who converted from a short service commission to a permanent commission during the calendar years shown.

⁽¹⁾—denotes a number less than 5.

Note:

Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many BAE Systems staff work at RAF Marham servicing fast jets. [11173]

Currently, eight BAE Systems technicians are involved in the repair and maintenance of the Tornado GR4 aircraft at RAF Marham in Norfolk.

In addition a further 25–35 BAE Systems personnel may be on-site at RAF Marham at any one time in support of the Tornado GR4. None of these people are however, directly involved in the repair and maintenance of aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment has been moved from Warton to RAF Manton to help service fast jets. [11174]

A small amount of surplus BAE Systems equipment racking and ground equipment has recently been moved from BAE Systems Warton to RAF Marham in Norfolk. The equipment will be used to support the repair and maintenance of Tornado GR4 aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have left the Scottish Infantry Regiments since January; and if he will make a statement. [10058]

During the period 1 January to 30 April 2005 180 officers and soldiers left the Army Full-Time Trained strength from the Scottish Division of the Infantry. This comprises of 10 officers and 170 soldiers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, Official Report, column 442W, on tracked vehicles, what will happen to the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) vehicles when they are phased out in 2014. [10440]

It is intended to dispose of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) CVR(T) through the Disposal Services Agency (DSA).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected cost of replacing Trident is, broken down by (a) initial cost and (b) annual running costs. [11322]

No decisions on any replacement for the Trident system have yet been taken. It is therefore too early to say what might be the initial procurement costs or annual running costs of any replacement system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of equipping Police Service of Northern Ireland premises with identity card readers. [9886]

On 28 June 2005, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary placed in the Library a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the Identity Cards Scheme which shows that the benefits outweigh the costs once the scheme is fully operational. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has been contributing to this process. The cost of equipping premises will depend on the nature of the use of the Identity Cards Scheme and the type of identity check(s) necessary to deliver the business benefits. In some cases, benefits could be realised without the use of card readers and the cost of installing any readers needs to be considered alongside future plans to refresh or upgrade IT systems. As the design of the scheme matures, during and after the procurement exercise, so will our understanding of where the scheme will be of most benefit which will allow us to further refine our estimates of costs and benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with their Irish Government counterparts concerning the introduction of identity cards and the national data register in the United Kingdom and their effect upon the common travel area. [9887]

I have been asked to reply.

There is regular contact between Home Office officials and their counterparts in Ireland about the introduction of Identity Cards. The Home Secretary has met the Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and discussed the Government's plans with him.

The principle of the common travel area, within which people of any nationality may travel without routine immigration checks, will remain unchanged. The area covers the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to discourage the dropping of litter on streets; what penalties apply to this offence; and how many prosecutions there were in each council area in the last period for which figures are available. [11129]

It is an offence to drop litter under Article 3 of the Litter (Northern Ireland) Order 1994. A person guilty of such an offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale which currently stands at £2,500.

A district council may, however, offer the person the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty. The amount of the fixed penalty was doubled last year to £50and proposals are included in the draft Local Government (NI) Order 2005 which is currently before Parliament to allow councils to retain these fines for spending on litter related activities.

The Department of the Environment is also currently considering the range of measures in the recent Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which among other things, strengthen the legislation for dealing with litter in England and Wales, with a view to making recommendations on how they might be brought forward in the Northern Ireland context.

The Department does not hold information on the number of prosecutions for littering in each council area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings of the Parades Commission there have been in each year since its formation; how many meetings each member of the Commission attended in each year; and whether that attendance was for (a) the whole and (b) part of the meeting. [9746]

The Parades Commission has advised me that this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to implement the Costello proposals on post-primary education; and when he expects legislation to be placed before Parliament to implement those proposals. [11236]

The recommendations of the report of the Post-Primary Review Working Group (the Costello Report) were accepted in full by Government in January 2004 and are currently being implemented. Action is under way in the following key areas.

Strategic advice

A strategic advisory group, comprising representatives of the managing authorities and other key education organisations, was established in June 2004 to advise the Department of Education on implementation issues, and has met on nine occasions to date.

Admissions

Options for new admission arrangements to post-primary schools, including admissions criteria that could be used by schools if they are oversubscribed, were published for consultation on 28 January 2005. The consultation ended on 30 June and decisions will be taken when the responses have been fully considered.

Specialist Schools

A conference on specialist schools, aimed at senior members of school management, was held in November 2004. A small-scale pilot to test the model in the Northern Ireland context is under consideration.

Pupil Profile

For the last two years the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has been developing a pupil profile which will help parents and children make appropriate choices at transfer stage. A large-scale pilot of year 5 pupils is planned for 2006–07.

Entitlement Framework

Guidance issued to schools in June 2005 to help them to begin to plan for the move to the full curricular entitlement framework, to ensure that it is delivered to all pupils. Additional funding has been provided to education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools to support and facilitate schools to begin to deliver the entitlement framework. Further guidance is expected to issue in autumn 2005 which will deal with practical issues in the delivery of the framework and will be informed by evaluation evidence from the first phase of the Vocational Enhancement Programme in 2004–05, an initiative funded by the Departments of Education and Employment and Learning to develop models of collaborative working between schools and further education colleges and disseminate good practice. Further collaborative projects are being funded in 2005–06.

Funding has also been provided for a number of e-learning pilots and for the development of new vocational qualifications.

6th forms

Guidance was issued to schools about new arrangements requiring proposals for the establishment of new 6th forms to be the subject of statutory development proposals.

Legislation

Primary legislation necessary to give effect to the new arrangements is expected to be laid before Parliament in spring 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average Police Service of Northern Ireland emergency response time was in each policing district in each of the past 18 months; and what steps are being taken to improve response times. [9126]

Recording of response times commenced on 1 April 2005. The current Policing Plan requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland to work towards establishing a baseline for measuring police response times to emergency calls. Work is ongoing to establish how this might be achieved, and a report will be made at the end of the financial year. Improvement in response times cannot be measured until this baseline is established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilian workers in security jobs at Police Service of Northern Ireland stations have been given training with weapons. [9480]

No civilian workers in security jobs at PSNI stations have been given training with weapons as part of their role.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of complaints made by voters concerning their votes being cast illegitimately by someone other than themselves during the general election 2005. [11691]

My Department has received no complaints from voters alleging that their votes were cast illegitimately by someone other than themselves during the 2005 general election.

Our advice to any person who suspects that electoral malpractice may have taken place, is that they should report their suspicions to their local police force.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many postal votes were received by returning officers after the polling day of the 2005 general election, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [11706]

Returning officers have a duty to complete a 'statement as to postal ballot papers' for each election (form K, schedule 3 to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001). This includes the total of postal ballot papers that arrived too late to be included in the count.

The Electoral Commission will collate and publish this information later this summer, as part of their general duty to report on UK parliamentary elections.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the Commonwealth countries that have reciprocal agreements with the UK over residential qualifications for voting in (a) local elections and (b) national elections. [11709]

The Representation of the People Act 1983 provides that all Commonwealth citizens who are lawfully resident in the UK are entitled to vote in parliamentary and local elections. Decisions about voting rights of British citizens resident in other Commonwealth countries are for the individual countries concerned.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of the voting electorate voted by (a) post and (b) proxy in the last general election, broken down by constituency. [10718]

Returning Officers have a duty to complete a 'statement as to postal ballot papers' for each election (form K, schedule 3 to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001). This includes the total number of postal votes issued and subsequently returned.

The Electoral Commission will collate and publish this information later this summer, as part of their general duty to report on UK parliamentary elections. The report will also include figures on proxy voting.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what provisional assessment was made of the likely implications for (a) staffing and (b) expenditure of applications to the National Archives under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for copies of personal details from households listed in the 1911 decennial Census for England and Wales. [9514]

Section 41 of the FOI Act relating to breach of confidence has been applied to all applications received since January 2005 to view individual 1911 census returns. The National Archives is currently developing plans including staff development and expenditure allocations to make the 1911 census publicly available in 2012 in line with government policy to release decennial census returns after a period of 100 years.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the Public Records Act 1958 extended 100-year closure of the 1911 decennial census for England and Wales still applies. [9550]

Since January 2005 the section 41 exemption of the FOI Act relating to breach of confidence has been applied to all applications received to view individual 1911 census returns. It remains government policy to make census returns publicly available after a period of 100 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of (a) Pakistan and (b) Bangladesh on the persecution of the Ahmadi Muslim community; and if he will make a statement. [11163]

We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan, including our concerns about the experiences of religious minorities including the Ahmadi community. We judge that collective action through the EU is the most effective method of voicing these concerns. The EU most recently demarched the Government of Pakistan on these subjects on 30 June 2005.

We are concerned by the apparent increase in intolerance towards religious minorities in Bangladesh, including the Ahmadi community. We regularly raise these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh, both bilaterally and with EU partners. My hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Douglas Alexander) did so with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on a visit to Dhaka on 21 December. The local EU presidency did so most recently during a call on the Bangladeshi Home Minister on 14 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions the Government have held with the Russian Government regarding its military involvement in Chechnya. [10704]

We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Chechnya. We are especially concerned about the culture of impunity, with continuing reports of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detention and torture. We frequently raise our concerns with the Russian Government, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. These include concerns about the military component of Russia's response to the problems in Chechnya. Bilaterally, we most recently discussed Chechnya in depth during the UK-Russia Human Rights dialogue on 23 May, when we expressed our belief that effective maintenance of security and actions to counter terrorism should be pursued within a framework that respects human rights and international humanitarian law. We also discussed Chechnya during the EU-Russia human rights consultations held in March 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 26 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mohammad Chaudhary. [10690]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend's letter of 26 May concerning Mr. Mohammad Chaudhary on 13 June. UKvisas re-sent a copy of this letter on 6 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter to him dated 19 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Mukhtar Ali. [10691]

I refer my right hon. Friend to my earlier reply of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 181W. A further copy of our reply has been forwarded to my right hon. Friend's constituency office for information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will replyto the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 26 May to the Home Office which was subsequently transferred to his Department, regarding a constituent. [10729]

holding answer 11 July 2005

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) replied to my hon. Friend on 7 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in overseas governments about reducing corruption related to the arms trade. [11203]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held recent discussions with counterparts specifically on the subject of corruption in the arms trade. However, the Government are committed to working for an international treaty covering the trade in conventional arms and Ministers and officials are pursuing this objective actively in bilateral contacts as well as in multilateral fora, including at the recent meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the activities of the Council of Europe's Youth Foundation. [9043]

I have been asked to reply.

The European Youth Foundation (EYF) is a fund established in 1972 by the Council of Europe to provide financial support for youth activities in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. In 2003, with a budget of approximately €3 million, the EYF supported some 320 projects involving more than 15,000 young people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to establish the welfare of the Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens in Djalabad's refugee camps. [10902]

Our Ambassador, James Sharp, who is accredited to Kyrgyzstan, has visited the country twice since early June 2005. On the first occasion, he publicly emphasised the importance of the Kyrgyz Government's honouring its international commitments on refugees. Both the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and National Security Council Chairman assured him that the Government would do so. Mr. Sharp also met the local United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representatives to review the refugee situation.

The handing of four Uzbek refugees to the Andizhan Prosecutor on 9 June appears to have been a clear breach of the Kyrgyz Government's obligations. As a result, on 21 June we, acting with our EU partners, delivered a demarche to the Kyrgyz Government over its treatment of refugees, insisting that it abided by its commitments to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees.

Mr. Sharp visited the refugee camps in Jalalabad on 6 July. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and press the Kyrgyz Government to comply with its international responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those UK non-governmental organisations which are funded to promote information exchanges with Eastern Europe. [9042]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is engaged in a wide range of activities in Eastern Europe which could be classed as information exchange, including political work, sponsored and other working visits, public diplomacy activity, scholarship schemes, shorter-term fellowships and project work. Some of these activities are carried out by or with a range of UK non-governmental organisations, and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) such as the British Council, the BBC World Service, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe and various British universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on (a) direct UK and (b) European Commission involvement in the ratification process of the EU constitution by individual member states by means of (i) official visits and (ii) funding for information projects; and if he will make a statement. [10084]

Individual member states are responsible for their own ratification of the EU constitutional treaty, including the organisation of official visits and the allocation of funds for information projects. The Institutions of the European Union are responsible for their own communications activities. The Government are in contact with the European Parliament and the European Commission about their EU communications activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the requirement under Article III-305 of the EU constitution for the United Kingdom to present a common EU position at NATO meetings where such a position has been reached; and by what mechanism the EU Foreign Minister would be permitted to address the meeting on his request. [10096]

Article III-305, or any other article in the EU constitutional treaty, would not require the UK alone or any other member state to present the common EU position in NATO meetings. But Article III-305 would require all member states, including the UK, to uphold previously agreed positions in other international organisations. This provision has existed since Maastricht. Because we have a veto on foreign and defence policy, these EU positions would have been previously agreed by us.

There is no provision in the constitutional treaty for the EU Foreign Minister to request to address a meeting in NATO. However, Article III-296.2 of the EU constitutional treaty makes clear that he or she would represent agreed positions of the EU in international meetings and at international conferences, acting on behalf of the European Union. Where the EU and NATO engage in dialogue which helps develop their strategic partnership—for example in the regular meetings between the Political and Security Committee and the North Atlantic Council—the EU Foreign Minister would present the EU policies, which we would have agreed to. This mirrors the current arrangement where the presidency presents agreed positions. The UK would, of course, be represented in both its UK and EU seats.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the requirement under Article III-305 of the EU constitution for the United Kingdom to present a common EU position at Commonwealth meetings where such a position has been reached; and by what mechanism the EU Foreign Minister would be permitted to address the meeting on his request. [10098]

Neither Article III-305, nor any other article in the EU constitutional treaty, would require the UK alone or any other member state to present the common EU position in Commonwealth meetings. But Article III-305 would require all member states, including the UK, to uphold previously agreed positions in other international organisations. This provision has existed since Maastricht. Because we have a veto on foreign and defence policy, these EU positions would have been previously agreed by us. In the Commonwealth, this requirement would apply to the UK, Malta and Cyprus.

There is no provision in the constitutional treaty for the EU Foreign Minister to request to address a Commonwealth meeting. However, Article III-296.2 of the EU constitutional treaty makes it clear that he or she would represent agreed positions of the EU in international meetings and at international conferences, acting on behalf of the European Union. So, for example, if the members of the Commonwealth were to hold a joint meeting with the European Union, the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs could represent the European Union if the meeting was relevant to his/her external portfolio. The European Union is not a member of the Commonwealth and the UK would continue to represent itself in Commonwealth meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those EU countries that have indicated a willingness to continue ratifying the EU constitution; and whether ratification would be made by (a) Parliament and (b) after a plebiscite in each case. [10099]

Belgium, Malta and Estonia intend to proceed with parliamentary ratification of the EU constitutional treaty. Luxembourg held a referendum on 10 July. The Czech Republic intends to proceed with ratification of the EU constitutional treaty by referendum, although the requisite enabling legislation has yet to be passed and the Government have announced that any ratification is unlikely before mid 2006. The Irish Government have announced that they will not set a date for their referendum. Poland has not decided how, if at all, to proceed with ratification and the Polish President has said that a referendum in 2005 looks unrealistic". The Swedish Government have announced that they will seek to postpone their parliamentary ratification process and the Finnish Government have postponed parliamentary ratification. The Danish and Portuguese Governments have postponed their referendums. The treaty was approved by Parliament in Cyprus on 30 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the factors underlying each of the Copenhagen criteria by which a candidate country would be assessed for membership of the EU. [10418]

The Copenhagen criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, a functioning market economy, and that the state accepts the obligations and intent of the EU. The EU have not set out explicit factors underlying these criteria. It is the responsibility of the Commission to advise on whether the criteria are met and then for member states to confirm this advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of the principle of transparency in EU (a) whistleblower cases and (b) working committees. [5289]

Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union provides that decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen. The EU institutions, when dealing with both whistleblower cases and working committees, apply the EU's general rules on transparency.

Regulation 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council provides for public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. Under the Regulation, all official documents are accessible except when disclosure would infringe a specific public or private interest. All decisions refusing even partial access to a document may be the subject of an administrative appeal to the institution concerned. If not satisfied, applicants for information may then institute court proceedings, or appeal to the European Ombudsman.

Various working committees and groups operate under the auspices of the Council (under Article 19(3) of the Council's rules of procedure). The Council General Secretariat updates and publishes a list of such bodes. The documents of working committees can be made directly accessible to the public in accordance with Article 11 of Annex II of the Council's Rules of Procedure. (These are easily accessible on the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int/docCenter.asp?lang=en&cm sid=245)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs below what minimum share of the popular vote sustaining a Government a country would be assessed as no longer a functioning democracy for the purposes of the Copenhagen criteria applied to membership of the European Union. [9893]

The Copenhagen criteria require that a candidate country have

stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities"

in order to open negotiations. The Copenhagen criteria do not specify a minimum share of the popular vote sustaining a Government necessary for a country to be considered democratic. The Commission is responsible for advising whether the Copenhagen criteria are met and will look at the individual circumstances of each country in reaching its assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the basis is of the statement by the Minister for Europe in his letter to the Financial Times on 22 June regarding the cost to the UK of the EU budget proposed by the Luxembourg presidency at the European Council. [9907]

The €25 billion figure was based on the final Luxembourg proposal on 17 June regarding own resources on the revenue side of the EU budget. That proposal would have excluded all community expenditure other than new member states' market related expenditure and direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy from the calculation of the UK abatement. It also proposed other adjustments to the own resources decision so as to reduce the net contributions to the community budget of Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. The combined effect of these changes would have meant that over the 2007 to 2013 period, the UK net contribution to the Community Budget i.e. the UK's gross contribution less the abatement and UK public and private-sector receipts would have been approximately €25 billion higher than it would have been if the current own resources system continued unchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on negotiations concerning the Fissile Missile Cut-off Treaty. [11052]

The UK has a long-standing commitment to conclude negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The UK remains committed to pushing forward substantive work on this treaty at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and has been pressing for negotiations to begin as soon as possible and without pre-conditions. We regret that this has not been agreed to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the French Government concerning its treatment of indigenous Gypsies. [10139]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the French Government on this issue but officials remain in regular contact on the full range of social and human rights issues. The human rights of members of the Roma community are protected by the core international human rights instruments, to which France is a party.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure agreements reached at the G8 summit in Perthshire this week recognise the location of the summit by referring to them as the Perthshire Declaration or Perthshire Accord. [10500]

The G8 Summit was held at the Gleneagles Hotel and will be known as the G8 Gleneagles Summit. Documents issued during the summit will reflect this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on non-governmental organisations having a specific role as part of the peer review process proposed for the Human Rights Council. [11188]

If peer review is an element of the future Council's work, reports from NGOs should provide an important source of information for consideration in the process. More generally, we are strongly in favour of NGO participation in any Council being maintained at the same or greater level as in the Commission on Human Rights, and are working with our EU partners to ensure this is achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the UN Secretary General's proposal to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council. [11190]

The UK fully supports the Secretary-General's proposal to raise the profile, status and effectiveness of the main intergovernmental human rights forum in the UN system through replacing the Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council. We believe it should be on the same footing as the Security Council and Economic and Social Council, with a clear mandate to address urgent human rights situations as and when they arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Inter Institutional Agreement on (a) business and (b) job creation. [9976]

The 2003 Inter Institutional Agreement on Better Lawmaking provides a framework for taking forward elements of the Better Regulation agenda which require co-operation between Community institutions. These include simplifying and reducing the volume of legislation and using impact assessment for significant Council and Parliament amendments. Improving the regulatory environment in Europe and reducing the burden of regulation on business will make a real contribution to increasing European competitiveness. Dutch studies predicted that reducing their national administrative burden by 25 per cent. could result in an increase of 1.5 per cent. in Dutch Gross Domestic Product.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) role, (b) mandate, (c) budget, (d) diplomatic status, (e) level of support available from British diplomats, (f) personal security arrangements and (g) level of access to classified documents of the Secretary General/High Representative of the EU for Iraq. [10241]

There is no EU Secretary General/High Representative for Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice and assistance the Government have provided on oil policy to the Government of Iraq since June 2004; and if he will make a statement. [11481]

Since June 2004 the UK Government have provided policy advice and support to Iraq on oil matters in two areas.

In August 2004 the UK Government handed an outline document to the Iraq Ministry of Oil (MoO) on transparency and business ethics. The purpose was to familiarise the MoO with international initiatives aimed at improving transparency and the importance of good practice.

The UK has also been involved with assisting the MoO on education and training issues, delivered through the UK-Iraq Joint Board on Education and Training, established in December 2003. This includes work on a Learning Needs Analysis, English Language Training, IT Strategy, and Human Resources Procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the fiscal and regulatory frameworks for the Iraqi oil industry prepared by the Government and referred to in paragraph 11 of the Response of the Secretary of State to the Seventh Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee session 2003–04, on Foreign Policy Aspects of the War Against Terrorism; and if he will make a statement. [11516]

We discuss with the Iraqi Ministries their priorities on a regular basis. We had intended to prepare a paper for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil (MoO) on regulatory frameworks, but following discussion with them decided to reprioritise the funding. We are therefore not able to place a copy of the fiscal and regulatory frameworks for the oil industry in the Library of the House.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him today (UIN 11481) on the areas the UK has assisted the MoO on oil policy since June 2004. We are continuing to discuss with the MoO how we can help them develop an oil industry that is transparent and efficiently run.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports (a) NATO and (b) the Government have received regarding whether Israel possesses weapons of mass destruction. [11051]

The Government are not able to answer on behalf of NATO. We are of course aware of the widespread assumption that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but note too that the Israeli Government have refused to confirm it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East. [11086]

The United Kingdom strongly supports the establishment of a zone free from all Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East. The UK, together with the Russian Federation and United States, sponsored the Resolution on the Middle East agreed at the 1995 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference which included a call for the establishment of a such a zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer to Question 6623, what the Government's policy is on the use of Sir Donald Tsang's title. [10784]

There is no Government Policy on the use of Donald Tsang's title, which derives from the KBE awarded to him in 1997 for his 30-year service to Hong Kong. It is for the individual concerned to decide whether they use or wish to be known by their title.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Sudan regarding (a) the use of torture in Sudan, (b) summary arrest without trial, (c) the treatment of minorities outside Darfur and (d) the treatment of opposition parties in Sudan. [10895]

We make regular representations to the Government of Sudan on human rights, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums such as the EU-Sudan Human Rights dialogue and the sub-Joint Implementation Mechanism meetings on human rights. On 30 June we emphasised to senior Sudanese government and judicial officials the importance of human rights. The discussions covered a wide range of subjects including the use of torture and treatment of minorities.

We regularly raise with the Government of Sudan the importance of fully implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the new Interim National Constitution which make explicit provisions for the protection of human rights, fair trial and free speech. We intend to take forward these issues as part of our EU presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) fairness and (b) effectiveness of the Sudanese judicial system. [11063]

The UK makes regular representations to the Government of Sudan on the need to ensure its judicial process is fair and transparent, and we have raised our concerns on a number of individual cases. We are pleased that, under the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the parties have committed themselves to a comprehensive review of the Sudanese judicial system, and to guaranteeing free and fair trials for all. The UK will play a leading role in supporting reform of the Sudanese justice sector. As part of our £7.2 million programme in this area, we are assisting the National Judicial Service Commission, which monitors reform.

The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur set up by the UN Secretary-General cited shortcomings in the Sudanese criminal justice system and concluded that the Sudanese judiciary were unable or unwilling to carry out prosecutions in relation to the crimes in Darfur. UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of 31 March 2005, which we sponsored, therefore referred Darfur to the International Criminal Court. In the Prosecutor's first report to the Security Council on 19 June, he said he had sufficient grounds for a formal investigation. The decision was, in part, based on the absence of Sudanese legal proceedings relating to the cases the Prosecutor is likely to focus on.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

(1) what assessment his Department has made of the (a) treatment of prisoners and (b) safety of political dissidents in Sudan; [11064]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the prospect for fair and humane treatment of political activists and dissidents in Khartoum. [11065]

We make regular representations to the Government of Sudan regarding the treatment of prisoners and the release of political detainees. We welcome the release on 30 June of 29 political prisoners, among them the leader of the Popular Congress Party Dr. Hassan al-Turabi and General Secretary of the Beja Congress Abdulla Musa. We continue to press the Government of Sudan to release those political detainees still held.

Under the terms of the Interim National Constitution, signed on 6 June 2005, and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed on 9 January 2005, the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, expression and association are guaranteed to all. They also guarantee freedom from discrimination on any grounds, including for political or other opinions. We continue to urge the parties to implement fully the CPA and to ensure that swift progress is made on the provisions on human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent peace deal for Darfur, with specific reference to the security situation; and how this peace deal relates to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2004. [11213]

We welcome the signature on 5 July in Abuja, of the Declaration of Principles for the resolution of the conflict in Darfur. We congratulate the parties on this achievement, and commend the African Union (AU)-led mediation team for its efforts. This is an important step. It is the first document agreed by the parties to the Darfur conflict that deals with political, rather than humanitarian and security, issues. Although not a peace deal in itself, it sets the framework within which the negotiations towards such a deal should proceed. We are pressing the parties to return to Abuja on 24 August, the date set for resumption of talks by the AU Special Envoy Salim Salim, and to negotiate in good faith, towards a full political agreement, necessary to achieve peace in Darfur. Such an agreement will need to be complementary to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in Nairobi on 9 January. We also continue to insist that the parties abide by the commitments they have already made to improve the security situation in Darfur, notably the Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement and the Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

(1) what assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Khartoum for Darfuri citizens; [11031]

(2) what assessment he has made of the risks to the safety of black African Darfuris in Khartoum. [11066]

There are over a million Darfuris in Khartoum, many of them Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). We and our international partners closely monitor the living conditions of IDPs including those from other parts of the Sudan, for example through participation in the recently formed Consultative Committee on Re-planning Areas of Displacement in Khartoum. We are constantly pressing the Government of Sudan to improve conditions for IDPs, including Darfuris. We have no information that the conditions for black African Darfuri IDPs are worse than those for any other IDPs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the British consulate-general in (a) Hamburg and (b) Munich; and if he will make a statement. [9879]

Following the announcement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 15 December 2004, about changes to the UK's network of overseas representation, officials have been reviewing how we can provide trade, consular and other services in Germany most cost-effectively, and finalising recommendations about the precise size and structure of the British consulates in that country. The results of this work will be made public when it is finished.Official Report, columns 137–40WS

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the UK Ambassador to Tashkent last met the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov. [10903]