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China: Human Rights
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations they have made to the Chinese authorities about the death sentence passed on a Tibetan monk, Rinpoche Tenzin Delek; and whether they will draw the attention of the United Nations Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers to the procedures followed at his trial.[HL1557]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Bill Rammell) raised the case with Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing on 17 December 2003. He replied that Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche had had a fair and public trial and had been sentenced in accordance with Chinese law.
The latest EU demarche took place in Beijing on 4 February. In response, Mr Wang Min, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche was in good health and was being held in Tuandong prison, Sichuan province.
Both we and the EU have raised Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's case, including our concerns about his health and whereabouts, with the Chinese authorities on a number of occasions, including in our bilateral human rights dialogue.
We have not drawn the trial to the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers because the UK's general policy is not to forward information to special rapporteurs on a government basis. We consider that to do so risks giving such information a political appearance which could cause problems for the rapporteur's independence and allow the target country to dismiss the allegation as politically motivated. For this reason we believe it is more productive for NGOs to take the lead in forwarding issues of concern and encouraging action.
However, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Religion raised Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's case with the Chinese authorities last year. Rebo
Hong Kong
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to persuade the People's Republic of China to strengthen the democratic process of electing the Hong Kong administration.[HL1778]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We continue to follow developments in Hong Kong closely to ensure that the principles of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, which promised a high degree of autonomy for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) except in foreign and defence affairs, are adhered to. We assess that, generally, the "One Country, Two Systems" approach enshrined in the joint declaration is working well. Where we have had concerns since the handover that the principles of the joint declaration might be undermined, we have raised them with the SAR Government, or Beijing, as appropriate.
Our position on constitutional reform in Hong Kong, provisions on which are contained in the Basic Law of the SAR, has been consistent and was restated in the most recent six-monthly report to Parliament (Cm 6125 of February 2004). We hope to see early progress towards the Basic Law's ultimate aims of the selection of the chief executive and election of all members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage, at a pace in line with the wishes of the people of Hong Kong. We have made this position clear on many occasions to the Chinese authorities and to the Hong Kong SAR Government.
Oryx Natural Resources
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in light of the United Nations Security Council presidential statement S/PRST/2003/21, they will seek the assistance of the Secretary-General in obtaining information about the early history of Oryx Natural Resources, a British-registered company alleged to have been involved in the exploitation of diamond resources in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[HL1782]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: In its final report of 16 October 2003, the UN Expert Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo stated that its allegations against Oryx Natural Resources were unresolved, and it referred the allegations to the UK's national contact point (NCP) for Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines. In its capacity as the UK's NCP, the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) subsequently received a letter from the chairman of the expert panel explaining the "unresolved" status of the panel's allegations. He said that the allegations were largely resolved, but the panel could not close its file on Oryx because two Oryx employees were engaged in a related libel case in the UK.
The DTI wrote to the UN expert panel on 17 November 2003 and to the UN Secretariat on 16 January 2004 requesting all the information the UN holds relating to the allegations against Oryx, and all other UK companies and individuals named in the reports. The DTI has not received a response to either letter. The UK mission to the UN in New York raised
the matter with the UN Secretariat on 24 February 2004, and the UN has undertaken to reply directly to the DTI. ReboEntente Cordiale
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 26 February (WA 71) concerning the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, what plans they have to invite French parliamentarians to the United Kingdom.[HL1811]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: It is for parliamentarians, not Her Majesty's Government, to issue invitations to their French counterparts. We would be happy to help support any plans that members of either House may have to invite French parliamentarians to the United Kingdom to mark this centenary year of the Entente Cordiale.
Uganda
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they would assist the Ugandan Government to enter a more regular dialogue with Acholi community leaders and the Lord's Resistance Army if such dialogue were facilitated by an international group of eminent persons trained in conflict resolution.[HL1822]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The UK is actively encouraging the Ugandan Government to look beyond a purely military solution to the conflict. We are helping the Acholi community leaders' attempts to establish dialogue with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Since 2001 we have spent nearly £1 million on conflict reduction and peace initiatives in Uganda. A further £1.6 million will be provided over the next 12 months.
The LRA is distrustful of outside intervention. While a role for third parties is not ruled out, we believe initiatives by local leaders are more likely to achieve sustainable peace.
Nepal: Human Rights
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to Amnesty International's latest report on extra-judicial executions and human rights violations by the Nepalese security forces and the communist party of Nepal (Maoists).[HL1823]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We are concerned about all reports of violations of human rights in Nepal, including reports of extra-judicial executions by both the Maoists and the Nepalese Security Forces. We consistently raise human rights at the highest levels with the Nepalese Government and remind them of their need to fulfil their international obligations and to investigate in a fair and transparent
way any allegations of human rights abuse. Maoist efforts to seek control of the country through violent, non-democratic means has resulted in misery for the Nepalese people and we continue to condemn their actions. The admission, on 11 March, by the Nepalese authorities that extra-judicial killings took place in August 2003 at Ramechhap, and the announcement of trials for these offences, is a positive development, and a welcome first step in addressing impunity in Nepal.The UK is aiming to strengthen both state and non-state of human rights mechanisms in Nepal and supports a range of programmes in Nepal aimed at improving the human rights situation. A substantial proportion of UK assistance has gone towards training in human rights awareness within the Royal Nepalese Army. Rebo
103 Battalion REME: Vehicles
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the establishment for Foden and Scammell EKA recovery vehicles in 103 Battalion REME (V); and what was the current holding on 9 March.[HL1862]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): 103 Battalion REME (Volunteers) are established to hold 20 wheeled recovery vehicles. As at 9 March 2004 the unit held 11 vehicles, (a mix of Foden and Scammell). A further seven vehicles, were used by 5 Battalion REME in Iraq last year. They are currently going through the normal recovery and repair process, and will be returned to 103 Battalion REME (Volunteers) shortly.
Dental Services
Lord Colwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether dental patient registrations will be abolished from 2005.[HL1511]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Under general dental services arrangements, dentists receive some 23 per cent of National Health Service gross earnings from payments in respect of the registration of patients. From the introduction of primary dental services under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, the system of remuneration based on the item of service fees and payments in respect of individual registrations will be replaced with a new base contract. The proposed new contract will help to stabilise and improve access to NHS dental treatment. It will also allow dentists to treat patients on the basis of clinical need, as it will replace the fee for item of service system which dentists tell us feels like a treadmill and which is generally agreed to be the main reason for dentists' dissatisfaction with the NHS. We have guaranteed that dentists working in the GDS will have an automatic right to a contract under the new arrangements and that their gross earnings will be protected over the transition period of three years in return for a similar level of NHS commitment.
Under the new contract, dentists will have responsibility for any patients under their active treatment, compared with their current responsibility which is to maintain their registered patients in dental fitness and provide out-of-hours cover for them. The range of treatments provided will be similar but it will be a matter for dentists' clinical judgement what care is offered to meet the individual patient's clinical needs.
The details of the new arrangements are subject to ongoing discussion with all stakeholders including representatives of the profession and the NHS.
These proposals represent the most radical reform of NHS dentistry since 1948. The aim is to give a better deal for patients, for dentists and for the NHS and should lead to an increase in dentists' NHS commitment.
Rebo
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