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Sudan: Abyei
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of the impact of the fighting in Abyei, Sudan, on the durability of the Sudanese comprehensive peace agreement; what is the situation of the people who fled the fighting; and what action troops of the United Nations Mission in Sudan have taken to protect civilians in Abyei. [HL3990]
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The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The fighting in Abyei in mid-May posed a serious threat to the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA). The National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement have shown their commitment to implementing the CPA by agreeing on 8 June a road map to resolve the Abyei dispute.
Up to 60,000 people were displaced by the fighting and are being cared for by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Most of the residents of Abyei left the town before serious fighting broke out. The UN Mission in Sudan is patrolling and working with the Sudanese authorities to restore security in Abyei so that the displaced population can return.
Sudan: Darfur
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present composition of the United Nations Mission in Darfur and the United Nations Mission in Sudan; what is their total strength; and how many personnel have been authorised for deployment. [HL3991]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The UN-African Union joint peacekeeping mission in Darfur is mandated to consist of up to 19,555 troops, 3,772 individual police, 19 formed police units (each of about 140 officers) and 5,569 civilians. As at 29 May, 8,246 troops, 1,669 individual police, one formed police unit and 1,667 civilians were deployed in Darfur.
The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is mandated to consist of up to 10,000 military personnel and an appropriate civilian component including up to 715 police. As at 30 April, 9,307 troops, 631 police and 3,371 civilians were deployed with UNMIS.
Trade: Francophone Countries
Viscount Waverley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether French parastatal or commercial entities have, over the past four years, offered preferential terms for government or commercial contracts in non-Commonwealth Francophone countries as a result of any French government subsidies; and if so, whether such subsidies are permitted under European Union rules. [HL4293]
Lord Bach: We do not hold detailed information on French Government business support programmes.
A number of member states, including France, provide concessional credit through tied aid programmes. Tied aid support, that is aid which is conditional on the purchase of national goods and services, is permitted if provided in accordance with internationally accepted rules.
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France also offers export credit support to French exporters through its agency COFACE, which we believe largely mirrors the activities of ECGD in the UK which operates under internationally accepted norms for export credit and export credit insurance.
Turkey: Extradition
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is an extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and Turkey which would allow United Kingdom citizens who may be involved in property fraud in Turkey to be returned to that country. [HL4373]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The UK and Turkey are both party to the 1957 Council of Europe Convention on Extradition (ECE) and Turkey has been designated as an extradition partner under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. The ECE defines an extradition offence as one punishable under the laws of both the requesting and requested state by a maximum period of at least one year's deprivation of liberty, or by a more severe penalty.
Vehicles: Disposal
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many vehicles are scrapped or exported from the United Kingdom; and how many vehicles are certified to have been recycled by an authorised treatment facility. [HL4218]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Baroness Vadera): Authorised treatment facilities notified destruction of some 1,030,000 vehicles to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) during 2007. The DVLA was notified of some 239,000 permanent vehicle exports over the same period.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many prosecutions the Environment Agency has initiated concerning disposal of motor vehicles other than by an authorised treatment facility; and, of these, how many were prosecutions for (a) moving a vehicle illegally (because it is waste) without appropriate licences or authorisations; and (b) processing the vehicle without using an authorised treatment facility. [HL4221]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Between 3 November 2003 (the commencement date for the end-of-life vehicle regulations) and the present date the Environment Agency has initiated 51 prosecutions in relation to the disposal of motor vehicles and parts. Of these, 49 involved illegal keeping/treatment/disposal and two involved illegal transfer.
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