What recent discussions he has had with the Government of Nigeria on the situation in the Niger delta.

I am going to the Niger delta later this week to see the problems at first hand. I look forward to reporting back to the House in due course.

My hon. Friend's visit to the Niger delta is very welcome. Non-governmental organisations in particular welcome the fact that he is going to Nigeria and will pay special attention to the Niger delta. Amnesty International and Nigerian groups have reported that 600 people have been killed in the area, and tens of thousands displaced. Will my hon. Friend press the Nigerian Government to put an end to the conflict in the Niger delta by disarming the gangs roaming there and causing untold misery for the population?

Yes, I accept that there are serious problems in the Niger delta, of which criminal violence is one. Neglect of the non-oil economy is another. There are extremely high levels of unemployment, which gives rise to the fact that large number of youths engage in violence. There is endemic corruption and large-scale theft of crude oil—up to 100,000 barrels a day are disappearing. There is also environmental degradation and a proliferation of weapons. All those problems need to be addressed, and we are encouraging the Nigerian Government to do that.

What about the gangs that my hon. Friend Mr. Tynan mentioned? Does the Minister agree that they pose a threat to the oil industry in the area, and to British companies? What are the Government doing to protect British companies?

The gangs certainly pose a threat, not just to British companies but to all proper activity in the Niger delta. We are working with the Nigerian Government to try to improve the situation in the delta, which includes providing technical advice. But it is primarily a matter for the Nigerian Government to assert control over the delta, and we judge that they are capable of doing so. What is necessary is to find the political will.