Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 23 February 2010.
Derek Conway
Independent, Old Bexley and Sidcup
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) his Algerian counterpart and (b) the Polisario on the United Nations High Commission on Refugees' confidence-building measures programme for the Sahrawi refugee population in the Tindouf camps; and if he will make a statement.
Ivan Lewis
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had discussions with either his Algerian counterpart or the Polisario on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confidence building measures programme. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Officials in Algiers and London have discussed confidence building measures with the Polisario as part of their regular dialogue with all parties to the Western Sahara dispute. The most recent discussions took place in February between the Polisario and Foreign and Commonwealth Officials in London.
My hon. Friend Bill Rammell, then Minister responsible for North Africa, did discuss UN led efforts to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara with Abdelqader Mesahel, Algerian Minister responsible for Maghreb Affairs, during the annual UK-Algeria political dialogue in December 2008. The Western Sahara dispute is again on the agenda for the next round of the UK-Algeria political dialogue, scheduled for
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
