§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the role of Her Majesty's Government in the appointment of a former serving officer in the British Army in a leading security role on behalf of the Government of Bahrain. [71303]
§ Mr. FatchettThe UK Government received a request from the Government of Bahrain in 1966 for help in recruiting a successor to the Head of the Bahraini Special Branch. Ian Henderson informed us that he wished to be considered for the post. We passed on his request to the Bahrainis, whose decision it was to appoint him.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will introduce an embargo on the export of arms to Bahrain. [71302]
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§ Mr. FatchettThere are no plans to introduce such an embargo.
§ Mr. CanavanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which human rights are violated by the Government of Bahrain; and what action he has taken to increase respect for human rights in Bahrain. [71300]
§ Mr. FatchettWe take seriously any abuse of human rights wherever it might occur. I regularly raise our concerns about the provision of human rights in Bahrain with Bahraini Ministers and officials. I welcomed Bahrain's ratification of the Convention Against Torture and its agreement to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to monitor prison conditions in Bahrain. I have also urged Bahrain to communicate more with human rights NGOs, including Amnesty International.