§ Mr. McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indian Government concerning the recent caste-related violence aimed at the Dalit community. [120300]
§ Mr. HainWe deplore all forms of discrimination, including that based on caste. We are also concerned by incidents of caste-related violence. We and our High Commission in New Delhi continue to follow this issue closely.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he received about Kashmir prior to his visit to India. [120556]
§ Mr. HainWe are aware of the concern of many people in the UK regarding the current situation in Kashmir. We hope that India and Pakistan can resume their dialogue and find a just and lasting solution to this issue.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had in India about the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. [120554]
§ Mr. HainWe take every opportunity to urge India to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, including during the Foreign Secretary's visit to India last month.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. [120555]
§ Mr. HainThe Government are committed to early enlargement of both the permanent and the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, including the creation of a new permanent seat for the Asian regional group. It would be for the Asian group to decide who would occupy any permanent seat allocated to them. India would clearly be a contender.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had about defence exports while in India. [120553]
§ Mr. HainDefence exports were among a wide range of issues discussed during the Secretary of State's visit to India.