§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have discussed policies of social inclusion and appropriate social services in Russia with the Russian Government; and, if not, whether they will seek the opportunities for such dialogue. [HL4682]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe regularly engage with the Russian authorities on social inclusion. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Bill Rammell, discussed various aspects of social inclusion with the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, during his visit to Moscow in April this year. This subject was also covered during the official level bilateral UK-Russia human rights talks held at the FCO in September. It is due to be discussed again during Mr Lukin's scheduled visit to the UK later this month.
Outside these discussions, the Department for International Development is actively engaged with federal and regional authorities in Russia on a range of programmes and activities designed to support planned reforms in the areas of social inclusion and social services. Similarly, the FCO is spending around £900,000 this financial year on projects in Russia which are aimed at encouraging social inclusion coupled with the protection of individual rights.