House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 May 1989

43. Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the peace in the middle east.

65. Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the peace process in the middle east.

87. Sir Dennis Walters : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards a middle east peace settlement.

Column 460

Mr. Waldegrave : We continue to believe that a settlement of the Arab/Israel dispute must be based on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and that an international conference, at the right time, will be necessary. We look forward to discussing with Mr. Shamir how his proposal for elections in the occupied territories can contribute to this process when he visits the United Kingdom later this month.

85. Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to hold urgent talks with the United States Government and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in preparation for an international conference on the middle east.

Mr. Waldegrave : We remain in close touch with the two Governments and with others concerned about the prospects for peace in the middle east. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State discussed these with both Mr. Shevardnadze and Secretary Baker last month.

75. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning President Arafat's peace initiative.

Mr. Waldegrave : We are in close touch with the Israeli authorities and look forward to further discussion of all aspects of the peace process with Mr. Shamir later this month.

78. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent killings on the West Bank and Gaza on the peace process in the middle east.

Mr. Waldegrave : Violence, from whatever quarter, can make the search for peace in the middle east only more difficult. The Israeli authorities are well aware of our concern at their use of excessive force in the occupied territories.

Argentina

24. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve relations between Britain and Argentina.

Mr. Eggar : Since the Falklands conflict in 1982 we have consistently striven to restore more normal relations with Argentina. To this end we have taken a number of important initiatives. The Argentine response to all of these has been disappointing. Indeed Argentina has recently formalised discrimination against British exporters, and continues to refuse access to our ships and aircraft.

56. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations between Britain and Argentina.

Mr. Eggar : Since the Falklands conflict in 1982 we have consistently striven to restore more normal relations with Argentina. To this end we have taken a number of important initiatives. The Argentine response to all of these has been disappointing. Indeed Argentina has recently formulated discrimination against British exporters, and continues to refuse access to our ships and aircraft.

Column 461

50. Mr. Haynes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Argentina.

Mr. Eggar : No.

Jordan

25. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when next he expects to meet King Hussein of the Hashmite Kingdom of Jordan for discussions on matters of mutual interest ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State held very useful discussions with King Hussein last month. They have at present no plans for a further meeting. I myself met the King in Amman in March.

Beirut

26. Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made concerning the Christian community in Beirut ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : None. The recent fighting has affected members of all communities in Lebanon. In common with our partners in the Twelve we fully support the efforts of the Arab League to arrange a ceasefire and to seek a negotiated solution.

Internal Border Control

Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his west European counterparts regarding the proposals put forward by the Schengen group of countries to abolish internal border controls.

Mrs. Chalker : In the context of the wider frontiers discussion within the European Community, we have naturally discussed with our partners the practical experience of the Schengen group, and the problems they have encountered.

Nuclear Weapons

28. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy of opposing the West German Government's proposals for early negotiations to reduce nuclear weapons in Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : The stated objective of the Warsaw pact is the elimination of nuclear weapons from Europe. NATO is committed to maintaining an adequate and effective mix of conventional and nuclear forces, including land-based missiles in Europe. Given this conflict of objectives, it is hard to see how there could be a fruitful outcome to any negotiations.

Iraq

29. Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what continuing representations are being made to the Iraqi Government about persistent allegations of the torture, ill- treatment, execution and arbitrary arrest of children in Iraq.

Column 462

Mr. Waldegrave : As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State said on 28 April, at column 686 the Government have repeatedly made clear to the Iraqi authorites our concern at Iraqi human rights violations and will continue to do so. The Iraqis know that we expect them to abide by their obligations under international agreements, which, in particular, prohibit the use of the death penalty against minors.

Nicaragua

30. Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the President of Nicaragua ; and what subjects were discussed.

Mr. Eggar : President Ortega made a private visit to the United Kingdom from 6 to 8 May in the course of an extensive European tour. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister received him on 8 May. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I saw Foreign Minister d'Escoto on the same day.

59. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Nicaragua.

Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to visit Nicaragua.

Air Fares (Europe)

31. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implication of the recent European Court of Justice judgment outlawing price fixing among European airlines for bringing down air fares in Europe.

Mrs. Chalker : We strongly support action within the European Community which ensures that air travellers are charged fair prices. We expect the Commission to take the recent European Court of Justice judgment into account in preparing new proposals for liberalising air transport.

45. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for European integration of the latest ruling by the European Court of Justice on air transport fares.

Mrs. Chalker : We would expect the Commission to take full account of the recent European Court of Justice ruling on air fares in preparing proposals for the second phase of air transport liberalisation. The United Kingdom fully supports further liberalisation in this field, because of the great practical benefits it will bring, especially to consumers.

Air Transport

49. Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the European Economic Community to make further progress in liberalising air transport.

Mrs. Chalker : The aviation liberalisation package of December 1987 commits the Council of Ministers to adopt further measures by June 1990. The Commission has to bring forward proposals by 1 November this year. The United Kingdom's support for further effective measures

Column 463

has been made clear in a memorandum to the Commission. A copy of this has been placed in the Library of the House.

El Salvador

32. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the human rights situation in El Salvador is improving.

Mr. Eggar : Regrettably, recent months have seen a deterioration in the human rights situation in El Salvador.

We are particularly concerned that the escalation of violence and violation of human rights by the FMLN guerrillas appears to be provoking a response from extreme elements on the Right.

European Monetary and Economic Union

33. Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet Mr. Jacques Delors to discuss the findings of the Delors committee on the European monetary and economic union.

Mrs. Chalker : The report of the Delors committee will be discussed at the informal meeting of Economic and Finance Ministers in Gerona on 19 to 21 May at which I understand M. Delors will be present.

Kurdish People

34. Mr. Archer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the Iraqi regime over its policy of repression against its Kurdish citizens.

81. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iraq concerning their treatment of Kurdish people.

Mr. Waldegrave : We have regularly raised with the Iraqi authorities our concerns over their Kurdish population and human rights violations against the community.

Most recently I did so with the Iraqi ambassador on 19 April, and in particular made clear that we would view with grave concern any evidence to support recent reports of mass deportations of Kurds. We have urged the Iraqi Government to allow diplomats and journalists to visit Iraq to see for themselves.

Brady Plan

35. Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Third world countries on the proposals in the Brady plan to relieve international debt.

Mrs. Chalker : There has been general interest among both debtors and creditors in the United States proposals. We are examining the possible involvement of the international financial institutions in debt and debt service reduction. The discussion will continue further in the boards of the IMF and World Bank.

Column 464

Protection of the Environment

36. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is undertaking to enhance United Nations co-operation on protection of the environment.

Mr. Eggar : The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the focus for environmental co-operation within the United Nations. We recently more than doubled our voluntary financial contribution to UNEP, and are now the second largest contributor. We urge all other countries to take similar action and will reinforce this at the UNEP governing council on 15 to 26 May.

Hong Kong

38. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China concerning the future of Hong Kong.

57. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China concerning the future of Hong Kong.

Mr. Eggar : I refer hon. Members to the answer I gave on 5 April at column 195.

73. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the future of British nationals overseas living in Hong Kong ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Eggar : We have recently received a number of representations from hon. Members and from members of the public both here and in Hong Kong. We have also taken note of the views expressed during the hearings held in Hong Kong last month by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

74. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to visit Hong Kong to discuss the arrangements for implementing the 1977 agreement.

Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has at present no plans to visit Hong Kong.

Lebanon

39. Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom policy towards the restoration of peace in the Lebanon.

42. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government policy on the establishment of peace in the Lebanon.

63. Sir Fergus Montgomery : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British policy on the restoration of peace in the Lebanon.

Mr. Waldegrave : We hope that all parties concerned in the fighting will work towards a peaceful settlement. We

Column 465

and our European partners fully support the efforts of the Arab League to arrange a ceasefire and to help in achieving a negotiated solution.

Central America

40. Mr. Buckley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Government of the United States of America to discuss central America.

Mr. Eggar : We have regular discussions with the United States Administration on a wide variety of topics, including central America.

South Africa

41. Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has he made of the effectiveness of his policy of ending apartheid in South Africa.

Mrs. Chalker : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to his identical question on 3 February 1988 at column 965. Our assessment remains unchanged.

71. Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the South African Foreign Minister.

76. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the South African ambassador ; and what matters will be discussed.

Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no present plans to do so.

West Germany

44. Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet representatives of the West German Government ; and what matters will be discussed.

Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend expects to meet Dr. Wolfgang Schauble, the Federal German Minister of the Interior on 18 May when he visits this country to participate in a conference marking the 40th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany. A range of subjects of mutual interest will be discussed.

Southern Africa

46. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit southern Africa ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no current plans to visit southern Africa.

United States

47. Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Government of the United States ; and what subjects were discussed.

79. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the outcome of his visit to the United States on 17 April.

Column 466

Mr. Eggar : When I met President Bush in Washington on 17 April we discussed a number of current issues including East-West relations, SNF, the middle east, Lebanon, southern Africa and Latin America.

Refuseniks

48. Mr. Gillian Shephard : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made on the current position of refuseniks in the Soviet Union ; and if he will make a statement.

84. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made on the current position of refuseniks in the Soviet Union ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : We have raised the problem of refuseniks with Mr. Shevardnadze on three separate occasions this year, most recently during Mr. Gorbachev's visit. The Soviet authorities have been left in no doubt that the problem of long-term refuseniks will continue to cast a shadow over Anglo-Soviet relations until a satisfactory and lasting solution is reached.

Vietnamese Refugees

51. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the conditions under which Vietnamese refugees are being held in Hong Kong.

Mr. Eggar : We have received a number of representations from members of the public and some voluntary organisations about conditions in the centres for Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong. Both we and the Hong Kong Government attach great importance to ensuring that conditions in these centres are as good as they can be in the circumstances.

Conditions in the centres for those categorised as refugees have already been liberalised but the recent flood of new arrivals is putting the facilities available for those awaiting screening under great strain.

Sri Lanka and India

52. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit (a) Sri Lanka and (b) India.

Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has no plans at present to visit Sri Lanka. He was in India from 28 March to 1 April.

Turkey

53. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what fresh initiatives he plans to seek to reduce human rights violations in Turkey.

Mrs. Chalker : The Turkish Government are aware that we expect them to respect and abide by the terms and conditions of the human rights conventions to which they are parties. We shall continue to follow developments closely.

Column 467

Conventional Arms Reductions

54. Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations towards conventional arms reductions in Europe.

55. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress towards conventional arms reductions in Europe.

60. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations towards conventional arms reductions in Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : NATO/Warsaw pact negotiations on conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE) opened in Vienna on 9 March. The first round was encouraging. The atmosphere was serious and constructive with the Warsaw pact apparently willing to negotiate seriously and to find common ground. Much complex negotiation lies ahead. The second round began on 5 May.

Horn of Africa

58. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for peace in the Horn of Africa.

Mrs. Chalker : While the parties to the conflicts in Ethiopia and Somalia maintain their present positions, there seems little prospect for peace in the Horn of Africa. Our policy is to work for negotiated solutions, internal reconciliation, improved economic management and greater respect for human rights.

Human Rights

61. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the maintaining of progress in establishing human rights in eastern Europe.

70. Mr. Curry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Monitoring of progress on the establishment of human rights in eastern Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : Performance is varied. Hungary and Poland are continuing to take measures to improve human rights and political freedoms. There has been little or no improvement in Bulgaria or Czechoslovakia or the GDR. Romania is, I am sorry to say, in a class of its own.

Next Section

Home Page