House of Commons Hansard Debates for 11 Jul 1990

European Free Trade Association

21. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in negotiations with the European Free Trade Association for the extension of the single market to European Free Trade Association countries through the creation of a European economic area.

Mr. Maude : These negotiations opened on 20 June and are being conducted in five working groups. Both the Community and the European Free Trade Association countries want agreement by the end of 1990 on the creation of the European economic area. We strongly support this.

Antarctica

22. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had expressing concern about non-scientific activities in Antarctica.

Mr. Sainsbury : We have received representations from many hon. Members and members of the public.

31. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning proposals to make Antarctica a world park.

Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to a reply given on 9 May to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall). I also met representatives of the environmental organisation Wildlife Link on 5 March.

26. Mr. McWilliam : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to ensure that the environment is protected in Antarctica.

Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 June to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (Sir. R. Johnston).

Middle East

23. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to European Community statements of 26 June on the middle east, what further action Her Majesty's Government intend taking to ensure protection of the Palestinian population.

Mr. Waldegrave : The Dublin declaration speaks for itself. We and our partners are committed to continued vigilance over human rights abuses in the occupied territories and to taking these up, in as effective a manner as possible, with the Israeli authorities.

Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts have been made by Her Majesty's Government with the newly formed Government in Israel.

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Mr. Waldegrave : There have been a number of contacts on diplomatic channels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to see his new Israeli colleague before long.

72. Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek the same undertakings from the Government of Israel in relation to international terrorism as he has sought from the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Mr. Waldegrave : The Israeli Government know we abhor terrorism from whichever quarter it comes. Resort to deliberately planned acts of violence can only increase tension in the region and set back the search for peace.

63. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to discuss the situation in Palestine ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Mr. Bassam Abu Sharif on 1 March and I met him again as recently as 4 June.

We remain in regular contact with the PLO leadership and take every opportunity to urge them to maintain their commitment to the moderate policies adopted in 1988.

60. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the plight of United Kingdom citizens kidnapped in the Lebanon.

Mr. Waldegrave : We have continued to receive representations as described in my answer of 12 July 1989 to the hon. Member.

58. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to meet the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to discuss the peace process in the middle east.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to meet Mr. Arafat. We are however in regular contact with the PLO leadership and urge them to maintain their commitment to the moderate policies adopted in 1988. It is this commitment which entitles them to participate in the peace process.

54. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to visit Israel to discuss the middle east peace process.

82. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Israel to discuss the peace process in the middle east.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to

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visit Israel before long. The Israeli Government are well aware of our views on the urgent need for direct dialogue with representative Palestinians.

40. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process.

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

59. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to advance the peace process in the middle east.

Mr. Waldegrave : The situation in the middle east is serious. The continuing stalemate in the peace process plays into the hands of extremists on all sides and increases the danger of greater violence. European concerns were expressed in the Dublin declaration of 26 June. We are working closely with partners and with the United States to encourage Israel to open a dialogue with representative Palestinians as a first step towards a comprehensive settlement.

38. Mr. Archer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to meet the new Foreign Minister of Israel to discuss the middle east situation.

64. Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet a representative of the Israeli Government to discuss the middle east peace process.

65. Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel concerning the situation in the middle east ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs hopes to meet the new Israeli Foreign Minister before too long. We regularly discuss the peace process with the Israelis. They are well aware of our view that a direct dialogue between Israel and representative Palestinians is needed soon as a first step towards an overall settlement.

37. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government about the occupation of the west bank and Gaza strip.

Mr. Waldegrave : The Israeli Government are in no doubt about our view that Israel should withdraw from territories occupied since 1967 as part of a comprehensive peace settlement and that pending such a withdrawal Israel should adhere to its obligations under the Geneva convention.

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Economic and Political Co-operation

24. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the President of the European Commission to discuss economic and political co-operation.

Mr. Maude : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the President of the European Commission are at present taking part in the economic summit discussions at Houston. They will meet again at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 July, which is likely to discuss follow-up to the Dublin European Council.

Cambodia

25. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to advance the peace process in Cambodia.

Mr. Sainsbury : Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Lester) on 26 March, we have continued to promote a comprehensive political settlement, notably through meetings of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The permanent five plan to meet again later this month.

51. Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to review the Government's position on the seating of Cambodia at the United Nations when the matter comes before the credentials committee.

Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 13 June.

36. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed Cambodia with members of (a) the United States Government and (b) European Economic Community Governments ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discusses Cambodia regularly with the US Secretary of State and his European colleagues.

Treaty of Rome

27. Mr. Carr : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extent, under United Kingdom legislation, to which article 27(2) of the Rome convention has been invoked.

Mr. Maude : Article 227 of the treaty of Rome is fully incorporated into United Kigndom law and the question of invocation does not arise.

Drug Traffickers

28. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion he has had with the Foreign Ministers of Spain and

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Portugal about the strengthening of their external non-European Community borders against drug traffickers.

Mr. Maude : The subject of strengthening external Community borders against drug traffickers, terrorists and other criminals, is discussed regularly between Interior and Justice Ministers of the Twelve, and in the relevant working groups.

Yemen

29. Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to have early talks with the Foreign Secretary of the new Republic of Yemen to discuss United Kingdom- Yemen relations.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no firm plans for an early meeting with the Yemeni Foreign Minister. But Dr. Al Iryani has an open invitation to visit London. I recently met the Vice-President of the Republic of Yemen when he was visiting London.

74. Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with the new Republic of Yemen.

Mr. Waldegrave : We enjoy good relations with the new Republic of Yemen. This was reflected in the warm messages of congratulations from the Queen, my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, sent on the occasion of the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on 22 May. We wish the Government and people of the Republic of Yemen well.

Franco-British Relations

30. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the French Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss Franco-British relations ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maude : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had extensive discussions of Franco-British relations with M. Dumas at the annual bilateral summit on 4 May. Since then they have kept closely in touch when they have seen each other at a dozen or so multilateral meetings.

Bilateral relations are extremely good. We consult and co-operate very closely.

Eastern Europe

32. Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement regarding recent developments concerning anti-Semitism in eastern Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : We deplore anti-Semitism in all its forms and will continue to do all we can to counter it. We worked for the unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism contained in the concluding document adopted by the CSCE participating states at the human dimension conference in Copenhagen on 29 June. We strongly endorse the recent statement in Dublin by the European Council on anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.

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Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for which countries he has received IPU observers' reports on the elections in eastern Europe ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : We have received reports, either written or oral, from IPU observers to the elections in East Germany, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. We have found the information from the IPU observers of great interest and value, along with reports from others, in assessing the fairness of the elections. We welcome these elections and look forward to continuing moves towards full democracy in all of the countries of eastern Europe.

Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make it his policy to apply the principle of conditionality to United Kingdom assistance to the countries of eastern Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : Our policy remains that the type and degree of aid to the reforming eastern European countries should match the stage of political and economic reform they have each reached.

Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the grounds upon which he would extend the know-how funds to other countries in eastern Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : The know-how fund, which currently covers Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the GDR, will be extended to other eastern European countries once they are firmly committed to reform.

Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet the Foreign Secretary of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to discuss the relationship between the European Community and the Baltic states.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will doubtless discuss progress in negotiating between Moscow and the Baltic states at one of his forthcoming meetings with Mr. Shevardnadze ; he has no plans specifically to raise relations between the EC and the Baltic states.

44. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European partners concerning the reconstruction in eastern Europe.

Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs attended the second ministerial meeting of the Group of 24 countries on 4 July in Brussels. Ministers welcomed the reforms being undertaken in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and the GDR, and agreed to extend G24 assistance to these countries, in addition to Poland and Hungary. Ministers have called on Romania to implement the necessary reforms to permit it to qualify for such assistance. There was brief discussion of aid to the Soviet Union.

35. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Foreign Affairs Council is next due to discuss the proposed introduction of association agreements with those countries of eastern Europe making progress in implementing political and economic reforms.

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Mr. Maude : The FAC on 16-17 July will discuss association agreements with the reforming countries of central and eastern Europe. The European Council on 25-26 June called for exploratory talks to be opened soon. We are continuing to press the European Commission to make rapid progress with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Hong Kong

34. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in encouraging the Chinese Government to introduce a series of confidence-building measures with respect to the future of Hong Kong.

Mr. Maude : The Chinese Government have, on a number of recent occasions, reaffirmed their commitment to the joint declaration. During my forthcoming visit to China I will be discussing with the Chinese leadership measures which both our Governments can take to build confidence in Hong Kong.

Romania

39. Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations were made by the United Kingdom and by the European Community about the violent repression of demonstrations in Romania.

Mr. Waldegrave : We protested formally to the Romanian authorities in London and Bucharest on 15 June about President Iliescu's use of vigilantes to crush the opposition on 14-15 June. We invoked the Helsinki agreement on 21 June to request information on three arrested student leaders. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and his EC colleagues strongly condemned the violence in a statement on 18 June.

Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to visit Romania to discuss the aftermath of the recent elections ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waldegrave : Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs plan to visit Romania at present. We condemn President Iliescu's use of miners as vigilantes to attack the opposition on 14-15 June, and urge the Romanian Government to take decisive steps to restore progress towards democracy.

NATO

42. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters ; and what he plans to discuss.

50. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ; and what he plans to discuss with him.

Mr. Waldegrave : Following the successful NATO summit in London last week, the alliance has a full programme of work to adapt its policies and strategies to

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the changing circumstances of Europe. We shall keep in close touch with the NATO Secretary-General on the full range of issues set out in the declaration from the summit, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

55. Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the NATO summit in Turnberry.

81. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the NATO summit at Turnberry.

Mr. Waldegrave : The North Atlantic Council ministerial meeting, held at Turnberry on 6-8 June, usefully prepared the ground for the important and successful NATO summit, held in London on 5-6 July, at which the allies set out the future direction of NATO in the 1990s. A copy of the Turnberry communique and the London declaration have been placed in the Library of the House.

Southern Africa

43. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid and development assistance Her Majesty's Government propose to give to those states which form the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference.

Mrs. Chalker : We have provided nearly £1,300 million gross bilateral aid to the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference member states since 1980, and continue to maintain substantial programmes in most of them.

Somalia

45. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Somalia and on the hopes for an end to the internal conflict in Somalia.

Mr. Waldegrave : We have made clear to the Somali Government that respect for human rights and good government are the touchstones of our bilateral relations. We have been urging all parties to the conflict to negotiate, but the Somali National Movement continues to refuse to do so with the present Government.

Latin America

47. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the United Kingdom is making to international efforts to achieve the consolidation of democracy in Latin America.

Mr. Sainsbury : We have given consistent and strong support to democratisation in Latin America in our bilateral dealings with the countries concerned and in conjunction with our EC partners and other members of the international community. Specific examples include : Contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in the region including demobilisation of the Contras (some £3 million to date) ; A grant to Nicaragua announced on 2 June (£600,000) ;

Restitution of our modest aid to Panama ; maintenance of existing aid elsewhere in the region ; additional assistance to the Colombian Government's efforts against drugs trafficking ;

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Participation in the San Jose dialogue between the EC, central America and Panama (with Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela as co-operating countries), which includes as one of its prime objectives the establishment of pluralist democracies in the region. As a result of this dialogue, EC aid to the region has doubled since 1984. The United Kingdom contributes some 20 per cent ;

Political support for human rights organisations in the region, and for those promoting dialogue in Guatemala ;

Support for a Nicaraguan parliamentary delegation visiting the United Kingdom for know-how talks with the Inter-Parliamentary Union ;

Recent visits by Mr. Donald Limo n, a British parliamentary expert to Chile, and by 10 senior Chilean parliamentarians to this country.

73. Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent trends towards democracy in Latin America.

Mr. Sainsbury : We warmly welcome them. We particularly welcome the restoration of democracy in Chile, Nicaragua and Panama. We are encouraged that in El Salvador the third round of talks between the Government and the FMLN guerillas ended on a positive note, and that they are to be resumed on 20 July. We hope that the FMLN will soon agree to join the democratic process, and that Cuba will at last join the rest of Latin America in adopting pluralist democracy.

Security and Co-operation in Europe

48. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether sufficient progress is being made in the two- plus-four talks and in CFE negotiations to enable a conference on security and co-operation in Europe to take place in the current year.

Mr. Waldegrave : We and our NATO partners continue to regard it as important that the CFE negotiations should reach a satisfactory conclusion in order to lay the necessary basis for a CSCE summit to take place this year. It is also our aim to complete the two-plus-four talks by then. Progress is being made in both sets of talks. We were encouraged to note that the Warsaw pact summit declaration on 7 June committed Warsaw pact members to a successful termination of the CFE talks in time for the treaty to be signed at a CSCE summit late in 1990.

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