House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jan 1991

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Syria is an important regional power with a strong influence in Lebanon. On the resumption of diplomatic relations the Syrians undertook to continue their strenuous efforts to obtain the release of western, including British, hostages in Lebanon. This must contribute towards the prospects for a release. Our own efforts will of course remain unremitting.

Intergovernmental Conference

19. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress within the intergovernmental conference.

Mr. Hurd : The two intergovernmental conferences began in Rome on 15 December last year. The initial sessions dealt mainly with procedural matters. We have British proposals to make in both negotiations.

European Legislation

20. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the implementation of EC legislation.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The Commission's lastest report on single market implementation shows that the United Kingdom has implemented 84 per cent. of measures requiring national implementation. Only Denmark 88 per cent. and Portugal, with its derogations--85 per cent.--had a better record.

Argentina

21. Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with Argentina.

Mr. Garel-Jones : There has been good progress since the resumption of diplomatic relations with Argentina last February. Trade is growing rapidly. Several ministerial meetings have led to agreements on visa abolition ; fisheries conservation ; cultural co-operation ; and investment promotion and protection. We aim to build on this encouraging trend.

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Cyprus

22. Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions, as a guarantor power, he has had with the Greek Cypriot Government about recent developments in southern Cyprus.

Mr. Garel-Jones : We maintain regular high-level contacts with all parties involved in the intercommunal dispute, and actively support the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement.

38. Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will convene a conference of the guarantor powers to discuss the resolution of the Cyprus dispute.

Mr. Garel-Jones : We believe that the United Nations

Secretary-General's mission of good offices offers the best hope of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the intercommunal dispute in Cyprus. As part of our active support of United Nations efforts, we maintain continuous diplomatic contact with all parties to the dispute, including the fellow guarantor powers.

Romania (Adoption)

23. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is currently being provided by the British embassy in Bucharest to couples wishing to adopt Romanian orphans ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Entry clearance applications on behalf of Romanian children whom British couples wish to adopt are made at the British embassy in Bucharest and forwarded to the Home Office in the United Kingdom. The embassy will continue to help British adopters to complete United Kingdom entry clearance procedures as quickly as possible.

Get It Right Before You Go"

25. Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the consular leaflet "Get It Right Before You Go".

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received appreciative comments on its general travel advice leaflets, "Get It Right Before You Go".

The original leaflet, "Consular Assistance Abroad", explains what a consul can and cannot do for Britons in trouble abroad and is distributed mainly through travel agents. The new leaflet "A Checklist for Travellers" is distributed with British visitor's passports through post offices and concentrates on a few key messages including encouraging travellers to take out adequate insurance and to safeguard valuables.

Middle East Conference

26. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has had any discussions with the United States Government about convening a middle east conference on the Palestinian question ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are in close touch with the Americans about ways to advance the peace process. We welcome their agreement to a statement by the President of the Security Council on 20 December that an international conference, at an appropriate time, properly structured, should facilitate efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement and a lasting peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

27. Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of his last meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel concerning the setting up of a middle east peace conference.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend last met Mr. Shamir in October. Their discussions confirmed continuing differences of approach on Arab-Israel, including over the merits of an international conference. We have long supported this idea. That support continues. But a conference is a technique, not an end in itself. It needs willing participants if it is to get anywhere. We take every opportunity to point out to the Israelis the need for flexibility if the peace process is to be advanced.

Zimbabwe

28. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were made by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of Zimbabwe during 1990 about the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Mrs. Chalker : None. Zimbabwe's human rights performance has significantly improved in recent years.

The Gulf

29. Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any fresh proposals for resolving the Gulf crisis ; and if he will make a statement.

30. Mr. James Lamond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in the Gulf crisis.

Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in the Gulf.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Since Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August, we and many others have made sincere efforts to bring the Gulf crisis to a peaceful solution on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Those efforts have been redoubled in the last days, notably by Secretary Baker's meeting with Tariq Aziz on 9 January and by the United Nations Secretary-General's visit to Baghdad on 13 January. Iraq has utterly failed to respond positively to any of these initiatives. We continue to urge Iraq to choose the path of peace. But the 15 January deadline was a real one. If Iraq does not withdraw from Kuwait it will be forced to do so.

Mr. Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on President Menem's decision to send Argentine warships to join the multi-national forces in the Gulf.

Mr. Garel-Jones : We welcome and support President Menem's decision to make a contribution. Accordingly

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and exceptionally, we are allowing a limited supply of essential maintenance spares for an Argentine Meko class destroyer and frigate now deployed as part of the Argentine contribution to the Gulf. This is an exception to, but not a change of, policy on the supply of military-related equipment to Argentina.

The Commonwealth

31. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next meet the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat to discuss the Commonwealth.

Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to do so, but my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, expects to see the Secretary General on 22 January.

Syria

32. Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between the United Kingdom and Syria.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom resumed diplomatic relations with Syria on 28 November. It is to our advantage to have normalised our relations with such an important regional power at this time of crisis in the middle east.

Latin America

33. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he has proposed to help improve relations with Latin America.

Mr. Garel-Jones : We do all we can to strengthen our excellent relations with Latin America, promote trade and investment, protect the environment and combat drugs-trafficking. We and our EC partners have established dialogues with Rio group and Central American Ministers, and aim to increase our development aid to the region.

Soviet Union

34. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had concerning the provision of expertise and technical and other support to the Soviet Union.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We agreed with our European partners at the Rome European Council in December to offer technical assistance worth up to 400 million ecu--about £285 million--to the Soviet Union. This decision is being reviewed in the light of recent developments in the Baltic states. EC Foreign Ministers made it clear on 14 January that our co-operation with the Soviet Union could not be implemented if repression continued in the Baltic states.

Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans any urgent aid by way of pharmaceutical products and medicines for the Soviet Union.

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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom is participating in the EC programme of humanitarian assistance to the Soviet Union agreed at the European Council in December 1990. This aid will include food and medical supplies to the value of 3 million ecu. A total of 250 tonnes of medical supplies have already been despatched by the European Community.

The United Kingdom has not received any specific requests for medical aid from the USSR.

Foreign Affairs Council

35. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the European Community Foreign Affairs Council is next due to meet ; and what matters will be discussed.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council will be on 4 and 5 February. Discussion is likely to include GATT, EC relations with EFTA, Turkey and with the United States, ACP debt and Japanese car imports.

British Exports

36. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how high a priority Foreign Office posts overseas are placing on the promotion of British exports ; and how such efforts are measured.

Mr. Garel-Jones : In 1990, a total of 29 per cent. of overseas staff resources were devoted to commercial work. This makes it the FCO's major activity overseas. The effectiveness of our commercial sections is measured in a number of ways, including an independent quality management system.

Somalia

37. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his latest assessment of the situation in Somalia and the position of Somali refugees in Ethiopia ; and whether he will press for further international efforts to achieve peace.

Mrs. Chalker : There has been a serious outbreak of fighting in Mogadishu between Government and rebel forces and the situation remains confused. British embassy staff and the British community were evacuated on 6 January for their own safety. Somali refugees in Ethiopia are in the care of UNHCR and in no immediate danger. We are continuing to work with other countries on efforts to bring reconciliation and peace to Somalia.

Guatemala

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from Her Majesty's ambassador in Guatemala about human rights abuse in general and, specifically, about the massacre of civilians in Santiago, Atitlan Solola province on 2 December ; if he will raise this matter with the Guatemalan authorities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Garel-Jones : Her Majesty's ambassador has reported fully, including the shootings at Santiago Atitlan.

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He and his EC colleagues raised them with the Guatemalan Government on 4 December. On 14 January, the Twelve made a statement congratulating President Serrano on his election, and expressing their hope that human rights would be fully respected.

Varosha

Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Mr. Rauf Denktash on the future of Varosha.

Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no discussions with Mr. Denktash. Varosha will be a key element in any settlement of the intercommunal dispute in Cyprus. All parties to the dispute are well aware of our strong view that there should be no change in the status of Varosha, nor any settlement of the area in contravention of UN Security Council resolution 550 of 11 May 1984.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

EC Legislation

Mr. Leighton : To ask the Lord President of the Council what percentage of legislation enacted in the past year originated in the EC Commission.

Mr. MacGregor : For national legislation, records are not kept centrally of which new provisions give effect to Community obligations and the relevant information could be assembled only at disproportionate cost. European Community legislation, some of which is directly applicable in the United Kingdom, is published in the Official Journal of the European Communities, L series.

Aluminium Cans

Mr. Butler : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will consider the possibility of arranging for the siting of recycling bins for aluminium cans within the House of Commons.

Mr. MacGregor : I understand that the authorities of both Houses are considering the practicability of siting bins for the collection of cans for recycling.

Canned Drinks

Mr. Butler : To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the volume of canned drinks sold in the House of Commons in the latest available year.

Mr. MacGregor : The number of canned drinks sold in the House for the latest 12-month period, to December 1990, was 90,980.

EMPLOYMENT

Industrial Tribunals

Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of outstanding industrial tribunal cases at the end of November.

Mr. Forth : I regret that the information requested is not available for the end of November. However, on 3

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January, excluding cases which require further interlocutory action before listing for hearing, there were 13,483 registered applications awaiting hearing. Of these, 4,716 have been listed for hearing. However, some two-thirds of all registered applications do not come to a hearing because they are withdrawn or settled prior to a hearing.

European Social Fund

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his target date for the payment of European social fund grant to voluntary organisations for the 1991 programme.

Mr. Forth : It is my Department's intention that applications will be approved and initial payments made in the first half of 1991. This timetable is of course subject to the views of the partners in the European social fund who are currently considering how much time they need to deal with their part of the process.

At a meeting on 8 January the Commission and the Government proposed a target date of 15 April but the partners indicated that early May might be preferable to them. Even this date depends on the Commission releasing moneys for 1991 to Britain in good time.

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what detailed steps he is taking to improve staffing and procedures for dealing with 1991 applications for European social fund applications.

Mr. Forth : A number of improvements are being made by my Department. We have increased our staffing substantially. The application forms have been simplified. Speedier checks on claims for payment will be introduced. As requested by the European social fund partners, early indications have been given of the overall sums of money likely to be available to the various groups of applicants. The assistance of the European Commission has been sought, particularly in speeding up the approval in Brussels of United Kingdom claims for payment.

At a meeting on 8 January the Commission and the Government proposed a target date of 15 April, but the partners indicated that early May might be preferable to them. Even this date depends on the Commission releasing moneys for 1991 to Britain in good time.

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to issue the application form for voluntary organisations for the 1991 European social fund programme.

Mr. Forth : The application forms for 1991 are expected to be dispatched on Friday 18 January to the representatives of the main organisations involved in the European Social Fund.

Labour Statistics

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the percentage regional chages in employment and self-employment for 1970 to 1979 and 1980 to 1989 for each of the standard regions of the United Kingdom.

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Mr. Jackson : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Local Offices

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the level of funding of community care loans and grants at his Department's office in Great Ancoats, Manchester ; what has been his response ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott : We have received representations from the director of public health for Manchester health authority about the level of the social fund budget at the Department's Manchester Central local office. This is currently under consideration.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what change there has been in the numbers and time involved in waiting for a claim to be dealt with following the introduction of the computer system at Chorlton.

Miss Widdecombe : Before introduction of the computer system to Chorlton, five days were ascribed for dealing with income support claims. This target is unchanged.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what efforts he makes to ensure consistency between the granting of loans and grants by his Department's different offices.

Mr. Scott : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State issues directions and guidance to social fund officers ; however, we believe that flexibility and the exercise of discretion are important features of the social fund.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the level of funding of his Department's Great Ancoats office in the light of changing demand.

Miss Widdecombe : The Department monitors workloads on a monthly basis and conducts an annual review of resource allocations. Allocations to offices each year take account of forecast workloads, and the in year monitoring examines the distribution of staff resources at local level.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the frequency and nature of errors on the computer system used to calculate benefit at his Department's Chorlton, Manchester office.

Miss Widdecombe : There have been a number of system faults reported since the computer system was installed on 29 May 1989 at DSS Chorlton. They have been corrected as they arose.

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many items of post are outstanding presently at Chorlton.

Miss Widdecombe : At 14 December 1990, the latest available date, the number of unlinked items of post was 47.

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Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to alter the structure and staffing levels at his Department's Chorlton office.

Miss Widdecombe : In April 1991, the Chorlton, Rusholme and Wythenshawe offices will come together to form the South Manchester district service and will be managed as a single unit, but no offices will be closed to the public. District managers will be responsible for drawing up detailed plans to provide the best possible service to local customers in the most effective way. These will be prepared in consultation with interested parties, including constituency MPs.

Allowances (Appeals)

Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the current success rates for (a) initial claims, (b) initial reviews, (c) later reviews, (d) appeals to the social security commissioners and (e) appeals to social security appeal tribunals for attendance allowance.

Mr. Scott : The information requested is not available but such information as is available is as follows :

(a) In 1988 there were 362,000 initial claims for attendance allowance. In the same period, there were 208,000 awards. (

(b) and (c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 3 December 1990 at columns 6-8.

(d) In 1989, 457 appeals were lodged with social security appeal tribunals. In that period, 67 appeals were decided in the claimant's favour.

(e) The Lord Chancellor's Department has advised that information is not available from the office of the social security commissioners on the success rate of attendance allowance appeals.

Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the success rates for (a) initial claims, (b) appeals to medical boards, (c) appeals to medical appeal tribunals and (d) appeals to the social security commissioners for mobility allowance. Mr. Scott : The available information is in the table :


Numbers received in 1990                                                                  

                                             |Number        |Number of                    

                                                            |successful                   

                                                            |determinations               

                                                            |in 1990<1>                   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Initial claims                               |201,500       |97,500                       

Appeals to medical boards                    |27,500        |8,000                        

Appeals to medical appeal tribunals          |8,500         |3,000                        

Appeals to the social security commissioners |<2>n.a.       |<2>n.a.                      

n.a. Not available.                                                                       

<1> Determinations are not necessarily made in the same period.                           

<2> The Lord Chancellor's Department, who are responsible for the office of the social    

security commissioners (OSSC), have advised that information is not available on the      

success rate of mobility allowance appeals.

Disability Working Allowance

Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those potentially eligible for the disability working allowance have partners in paid employment.

Mr. Scott : We estimate that a small number of people, probably less than 5,000, of those eligible for disability working allowance have partners in paid employment.

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Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the (a) threshold levels, (b) taper percentage and (c) maximum benefit levels for the proposed disability working allowance.

Mr. Scott : Illustrative rates for disability working allowance--DWA --are contained in the note on DWA published on 12 November, a copy of which was placed in the Library. The level at which the benefit will be introduced in April 1992 will be settled nearer the time, subject to the passage of the Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance Bill.

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