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PRIME MINISTER
Construction Industry
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will transfer responsibility for the construction industry from the Department of the Environment to the Department of Trade and Industry.
The Prime Minister : No. The Department of the Environment is also responsible for housing and planning and for property holding. The interactions between all these responsibilities mean it makes sense to leave sponsorship of the construction industry where it is.
Earth Summit
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that the "Agenda 21" agreement at the Earth summit is given equal status in legal terms to the general agreement on tariffs and trade.
The Prime Minister : Governments agreed agenda 21 as a dynamic framework for action reflecting political commitment at the highest level. It is not, however, intended to be a legally binding document. My EC and G7 colleagues have endorsed my plan for ensuring that agenda 21 and the other Rio agreements are implemented effectively, including through the preparation of national reports for the UN Sustainable Development Commission.
Homelessness
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he has given to establishing the ministerial interdepartmental committee to address the issue of homelessness.
The Prime Minister : I am satisfied that the present arrangements provide for appropriate interdepartmental discussions of homelessness as necessary.
Public Appointments
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list any public appointments by his Department since 1987 which have involved people from organisations criticised in published reports by DTI inspectors.
The Prime Minister : The information is not held centrally in the form requested. My Department takes all relevant factors into account when considering such appointments.
Departmental Advisers
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list any advisers retained by his Department since 1987 who have been criticised in published reports by DTI inspectors.
Mr. Chazanfer Ali
Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Bradford, West concerning Mr. Chazanfer Ali if he will give an assurance that Mr. Ali will be given every assistance to return to the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
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The Prime Minister : Any entry clearance application from Mr. Ali will be considered on its merits and in accordance with the immigration rules.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister what information he has received from the British post in Islamabad about Mr. Chazanfer Ali.
The Prime Minister : On 29 June the British High Commission in Islamabad made inquiries of the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Mr. Chazanfer Ali's circumstances. Once a substantive response has been received I will write to the hon. Member.
Babcock and Wilcox
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 29 June, Official Report, column 593, about the European Council in Lisbon what discussions he had with the Italian Prime Minister on the letter from Babcock and Wilcox.
The Prime Minister : I am pursuing the matter with the Italian Prime Minister. The sanctions imposed by the United Nations against Libya consist of a ban on air links and an embargo on trade in arms and in aircraft and aircraft components. There has been no suggestion that Italy is not applying those sanctions. I am aware of the concern expressed in the letter from Babcock that British companies risk losing trading opportunities in Libya. But we cannot allow the promise of commercial favours to deflect us from our determination to ensure that the Libyans comply in full with United Nations Security Council resolutions 731 and 748.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 July.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 July.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Convention for a Democratic South Africa
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what are the criteria which determine with which Convention for a Democratic South Africa participants he or his officials have contact ;
(2) if he will list those CODESA participants with which he or his officials have had no contact ; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for this ;
(3) with which CODESA participants he or his officials have had contact since the beginning of the process.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There are 19 bodies represented at CODESA. We have had contact with many of them informally in the margins of the negotiations. Our policy on formal contacts within South Africa remains unchanged.
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European Year of the Elderly
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for his Department to celebrate in 1993, the European Year of the Elderly ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 13 July, at columns 430-31.
Subsidiarity
Mr. Duncan-Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government policy on the use of challenges before the European Court of Justice on measures taken by the European Commission or the Council of Ministers which in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government are contrary to the principle of subsidiarity, following the treaty of Maastricht.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Lisbon European Council conclusions invited the Commission and the Council to undertake urgent work on the procedural and practical steps to implement the principle of subsidiarity. We hope that these steps will help to ensure that measures adopted by the Community in future will fully comply with the principle of subsidiarity. When the Maastricht treaty enters into force it will be open to any member state, or the Commission, to challenge a member state, or the Commission, to challenge a measure on the grounds that it violates article 3b.
The Government anticipate that the principle will have its intended effect upon the legislative process, but do not rule out challenges before the court if necessary.
Iraq (Hostages)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made by Her Majesty's Government of the psychological and economic effects upon the British citizens caught up in Kuwait and Iraq in August 1990 and subsequently held hostage by Iraq.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Following advertisements in the national press in October 1990, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been gathering information on loss, damage, or injury, including mental pain and anguish, suffered by British nationals and companies as a direct result of Iraq's unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The first submission of British claims will be made to the United Nations compensation commission in early August. The Maudsley and Middlesex hospitals have provided special counselling facilities.
Nuclear Proliferation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives on nuclear proliferation in European Political Co-operation are planned for the United Kingdom presidency of the European Council.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Preventing nuclear proliferation is high among our foreign policy objectives. During our presidency of EPC--European Political Co-operation--
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we shall work with partners to extend and reinforce the nuclear non-proliferation regime, in particular by working for further accessions to the non-proliferation treaty--NPT--and an indefinite extension to the treaty at the 1995 extension conference ; a strengthened International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards regime ; and stricter supplier controls on nuclear material and technology.Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives are planned by (i) Her Majesty's Government and (ii) European political co-operation under the United Kingdom presidency of the European Council, in support of the declaration made at the Munich Group of Seven summit to combat nuclear proliferation and enhance safeguards on nuclear materials.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We welcome the prominence given to non- proliferation in the political declaration of the Munich summit. During our presidency of EPC we shall work with other EC member states and with Group of Seven members to extend and reinforce the nuclear non-proliferation regime, in particular by working for further accessions to the NPT and an indefinite extension to the treaty at the 1995 extension conference ; a strengthened IAEA safeguards regime ; and stricter supplier controls on nuclear material and technology.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which states agreed upon the common list of nuclear goods and nuclear-related dual-use goods to be controlled by member states, when exported, referred to in paragraph 15 of the conclusions of the presidency on the European Council in Lisbon ; and how long ago European Political Co-operation began its comparison of national policies on arms exports.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The 12 member states of the European Community agreed the common list of nuclear goods and nuclear-related dual-use goods. European Political Co-operation began its work on comparing national policies on arms exports during the first half of 1991.
Drapchi Prison, Tibet
Mr. Merchant : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about ill-treatment of women in Drapchi prison, Tibet in March ; and what representations he has made.
Mr. Goodlad : We have no independent corroboration of these disturbing reports, though British diplomats attempted to visit Drapchi prison in May. We take every opportunity to express to the Chinese our deep concern about human rights abuses in Tibet and indeed throughout China, most recently to the Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister in London last week.
Foreign Forces (Training)
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy not to provide training to foreign forces known to be in breach of international human rights.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We see the provision of military training as an opportunity to increase awareness of the
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importance of good government, democracy, self-discipline and respect for human rights. Governments sending students recognise this.Nuclear Materials
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in achieving accession to the non-proliferation treaty and application of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards to nuclear materials by each of the non-Russian republics and, in particular, Kazakhstan.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Following extensive lobbying by a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, all of the republics of the former Soviet Union have now undertaken to accede to the NPT as non-nuclear weapons states. Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus recently made a formal undertaking in signing the protocol to the strategic arms reduction talks. We have emphasised to them that it is important that they act on these commitments as soon as possible.
Lhasa
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about demonstrations in Lhasa, Tibet, since the beginning of May, including the number of persons detained and injured, respectively, on each occasion ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : Much of the information of this kind comes from the findings of organisations such as Amnesty International and the Tibet Information Network. Two British diplomats visited Tibet in May. They reported that demonstrations had occurred earlier that month but were unable to obtain details.
Public Appointments
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list any public appointments by his Department since 1987 which have involved people from organisations criticised in published reports by DTI inspectors.
Mr. Goodlad : The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Advisers
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list any advisers retained by his Department since 1987 who have been criticised in published reports by DTI inspectors.
Mr. Goodlad : The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Disabled Employees
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) of 29 June 1992, Official Report, column 409 , how many and what proportion of his Department's employees were registered disabled in 1989 and 1990.
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Mr. Goodlad : In 1989, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office employed 45 registered disabled persons : 25 in the diplomatic wing--0.48 per cent. of its work force--and 20 in the Overseas Development Administration--1.29 per cent. of its work force. The figure for 1990 was 46.5 : 23 full-time and one part-time member of staff in the diplomatic wing--0.4 per cent. of its work force--and 23 in the ODA--1.47 per cent. of its work force.
United Nations HQ
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those right hon. and hon. Members who have participated in the annual visit to United Nations headquarters in each of the past five years.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The following right hon. and hon. Members have participated in the annual all-party visits to the United Nations in New York in the last five years :
1987 :
Mr. Robert Boscawen (C)
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley (C)
Mr. Tim Smith (C)
Mr. Michael Jack (C)
Mr. Barry Jones (La)
Mr. Frank Haynes (La)
Mr. Charles Kennedy (SD)
1988 :
Mr. David Lightbown (C)
Mr. Greg Knight (C)
Mr. Jacques Arnold (C)
Mr. Tim Rathbone (C)
Mr. Allen Mckay (La)
Mr. Jim Cousins (La)
Mr. Alex Carlile (SLD)
1989 :
Mr. Alastair Goodlad (C)
Mr. Peter Viggers (C)
Mr. Alistair Burt (C)
Mr. Ian Gow (C)
Mr. John Battle (La)
Mr. Tony Banks (La)
Mr. Menzies Campbell (SLD)
1990 :
Mr. Sydney Chapman (C)
Mr. Ian Taylor (C)
Mr. Jeremy Hanley (C)
Mr. Gwilym Jones (C)
Mr. Jeff Rooker (La)
Dr. Norman Godman (La)
Rev. Martin Smyth (UUP)
1991 :
Mr. John M. Taylor (C)
Mr. Michael Irvine (C)
Mr. Barry Field (C)
Mr. Phillip Oppenheim
Mr. Don Dixon (La)
Mr. Frank Haynes (La)
Mr. Archie Kirkwood (Lib Dem)
India
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning human rights in India.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 13 July 1992] : As I made clear to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr. Watts) on 1 July 1992, at column 587 there are a number of areas of concern and we have regularly raised these with the Indian Government.
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