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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Westminster Foundation for Democracy, with our encouragement, provided £35,000 as half the cost of independent satellite broadcasts during the run-up and immediate aftermath of the elections, as well as a contribution to the costs of a monitoring team.

EC Presidency

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the total cost to United Kingdom funds of the United Kingdom Presidency of the EC.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The main costs of the United Kingdom presidency were borne by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office vote. Including the Birmingham and Edinburgh European Councils and the London conference on Yugoslavia, they are expected to total around £15.8 million. Other Government Departments and public sector bodies such as the police have also incurred expenditure on the presidency. Precise figures on their costs are not available.

Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom presidency.

Mr. Hurd : Yes. I have placed in the Library a pamphlet produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth office which gives details of the main items of business covered during the United Kingdom presidency of the Community, from July to December 1992. A copy has been sent to each Member of Parliament.

Treaty on European Union

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which areas of action or competence of the proposed European union incorporated in the draft treaty or treaties tabled by the Dutch presidency and discussed by the Council of Ministers on 30 September 1991 were not included in the treaty on European union signed at Maastricht in December 1991.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The draft treaty tabled by the Dutch presidency in September 1991 differed from that signed at Maastricht essentially in including all areas of co-operation within amendments to the treaty of Rome and thus within Community competence. For example, the Dutch draft made immigration and foreign and security policies matters within Community competence rather than intergovernmental as under the Maastricht treaty.

Croatia

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means and at which date and location the Council of Ministers of the European Community determined policy in respect of the recognition of Croatia ; and when and by what means such recognition was signified by Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Council of Ministers of the European Community, meeting in Brussels on 15 January

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1992, decided that Croatia should be recognised. The Prime Minister wrote to President Tudjman later that day recording the British Government's recognition of Croatia.

Foreign Affairs Council

Mr. Trend : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 21 December 1992.

Mr. Hurd : My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council on 21December. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry was present for the discussion of trade issues.

The Council discussed follow-up to the Edinburgh European Council. On high definition television--HDTV--Ministers held a short discussion on a Commission proposal for a five-year action plan to support the development of HDTV. No decisions were taken and the subject was remitted for further work under the Danish presidency. On enlargement of the Community, Ministers noted that negotiations with Austria, Sweden and Finland would open formally on 1 February.

The Council expressed the Community's willingness to enter into negotiations with EFTA member states on the changes necessary to the European economic area agreement after the negative vote in the Swiss referendum. The Council invited the Commission to submit as soon as possible a recommendation for the opening of these negotiations. The Council continued discussion of a Commission proposal to change the decision-making procedures for Community anti-dumping and other commercial defence measures, and to establish common rules for imports of goods from third countries. The Council also discussed the export regimes for goods which have both civil and military uses. Pending agreement on the draft regulation on export controls on these dual-use goods and technologies, member states agreed the nature of interim controls which would apply to intra-Community trade in such goods from 1 January.

When the Council discussed the court of first instance, one member state maintained its reserve on the proposed transfer of dumping and subsidy cases from the European Court of Justice to the court of first instance. The Council therefore decided to send the issue back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for early discussion under the Danish presidency.

Recent developments in the Yugoslav crisis were discussed, including the enforcement of the no-fly zone over Bosnia, Kosovo, implementation of the United Nations and EC sanctions regimes and EDC economic assistance to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Commission presented a draft negotiating mandate for a new partnership agreement with Morocco. Detailed discussion will now take place under the Danish presidency.

In the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council there was a conference of representatives of member states to agree the nomination of new Commissioners.

An EC/Cyprus Association Council also took place in the margins of the Council.

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Visa Applications

Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to setting up an office in Ljubljana, Slovenia, to deal with settlement and visa applications.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have no plans at the moment to set up a visa section at the embassy in Ljubljana, but we are keeping the possibility under review. Nationals of Slovenia travelling on national passports do not require visas for the United Kingdom.

Western European Union

Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British women employed by the Western European Union hold senior positions within that organisation ; and if he will list those positions.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Three British women hold senior positions within the Western European Union. One is head of the private office of the president of the Western European Union Parliamentary Assembly ; one is a linguist in the office of the clerk of the Assembly ; and one is a linguist in the Western European Union secretariat.

India

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has (a) received and (b) made concerning the religious troubles in India.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have received a number of representations about events in India following the destruction of the Babri mosque on 6 December. We have condemned those responsible for provoking the violence and supported the Indian Government's appeal for calm. We also support the principle of protecting religious minorities and have urged Hindu and Muslim communities everywhere to show restraint and to avoid further provocations or reprisals.

Yugoslavia

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which overseas British posts former Yugoslavia nationals are able to apply for visas to visit the United Kingdom ; what is the average delay at each post in interviewing those applying for visas ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Former Yugoslavia nationals can apply at any British visa-issuing post overseas. Straightforward visitor visa applications are processed within 24 hours of receipt. The method of recording statistics at posts worldwide does not allow us to establish the average waiting time at posts for applicants from the former Yugoslavia who are required to attend for interview.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Cultural Property

Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he proposes to sign the 1970 UNESCO convention on the means of prohibiting

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and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property ; how many countries have signed the aforementioned convention ; and if he will list them.

Mr. Key : I have been asked to reply.

Her Majesty's Government have no plans to ratify the 1970 UNESCO convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. The 76 contracting states are :

Algeria

Angola

Argentina

Australia

Bangladesh

Belarus

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

China (People's Republic of)

Columbia

Cote D'Ivoire

Croatia (Republic of)

Cuba

Cyprus

Czechoslovakia

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Georgia (Republic of)

Greece

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Honduras

Hungary

India

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Iraq

Italy

Jordan

Kuwait

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Madagascar

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Mongolia

Nepal

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Peru

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Republic of Korea

Russian Federation

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Slovinia (Republic of)

Spain

Sri Lanka

Syrian Arab Republic

Tadjikistan (Republic of)

Tunisia

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Turkey

Ukraine

United Republic of Tanzania

United States of America

Uruguay

Yugoslavia

Zaire

Zambia

This State lodged a notification of succession on 1 July 1992, by which it stated that it was bound by the Convention which Yugoslavia ratified on 3 October 1972.

This State lodged a notification of succession on 4 November 1992, by which it stated that it was bound by the Convention that the USSR ratified on 28 April 1988.

The instrument of ratification was deposited by the USSR on 28 April 1988. The Director-General has been informed that the Russian Federation would continue the participation of the USSR in UNESCO Conventions.

This State lodged a notification of succession on 28 October 1992, by which it stated that it was bound by the Convention which Yugoslavia ratified on 3 October 1972.

This State lodged a notification of succession on 8 November 1992, by which it stated that it was bound by the Convention that the USSR ratified on 28 April 1988.

Note : The German Democratic Republic accepted the Convention on 16 January 1974. However, on the occasion of the unification of the two German States, it was agreed upon that the united Germany would determine its position with regard to the international treaties adopted by the German Democratic Republic. Germany has not made its position known concerning this Convention.

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