House of Commons Hansard Debates for 13 Jan 1993

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have diplomatic relations with the 10 CIS countries, as well as Georgia and Azerbaijan and the three baltic states. We have resident diplomatic missions in six of these states. Our bilateral relations are developing briskly. President Yeltsin paid an official visit in November, and the first United Kingdom-Russia treaty since 1766 was signed. President Kravchuk will visit next month.

European Community (Enlargement)

27. Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what timetable is proposed for enlargement of the European Community.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The Edinburgh European Council agreed to launch accession negotiations with Austria, Finland and Sweden. They will open in early February. Negotiations with Norway are likely to begin not long afterwards. The Government will be working for an early and successful conclusion to the negotiations which would permit accession around 1995. Work is now under way to prepare the Visegrad countries of eastern Europe for eventual Community membership--an objective endorsed for the first time by last month's European Council.

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28. Mr. Bates : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the advantages accruing to the north-east of England resulting from enlargement of the EC to include Norway and Sweden.

Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs expects the enlargement of the EC to benefit all regions of Britain. The extension of the single market will provide more opportunities for British business men and greater choice for the British consumer. It should boost economic growth and create jobs.

United Nations

30. Dr. Liam Fox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role the United Nations plays in the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations has a key role to play in promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes, as is reflected in "Agenda for Peace". The United Kingdom has called for greater resort to preventive diplomacy, including fact-finding missions and the use of the Secretary- General's good offices. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in his speech to the general assembly on 22 September,

"preventive diplomacy is quicker, more helpful to peoples about to be embroiled in conflict than the most successful peace-keeping or peace- making operation which follows the outbreak of violence. It is also less costly, in terms of lives and cash".

EFTA

32. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his Swiss counterpart to discuss matters relating to EFTA.

Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met Foreign Minister Felber on 15 December in Stockholm. They discussed the future of the European economic area agreement and Switzerland's application to join the EC, in the light of the recent negative vote in the Swiss EEA referendum.

Single European Market

34. Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress on the single European market following the Edinburgh summit.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The Edinburgh European Council declared the single market complete in all essential respects. The United Kingdom will now lay emphasis upon ensuring that the single market works in practice and on completing work in areas such as intellectual property, transport, and energy and telecommunications

liberalisation.

EC-ASEAN Relations

Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress there has been in the development of relations between the European Community and the ASEAN countries.

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Mr. Goodlad : Considerable progress has been made in strengthening relations during the United Kingdom presidency. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has personally attended two ministerial meetings with ASEAN in Manila. The outcome of the EC-ASEAN ministerial meeting in October will boost co-operation in a range of fields, including trade, environmental protection, technical co- operation and human rights.

Burma

38. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to seek a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss human rights in Burma ; and what recent representations he has made to the Burmese Government about her detention.

Mr. Goodlad : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no current plans to visit Burma. He has raised Aung San Suu Kyi's detention with the Burmese ambassador on 14 September 1992. We continue to be concerned at the lack of progress towards her release and about human rights generally in Burma.

Together with our EC partners, we co-sponsored the resolution adopted at the United Nations General Assembly last month which condemned Burma's human rights performance and specifically called for Aung San Suu Kyi's unconditional release.

Edinburgh Summit

Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government intend to register with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, pursuant to article 102 of the United Nations charter, the decision of the Head of State and Government meeting within the European Council held at Edinburgh on 12 December 1992 concerning certain problems raised by Denmark.

Mr. Garel-Jones : This matter is under consideration. I will arrange for the right hon. Member to receive a written reply.

Poland

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom commitment to Polish membership of the EC.

Mr. Garel-Jones : The United Kingdom has long supported EC membership for Poland and other central European countries as soon as they are ready. The objective of their accession was endorsed for the first time by the European Council at Edinburgh, which identified the EC association agreements as the means to prepare them for this. The United Kingdom, which was the first EC member state to ratify these agreements, is now working to ensure that they are implemented in full and developed.

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SCOTLAND

Ozone Depletion

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will introduce a leakage prevention programme for all refrigeration and air conditioning equipment owned and operated by his Department ; if he will publish targets for reductions in leakages ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) if he will implement a refrigerant recycling and reclaim policy covering all departmental equipment currently using

chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons ; if he will publish targets for departmental reuse and recycling ; if he will implement an equipment conversion and replacement programme for all departmental uses of CFCs and HCFCs ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lang [holding answer 2 December 1992] : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the necessary information has been collated.

EMPLOYMENT

National Training Task Force

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of (a) the Training and Enterprise Council committee and (b) the Employer Investment committee, advising the national training task force are (a) women, (b) from an ethnic minority and (c) people with disabilities, in numbers and as a percentage of the group.

Mr. McLoughlin : There is one (14.25 per cent.) woman member and one (14.25 per cent.) member from an ethnic minority group on the TEC Committee and one (6.6 per cent.) woman and one (6.6 per cent.) member from an ethnic minority group on the Employer Investment Committee which advises the NTTF. There are no members who have registered or non-registered disabilities.

Youth Unemployment

Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people aged 16 and 17 years in Birmingham are not in employment, not on a youth training scheme and not in full-time education.

Mr. McLoughlin : In October 1992 there were 213 unemployed claimants aged 16 and 17 years in the local authority district of Birmingham.

Changes to the benefit regulations in September 1988 coincided with the extension of a guaranteed YTS (now YT) place to all those aged under 18 not in full time education or employment, which meant that those who declined an offer of a YTS place were no longer entitled to benefit. However, there are still a small number of under 18-year-olds entitled to benefit due to special circumstances, such as severe hardship or by virtue of their being orphans.

Complementary Medicine

Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what EC directives apply to the education and training of complementary medicine practitioners.

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Mr. McLoughlin : There are two directives concerned with the recognition of education and training. The First Diploma Directive, 89/48/EEC, was implemented in the United Kingdom in April 1991 and covers degree level qualifications. The Second Diploma Directive, 92/51/EEC, is due to be implemented in June 1994 and will cover those qualifications awarded on completion of higher education courses of up to three years duration and equivalents including national and Scottish vocational qualifications. Both directives are concerned with regulated occupations.

The Osteopaths Bill is having its second reading this month and it is possible that osteopaths may subsequently fall within the coverage of the First Diploma Directive.

The extent to which other fields of complementary medicine are covered by the Second Diploma Directive will emerge as the implementation proceeds towards June 1994.

DEFENCE

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Dame Peggy Fenner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of 33 Regiment explosive ordnance disposal.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) is currently located in a number of sites within Chatham garrison. It is proposed, subject to consultation with the trades unions, that the regiment should relocate to Carver barracks, Wimbish. This move would allow it to be concentrated in one site, thus reducing overheads, and would ensure the future of Carver barracks, which is to be vacated by the 16th/5th the Queen's Royal Lancers on their amalgamation with 17/21 Lancers, currently based at Tidworth. It is too early to say what would be the implications for civilian staff at Chatham but it is hoped that they may be employed by other units within the garrison.

Army Personnel Centre

Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June 1992, Official Report, column 176, if he is now in a position to make a statement about his plans for an integrated army personnel centre outside London.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : On 10 June 1992, at column 176 I announced the start of a stuty into the efficiency and cost effectiveness of forming an integrated Army personnel centre outside London. The study team concluded its work by recommending the formation of an Army personnel centre by 1995 in existing commercial office buildings in Glasgow. The Army personnel centre would encompass the staffs of the Adjutant General and the Military Secretary, including the manning and record offices, regimental pay offices and army pay office (officers' accounts). The existing offices at Chester, Exeter, Leicester, York and Ashton-under-Lyne, and the relevant MOD offices in London and Stanmore would close during 1995-96. Exceptionally, all staff, including those serving in non-mobile grades, would be offered the opportunity to move at public expense. Very substantial efficiency savings, including a reduction of 38 per cent. in overall numbers, would result.

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I propose to accept this recommendation subject to further consideration of the final location of a very small number of staff whose work requires them to be in the south of England. I am today starting a 30-day consultation period with all concerned, including the trade unions.

I have today placed a copy of the consultative document in the Library of the House.

Bosnia

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British service personnel currently deployed in Bosnia are trained in forward air control techniques ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : For the type of forces deployed in Bosnia- Herzegovina it is usual, and is the case, to have one forward air control- trained officer as part of the headquarters.

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the provision of additional artillery equipment to British forces in Bosnia ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The size and equipment requirements of the battalion group deployed to Bosnia is kept under review to ensure that the force is able to carry out its task of escorting humanitarian aid convoys.

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the communications equipment currently being used by British forces in Bosnia is capable of being used for forward air control ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The battalion group has been issued with communications equipment from the normal range of equipment issued to army units. These equipments have the ability to communicate with aircraft where this is necessary.

Mozambique

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration has been given to the deployment of British forces to Mozambique ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what consideration has been given to deploying troops currently stationed in Zimbabwe to assist United Nations operations in Mozambique ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : We do not anticipate deploying British forces as part of the United Nations force in Mozambique--ONUMOZ--nor do we anticipate deploying British troops stationed in Zimbabwe to assist United Nations operations in Mozambique. At the United Nations request, however, a British officer has been temporarily seconded to ONUMOZ from the United Nations force on the Iraq/Kuwait border--UNIKOM. We believe that we are best placed to contribute towards a more comprehensive peace settlement through our offer to help train a new unified Mozambican army.

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Iraq

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors he takes into account when assessing the effectiveness of enforcing the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The no-fly zone in southern Iraq was established with the aim of monitoring Iraqi military activity and deterring repression of the civilian population, in support of UNSCR 688. We believe that the no-fly zone is making an important contribution to securing the safety of the civilian population in southern Iraq, although the zone alone cannot solve the problem.

UN Operations

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration the "Options for Change" programme gave to the requirements for the involvement of British forces in UN operations ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government's plans for force restructuring recognised that new peacetime commitments, including United Nations operations, could arise in the changed strategic setting. These plans place

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increased emphasis on the flexibility and mobility required of forces undertaking such operations, as does NATO's new strategic concept.

20. Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 15 December, Official Report, columns 131-32, from which (a) employment, (b) environmental and (c) health and safety legislation his Ministry is exempt from.

Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Ministry of Defence is part of the Crown. It is a well established rule that the Crown is not bound by a statute unless this is specifically stated, or it is clear that the Crown is to be bound by implication. To list all legislation affecting employment, environment and health and safety matters which does not apply to the Crown would therefore involve disproportionate effort and cost.

As set out in the citizens charter, it is now Government policy to take legislative opportunities to apply such regulatory standards to the Crown. Even in circumstances where the Crown is not bound by legislation it is Government policy that it should comply as though requirements apply to it, wherever this is appropriate and practicable.

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