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Contracting Out
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide figures for the reduction in numbers of posts as a result of contracting out since 1979 in his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility.
Mr. Nelson : Readily accessible records do not exist as far back as 1979. Detailed records cover only the past two years. During that time there has been no reduction in the
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number of Treasury posts as a result of contracting out. Nevertheless, it is estimated that since 1979 there has been a reduction of eight Treasury posts as a result of contracting out.Taxation
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make it his policy to provide in answer to parliamentary questions figures relating to tax paid by classes of taxpayers sufficiently large to preserve confidentiality with particular reference to businesses now privatised ; and if he will publish his correspondence with the hon. Member for Eltham on the subject.
Mr. Dorrell : Published statistics about taxation are limited to aggregates which preserve the confidentiality of taxpayers' affairs.
Discount Rates
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on discount rates.
Mr. Portillo : There are no plans for changes in public sector discount rates.
British Assets Abroad
Mr. Renton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total size of British assets abroad ; and what were the figures in (a) 1985 and (b) 1975.
Mr. Lamont : The estimates of identified United Kingdom external assets as shown are based on recording direct investments at book values, and other assets at estimated market values. To the extent that the valuation basis for direct investment reflects values in earlier periods, an up-to-date valuation is likely to be higher. These figures do not cover United Kingdom liabilities to overseas residents.
|£ billion
-----------------------------------
end-year 1975 |98.5
end-year 1985 |593.2
September 1992 |1,065.0
Sources: United Kingdom Balance of
Payments, 1992; CSO Databank.
EC Budgets
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the European Council has established a budget in which the resources ceiling has been less than the declared commitments ; by what percentage in each case the commitments have exceeded the resources ceiling ; and what were the comparable percentages in respect of the resources ceiling and commitments agreed at the Edinburgh Council meeting.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 10 February 1993] : The 1988 own resources decision (88/376/EEC, Euratom) sets separate ceilings on the own resources available to finance payments from the Community budget, and on total commitments. The ceiling on commitments is set at 1.30 per cent. of Community GNP, which is higher than
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the 1.20 per cent. own resources ceiling specified for 1992. The difference reflects the fact that some commitments will in practice not be taken up and so will not result in payments being made. There is, also in some cases, a considerable time lag between commitments and payments. As long as the Community economy continues to grow such expenditure commitments will represent a smaller proportion of Community GNP when the payments are made than when the commitments were given. However, article 3 of the own resources decision also requires the Community to maintain a compatible relationship between commitment appropriations and payment appropriations to enable the own resources ceiling to be maintained.The European Council held at Brussels in February 1988 agreed the figures shown in table 1.
The corresponding figures agreed by the Edinburgh European Council in 1992 are given in table 2. (In addition to agreeing to increase the own resources ceiling from 1.20 per cent. of GNP to 1.27 per cent. by 1999, the European Council also agreed to increase the limit on commitments from 1.30 per cent. to 1.335 per cent. of GNP).
Table 1 --------------------------------------------------------- (1) Own resources ceiling (per cent. of GNP) |1.15 |1.17 |1.18 |1.19 |1.20 (2) Payment appropriations as per cent. of GNP |1.12 |1.14 |1.15 |1.16 |1.17 (3) Commitment appropriations as per cent. of GNP |1.160|1.180|1.200|1.215|1.235 (3)-(1) Extent to which commitments exceed own resources ceiling (per cent. of GNP) |0.010|0.010|0.020|0.025|0.035 (3)-(2) Extent to which commitments exceed payments (per cent. of GNP) |0.040|0.040|0.050|0.055|0.065 Notes: 1. The figures for payment and commitment appropriations are based on the financial perspective set out in the Inter Institutional agreement which was agreed between the European Commission, Council and European Parliament following the Brussels European Council. They are expressed here as percentages of Community GNP on the basis of the GNP forecasts which were available to the European Council at the time. 2. In practice, the annual budgets agreed over the period 1988-1992 had payment and commitment appropriations which were considerably lower, as a percentage of GNP, than the European Council envisaged. This was mainly because the Community economy grew more strongly over the period in question than the European Council had assumed. The actual figures as budgeted were as follows.
|Payment |Commitment
|appropriations as|appropriations as
|per cent. of GNP |per cent. of GNP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |1.08 |1.12
1990 |1.00 |1.04
1991 |1.10 |1.16
1992 |1.11 |1.16
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s
Table 2
|1993 |1994 |1995 |1996 |1997 |1998 |1999
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Own resources ceiling (percentage of GNP) |1.20 |1.20 |1.21 |1.22 |1.24 |1.26 |1.27
(2) Payment appropriations as percentage of GNP |1.20 |1.19 |1.20 |1.21 |1.23 |1.25 |1.26
(3) Commitment appropriations as percentage of GNP |1.260|1.250|1.260|1.275|1.290|1.310|1.325
(3)-(1) Extent to which commitments exceed own resources ceiling
(percentage of GNP) |0.060|0.050|0.050|0.055|0.050|0.050|0.055
(3)-(2) Extent to which commitments exceed payments (percentage of
GNP) |0.060|0.060|0.060|0.065|0.060|0.060|0.065
Rugby Football
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements he makes for the taxation of income on benefits arising from the playing of Rugby Union football.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 12 February 1993] : Under Rugby Union rules players are forbidden to receive payment for playing. If they were to do so they would be taxed in the same way as other professional sports men and women.
Incomes
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the amount and share of income going to (a) the top 1 per cent., (b) the next 2 to
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5 per cent., (c) the next 6 to 10 per cent. and (d) the next 10 to 20 per cent. and subsequent deciles of tax units for each year since 1978-79, revalued at 1978-79 prices ;(2) if he will list the tax take for (a) the top 1 per cent., (b) the next 2 to 5 per cent., (c) the next 6 to 10 per cent. and (d) the next 10 to 20 per cent. and subsequent deciles of income groups for each year since 1978- 79, revalued at 1978-79 prices.
Mr. Dorrell [pursuant to his reply, 11 February col. 741-42] : Unfortunately there were two typographical errors in the table, which has now been corrected. Readily available estimates are in the table. For 1978-79 and 1989-90, married couples are counted as one taxpayer and their incomes are combined. Following the introduction of independent taxation, for 1990-91 onwards, husband and wives are counted separately. The estimates of total income relates to income subject to income tax and excludes non-taxable income such as certain social security benefits.
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Quantile group of 1978-79 <2>1989-90 <2>1990-91
taxpayers
|Tax liability |Total income |Percentage of total|Tax liability |Total income |Percentage of total|Tax liability |Total income |Percentage of total
|income |income |income
Per cent. |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 1 |2,300 |5,000 |5 |3,400 |10,500 |8 |3,700 |11,300 |8
1 to 5 |2,600 |9,900 |10 |3,800 |16,300 |12 |3,800 |16,000 |11
5 to 10 |2,100 |9,300 |9 |2,600 |13,800 |9 |2,600 |13,500 |10
10 to 20 |3,200 |15,000 |15 |3,600 |20,900 |15 |3,800 |20,900 |15
20 to 30 |2,500 |12,600 |12 |2,600 |16,000 |11 |2,700 |16,500 |12
30 to 40 |2,100 |11,000 |11 |2,000 |13,700 |10 |2,100 |14,100 |10
40 to 50 |1,700 |9,600 |9 |1,600 |11,800 |8 |1,700 |12,000 |9
50 to 60 |1,400 |8,500 |8 |1,300 |10,200 |7 |1,300 |10,400 |7
60 to 70 |1,100 |7,300 |7 |1,000 |8,800 |6 |1,000 |9,000 |6
70 to 80 |780 |6,000 |6 |760 |7,700 |5 |710 |7,600 |5
80 to 90 |430 |4,900 |5 |470 |6,200 |4 |410 |6,100 |4
Bottom 10 |130 |3,700 |4 |170 |4,800 |3 |130 |4,800 |3
All taxpayers 20,300 102,800 100.0 23,300 140,800 100.0 24,000 142,300 100.0
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1991-92<2> 1992-93<2>
Quantile group of |Tax liability |Total income |Percentage of total|Tax liability |Total income |Percentage of total
taxpayers<1> |income |income
Per cent. |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 1 |3,600 |11,100 |8 |3,400 |10,500 |8
1-5 |3,900 |15,900 |11 |3,700 |15,200 |11
5-10 |2,600 |13,400 |10 |2,500 |12,900 |10
10-20 |3,700 |20,600 |15 |3,600 |20,000 |15
20-30 |2,700 |16,500 |12 |2,600 |16,000 |12
30-40 |2,100 |13,900 |10 |2,000 |13,500 |10
40-50 |1,700 |11,800 |9 |1,500 |11,400 |9
50-60 |1,300 |10,200 |7 |1,200 |9,800 |7
60-70 |1,000 |8,700 |6 |870 |8,400 |6
70-80 |700 |7,300 |5 |580 |7,000 |5
80-90 |400 |5,900 |4 |300 |5,600 |4
Bottom 10 |130 |4,700 |3 |100 |4,500 |3
All taxpayers |23,900 |140,000 |100 |22,200 |134,800 |100
<1>Tax units for years prior to 1990-91.
<2>In 1978-79 prices.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Press Regulations
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the statutory and other restraints on publication by the press.
Mr. Brooke : I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
Disabled Employees
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what percentage of employees in his Department are registered disabled.
Mr. Key : The Department of National Heritage is still in the process of setting up its personnel and other central management information systems and the information to answer this question is not yet centrally available.
Football Trust
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the value of grants to football clubs made by the Football Trust in the last three years.
Mr. Brooke : The value of grants offered to football clubs by the Football Trust in the last three years is £75.5 million.
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Art Collections
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the most recent estimate of the value of the Government's art collection ; how many paintings are owned by the Government ; and in which public buildings they are located.
Mr. Key : No market valuation of the Government art collection exists, because the art collection is not actively traded. The Government art collection owns 2,464 paintings, as well as a number of other works of art located in approximately 600 United Kingdom Government buildings throughout the world.
Rugby League
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will introduce legislation to stop other sports preventing the participation of players who have played Rugby League football.
Mr. Brooke [holding answer 12 February 1993] : I have no plans to do so. It is for the individual governing bodies of sport to determine their own rules and regulations.
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HOUSE OF COMMONS
Parliamentary Television Service
Mr. Allen : To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 4 June, Official Report, column 636, what further developments have taken place regarding the provision of a live television feed of the Chamber of the House to hon. Members' offices.
Mr. Newton : As I indicated in my previous reply to the hon. Member, the Broadcasting Committee has agreed in principle to the supply of a television feed to Members' offices within the parliamentary estate. If the House approves this recommendation, the pace at which it can be implemented throughout the House and its outbuildings will depend on progress with proposals currently under consideration by the Information Committee for the establishment of a parliamentary data and video network, on which the television feed from the Chamber would be carried. These proposals will, of course, also require the approval of the House. For its part, the Broadcasting Committee will continue to keep the matter under review.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
China
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards a united China ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : In 1950 the British Government recognised the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. There is no change in that position.
Mr. Raja Ibrar Hussain
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer at 5 February, Official Report, column 394, concerning Mr. Raja Ibrar Hussain, whether Mr. Hussain has lodged an appeal against the refusal of entry clearance to allow him to join his wife in the United Kingdom ; whether an explanatory statement has been sent to the appellate authorities in London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Mr. Raja Ibrar Hussain lodged an appeal with the British High Commission in Islamabad on 22 November 1992 against the refusal of entry clearance to allow him to join his wife in the United Kingdom.
The entry clearance officer's explanatory statement of the refusal is in the course of preparation.
I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive notification from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when the entry clearance officer's explanatory statement has been sent to the appellate authorites in London.
Belgium (Foreign Residents)
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the letter of 4 February from the migration and visa correspondence unit to the hon. Member for Ilford, South, what evidence he has of repeated applications for asylum and social security
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benefits by non-EC nationals resident in Belgium ; how many such cases there have been in 1992 and 1993 ; what were the nationalities of those involved ; identifying Commonwealth and community citizens separately ; what length of visits had been applied for ; how many had visited the United Kingdom in the previous year ; how many non-EC nationals resident in Belgium have been refused visitors' visas in 1992 and 1993 ; what new practices have been put in place ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Applications for asylum in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Social Security benefits are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
I understand that in 1992 a number of illgal immigrants were arrested and convicted in the United Kingdom. This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The numbers of non-EC nationals refused visas by the British embassy in Belgium in 1992 and 1993 were :
1992--126
1993 (January only)--12
No new practices have been put in place by the embassy. All visa applications are scrutinised to establish that they meet the requirements of the immigration rules.
Hong Kong
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the use of the Green Island reception centre in Hong Kong ; and if he will make a statement on the comparison of conditions with those in the Tai A Chan detention centre.
Mr. Goodlad : The Green Island detention centre was originally used exclusively as a reception facility for Vietnamese migrants arriving in Hong Kong. It is now used principally for holding those who are scheduled for repatriation to Vietnam. The centre has a capacity of about 500. It has dormitory huts like all other detention centres but it does not have kitchen facilities ; meals are provided by an outside caterer. The recreational area is limited. Non-government organisations provide services in the centre which is also visited daily by a medical team.
The Tai A Chau detention centre has a capacity of about 10,000. It is on a remote island and, because of both size and location, it is self-contained. Unlike other detention centres, the Vietnamese migrants are allowed out of the centre during the day and engage in a range of activities which include farming, poultry raising and fish breeding.
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total number of immigrants from Vietnam arriving in Hong Kong between 1975 and the end of 1992 ; how many of these were resettled in third countries ; how many of them were returned to Vietnam (a) voluntarily and (b) compulsorily ; and how many remained in Hong Kong on 31 December 1992.
Mr. Goodlad : A total of 183,542 Vietnamese migrants arrived in Hong Kong between 1975 and the end of 1992. According to figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as at 31 December 1992, taking account of children born in the camps in Hong Kong, 138,023 had been resettled in third countries, 26,729 had been repatriated and 45,317 remained in Hong Kong.
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A total of 418 were returned to Vietnam under the orderly repatriation programme or other bilateral arrangements.Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the total numbers on 1 February in Hong Kong for (a) Vietnamese refugees, (b) Vietnamese immigrants awaiting screening and (c) Vietnamese determined to be illegal immigrants.
Mr. Goodlad : On 1 February the total number of Vietnamese migrants in Hong Kong was 44,803. Of these 2,495 were refugees, 19,869 were awaiting screening or its results and 22,439 had been determined to be illegal immigrants.
Disabled Employees
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of employees in his Department is registered disabled.
Mr. Goodlad : Some 0.4 per cent. of employees in the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are registered disabled and 1.49 per cent. in the Overseas Development Administration.
British Mercenaries
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is provided by the consular department to British nationals in difficulty as a result of acting as mercenaries abroad.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Mercenaries are treated in the same way as any other British citizen requiring assistance from our consular offices abroad. Assistance would usually be limited to helping them to return to the United Kingdom at their own expense.
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the instances and countries in which consular advice or assistance has been given to mercenary soldiers.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Mercenaries are not specifically identified in Foreign and Commonwealth Office records of consular assistance given to British nationals.
In seeking consular assistance mercenaries do not necessarily identify themselves as such.
Peru
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Council of Ministers has taken to encourage the restoration of human rights and democracy in Peru.
Mr. Garel-Jones : In response to President Fujimori's suspension of constitutional government in April 1992, the United Kingdom with its EC partners called on the Peruvian authorities to re-establish democratic institutions with the full participation of political parties and respect for human rights. Most aid to Peru was suspended. We continue to review with our European Community partners the measures taken last year in the light of progress towards the restoration of democracy.
Cyprus
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) the Greek Cypriot and (b) the Turkish
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Cypriot communities about progress made by the United Nations on Cyprus ; and at what levels within the leadership of each community he is in contact.Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last discussed these matters directly with President Vassiliou of Cyprus at the EC-Cyprus Association Council on 21 December 1992. We are in continual touch with the leadership of both Cypriot communities at the highest level through our high commissioner in Nicosia.
Visas
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer at 5 February, Official Report, column 394, concerning the children Shenaz Begum, Afsar Khan and Shaira Begum, what account was taken of doubts about their mother's relationship with their father when the mother, Mrs. Zartaj Begum, was issued with a visa to enter the United Kingdom ; when the British High Commission in Islamabad requested the Home Office to make inquiries of her husband in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Ms. Martaj Bibi (Begum) applied for entry clearance at the British High Commission in Islamabad on 7 October 1991, accompanied by her daughters Bibi Nargas and Rehana Begum, on the basis of her marriage in Pakistan to Mr. Mohammed Gham Ghani on 18 April 1969.
Once the entry clearance officer (ECO) was satisfied that the relationships were as claimed, and that there was adequate support and accommodation available for the family in the United Kingdom without recourse to public funds, the ECO issued visas to Zartaj Bibi and Bibi Nargas, and a certificate of entitlement to Rehana Begum on 1 October 1992.
I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive notification from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth office of the date on which the high commission in Islamabad requested the Home Office to make inquiries of Ms Bibi's husband in the United Kingdom. This information is not currently available.
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new practice has been followed by the visa section of the British embassy in Belgium in scrutinising applications for visit visas by non-EC nationals living in Belgium in 1992 and 1993 ; what is the reason for the new procedure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No new practice has been followed by the British embassy in Belgium.
All applications for visit visas by non-EC nationals are scrutinised as the entry clearance officer is obliged to be satisfied that applications meet the requirements of the immigration rules before visas may be granted.
Maritime Zones
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the maritime zones for (a) dependent territories and (b) other territories.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The information requested is as follows :
|Territorial sea |Fisheries zone |Exclusive economic
|zone
(Distances are in
nautical miles)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Dependent territories
Anguilla |3 |200 |-
Bermuda |12 |200 |-
British Antartic Territory |3 |3 |-
British Indian Ocean
Territory |3 |200 |-
British Virgin Islands |3 |200 |-
Cayman Islands |12 |200 |-
Falkland Islands |12 |200 |-
Gibraltar |3 |3 |-
Hong Kong |3 |- |-
Montserrat |3 |200 |-
Pitcairn Islands |3 |- |200
St. Helena, Ascension,
Tristan da Cunha |12 |200 each |-
South Georgia and South
Sandwich Islands |12 |12 each |-
Turks and Caicos Islands |12 |200 |-
(b) Crown dependencies
Isle of Man |12 |12 |-
Bailiwick of Guernsey |3 |12 |-
Jersey |3 |3 |-
Iraq
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest report of the United Nations special commission investigating the Iraqi programmes of weapons of mass destruction, received by Her Majesty's Government ; and when it was received.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We work closely with the UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM). It is not our practice to comment in detail on the information given to us by UNSCOM.
Contracting Out
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide figures for the reduction in numbers of posts as a result of contracting out since 1979 in his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility.
Mr. Goodlad : There has been a reduction of some 60 posts in the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1984 as a result of contracting out. To check the position back to 1979 would involve disproportionate cost.
Wilton Park has reduced its number of posts by six as a result of contracting out. Neither the Overseas Development Administration nor the Natural Resources Institute have reduced their number of posts as a result of contracting out.
UNESCO
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the incoming administration in the United States of America regarding membership of UNESCO ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have frequent contacts with the United States authorities on many aspects of UNESCO. My information is that, like us, they have reached no decision on membership of the organisation.
EC Association Agreements
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the European Community's association agreements with Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland to come into effect.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The trade provisions of the association agreements with Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia came into effect on 1 March 1992 under interim agreements. The main agreements with Poland and Hungary, to which the European Parliament has already given its assent, will come into effect when national Parliaments in all EC member states have authorised their ratification. The presidency is pressing member states to do so rapidly. As well as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark have completed their ratification procedures. Following the dissolution of the Czechoslovak Federation on 31 December 1992, the Community has moved to begin negotiations on new association agreements with the successor Czech and Slovak Republics.
Bulgaria and Romania
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the European Community's association agreements with Bulgaria and Romania have yet been finalised.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The European Community concluded negotiations on association agreements with Romaniaand Bulgaria under the United Kingdom Presidency. The agreements were initialled on 17 November and22 December 1992 respectively. EC Foreign Ministers signed the agreement with Romania in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 1 February 1993. It is hoped the agreement with Bulgaria can be signed in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 8 March.
Whaling
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to resist any attempt by Norway to negotiate a change in the current EC ban on whaling within EC waters as part of its application for full membership of the EC.
Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made our views on whaling clear to Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland when she delivered Norway's application to join the EC. We would expect Norway to apply existing Community legislation on whaling and trade in whale products on accession to the Community.
Bhutan
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the situtation in Bhutan and on arrangements for refugees from Bhutan in neighbouring countries.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Following the implementation of Bhutanese citizenship laws there are estimated to be about 72,000 refugees from Bhutan in camps in eastern Nepal. A
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further 10,000 refugees are in India. We are providing financial help for the refugees in Nepal through the Save the Children fund.Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with non- governmental organisations concerning the first preparatory committee meeting of the non-proliferation treaty ; what plans his Department has to involve non-governmental organisations in his Department's activities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Our Department has regular contacts with organisations which have an interest in the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and intends to continue doing so.
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