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Croatia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to invite the Croat President, General Franjo Tudjiman, to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : There are no such plans.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the United Kingdom's relations with Croatia.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : We deplore the recent resurgence of fighting between Bosnian Croats and Muslims in central Bosnia, particularly around Mostar. We also take very seriously the reports of ethnic cleansing of Muslims by Bosnian Croats. The Croatians should have no doubt that these incidents will have a bearing upon the development of relations between Croatia and both the United Kingdom and the European Community.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether evidence is being collected by the EC war crimes investigators detailing alleged Croat attrocities against civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The investigation of war crimes is not part of the mandate of the EC monitoring mission in former Yugoslavia. But ECMM members have witnessed the aftermath of atrocities. A United Nations commission of experts was set up to collate, investigate and analyse evidence of violations of international humanitarian law in former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Croatia about Croatian aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The president of the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on 10 May condemning the fighting between the Bosnian Croats and Muslims. The EC presidency, on behalf of the EC and member states, sent a firm message to President Tudjman on 12 May protesting at the renewed fighting between Bosnian Croats and Muslims in Mostar and at reports of ethnic cleansing carried out by Bosnian Croats. It warned that stronger measures may be considered if the Croatians do not bring these actions to an end.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has reviewed the status of the United Kingdom's diplomatic relations with Croatia following the recent attacks by Croatian forces on civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No such review has taken place. But we are watching events closely in central Bosnia and expect President Tudjman to use all his influence to end the latest Bosnian Croat offensive and to prevent further atrocities. Unless this happens, the international community will consider taking stronger measures against Croatia.
China
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek an EC boycott of goods manufactured by slave labour in China's prison camps ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : We have no plans to seek such a boycott. In the United Kingdom the Foreign Prison-Made Goods Act of 1897 prohibits the direct import of goods made, or wholly produced in any foreign prison, othe relevant international instruments covering slavery, forced labour and similar practices.
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Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about (a) the use of intra-uterine devices in China compared with other contraceptives and (b) the fining of women refusing or removing IUDs.
Mr. Goodlad : According to official Chinese reports, IUD use represented 41 per cent. of total contraceptive use in 1989. We are concerned that family planning regulations in some provinces stipulate the imposition of fines if IUDs are removed without prior approval.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the practice of infanticide in China of babies born without state permission.
Mr. Goodlad : None. We are looking into this allegation urgently.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the draft model laws on population control issued by the Chinese central Government and (b) the laws made by individual provincial Governments ; and what representations he has made.
Mr. Goodlad : We are concerned that some provinces appear to have coercive family planning regulations. We are opposed to the use of any coercion in population programmes and the Chinese Government are fully aware of our views.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about measures taken against parents by Chinese Government officials where women refuse sterilisation or abortion.
Mr. Goodlad : None. We are looking into this allegation urgently.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the policy of sanctions ais an effective instrument against aggressors in the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Sanctions have proved an effective instrument of pressure on Serbia. They have contributed to the change of heart by the Serbian leadership which has now indicated its support for the Vance-Owen peace plan.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 820 adopted on 17 April 1993 will further increase pressure on Serbia and Montenegro. We shall continue our active efforts to ensure that the recently introduced measures are enforced rigorously on a world wide basis. In addition we are examining ways of further isolating the Bosnian Serbs from the outside world. These efforts will continue for as long as the Bosnian Serbs reject the path to peace.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Croatian Government in respect of the rounding up and detention of civilians in and around the town of Mostar ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The presidency, on behalf of the EC and member states, sent a firm protest to Croatian President Tudjman on 12 May condemning the actions of the Bosnian Croats, particularly in Ahinici and Mostar. It also warns that should Croatia fail to play its part in ending the fighting, this will have a bearing on Croatia's relationship with the EC.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to UNPROFOR and the International Red Cross to investigate the results of the alleged atrocity at Bosanski Brod in Bosnia-Herzegovina where the mass grave was seen by hon. Members on 2 May.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : To protect their impartial status, neither UNPROFOR nor the International Committee for the Red Cross is mandated to investigate alleged atrocities in Bosnia. The investigation of evidence of war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia is being conducted by the United Nations commission of experts established under United Nations Security Council resolution 780.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the operation of sanctions in the former Yugoslavia ; and if the policy will be extended to Croatia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : United Nations Security Council resolution 820 represents a significant toughening of sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro. Efforts continue further to tighten enforcement. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs told the House on 12 May, the EC General Affairs Council discussed the question of sanctions against Croatia on 12 May, but concluded that such action was not justified at this stage.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Administration in respect of the possible role of United States ground forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United States is already playing a considerable role in Bosnia : United States aircraft are helping to enforce the no-fly zone and airdrop relief supplies into eastern Bosnia and United States vessels are taking part in the NATO sanctions flotilla in the Adriatic.
We remain in close touch with the United States Administration over possible policy options and the question of ground forces in Bosnia.
Cambodia
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to prevent human rights violations in Cambodia.
Mr. Goodlad : The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia is mandated to oversee the human rights situation in the country. We have encouraged UNTAC in the various steps it has taken to pursue human rights abuses, including the appointment of a special prosecutor. As well as our assessed contributions to UNTAC's costs, we have made a voluntary contribution of £70,000 to its human rights
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component. In addition, we actively support human rights groups in Cambodia and have organised programmes in the United Kingdom for their representatives to meet British human rights groups and Government officials. We have also paid for the translation and distribution within Cambodia of the two international human rights covenants signed by the supreme national council in April 1992.Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that human rights are protected in Cambodia once UNTAC withdraws.
Mr. Goodlad : We co-sponsored the resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in February requesting the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special representative to co-ordinate the UN's human rights presence in Cambodia after the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia's withdrawal. The former President of the Philippines, Corazon Aquino, has since been nominated for this role.
The resolution also mandated the centre for human rights to run a human rights programme in Cambodia after UNTAC has withdrawn.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pressure is being brought to bear on the state of Cambodia to ensure co-operation with UNTAC and with the implementation of UNTAC's proposals.
Mr. Goodlad : The Secretary-General's representative to Cambodia and the signatories to the Paris agreements are in regular contact with the authorities of the state of Cambodia to secure maximum compliance with their obligations under the Paris agreements including those in respect of the electoral process, human rights and the ceasefire.
Northern Cyprus
Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now introduce restrictions on trade with northern Cyprus.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We are considering various options to secure the return of Asil Nadir to face trial. The question of imports to the United Kingdom from northern Cyprus is the subject of a case pending before the European Court of Justice.
United Nations
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will currently list all military conflicts between countries and all civil wars in which the United Nations has been involved ; and what is the nature of United Nations involvement in each case.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations is actively involved in peacekeeping operations in the following geographical areas : UNOMOZ (United Nations Mission in Mozambique)
Mandate : Verification of the ceasefire, the separation and concentration of forces, their demobilisation and the collection, storage and destruction of weapons ; to provide security for vital infrastructure and to provide security for United Nations and other international activities in support of the peace process.
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UNAVEM II (United Nations Angola Verification Mission) Mandate : Originally to monitor the withdrawal of Cuban forces, the maintenance of the ceasefire and the elections. However, the crisis that developed after the election thrust UNAVEM into a central mediating role. The deteriorating security situation has now further limited UNAVEM's ability to facilitate negotiations between the Government and UNITA. UNAVEM's mandate expires at the end of May, and a report by the Secretary General is then due to discuss which direction UNAVEM should take.UNIKOM (United Nations Kuwait Observer Mission)
Mandate : To monitor the Khor Abdullah (waterway) and a demilitarised zone (extending 10 kms into Iraq and 5 kms into Kuwait), to deter violations of the boundary through its presence in and surveillance of the DMZ, to observe any hostile or potentially hostile action mounted from the territory of one state or the other. Since 5 February 1993, UNIKOM has also had the powers to prevent physically, and if necessary redress, violations of the border or DMZ.
UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) Mandate : To ensure the ceasefire is maintained, organising the demobilisation of the factions' armed forces, arranging free and fair elections, creating a neutral political environment for those elections, overseeing human rights observances, repatriating refugees and relocating those displaced by war within Cambodia.
ONUSAL (United Nations Mission in El Salvador)
Mandate : Human rights verification. Monitoring the ceasefire and implementing the peace accords (including supervision of the demobilisation of Government and FMLN forces).
UNFICYP (UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus)
Mandate : Originally to prevent a recurrence of fighting, to contribute to the restoration and maintenance of law and order and a return to normal conditions. Since the hostilities in 1974 UNFICYP has taken on additional functions relating to the maintenance of the ceasefire and control of the buffer zone. It also carries out humanitarian functions.
UNOSOM (UN operation in Somalia)
Mandate : To provide a secure environment for relief operations, to undertake disarmament and to maximise protection of aid workers. MINURSO (UN Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara) Mandate : To monitor the ceasefire and confinement of each party's troops to designated locations, to facilitate exchanges of POWS (under the auspices of the ICRC) and to organise and monitor a referendum for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.
UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon)
Mandate : To confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restore international peace and security, and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in Southern Lebanon. To prevent the recurrence of fighting and to ensure that its area of operation would not be used for hostile activities of any kind.
UNPROFOR (UN Protection Force in the former Republic of Yugoslavia)
Mandate : Wide ranging, but focusing in particular on
(a) Bosnia--protective support for the delivery of humanitarian aid and
(b) in Croatia--implementation of the Vance plan.
In addition to the above, the UN is also involved in several other countries eg Haiti, South Africa, Syria/Israel, India/Pakistan. In these instances its role is principally as an observer.
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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of how many parliamentary questions a substantive answer was not provided by his Department wholly or partly on the ground of disproportionate cost in each of the last 18 months (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of questions answered.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The information requested is a matter of public record available through the facility of the House Library. During the period 9 November 1991 to 7 May 1993 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration, replied to 4,374 questions. A substantive answer was not provided to 23 of these questions wholly or partly on the ground of disproportionate cost.
Mozambique
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Mozambique Government since October 1992, regarding the Government's abuse of human rights prior to the signing of the peace accord.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since October 1992, we have made no representations either to the Government of Mozambique or to RENAMO about human rights abuses. We have encouraged both the Government and RENAMO to proceed with full implementation of the general peace agreement which they signed in October 1992. The agreement includes detailed provisions for the protection of human rights and freedom of political expression.
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what official contacts and meetings he or his officials have had with RENAMO party officials since the signing of the peace accord in October 1992.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The RENAMO leader met my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey during his visit to London on 22 February 1993 and had talks with officials. Our Ambassador in Maputo has travelled to the RENAMO leader's base in Northern Mozambique several times to impress upon him the need to proceed with the implementation of the general peace agreement of October 1992. We have maintained regular contacts with RENAMO officials when they have been in Maputo.
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what United Kingdom development assistance in Mozambique since October 1992 has taken the form of political and democratic training for (a) Government organisations and (b) RENAMO ;
(2) what is his policy with regard to providing assistance for opposition parties prior to elections in Mozambique to establish democratic party structures.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have made no direct financial contribution for democratic training for personnel of government organisations, or of FRELIMO, the ruling party. We have, however, assisted opposition parties
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preparing for elections by the provision, from diplomatic wing funds, of £18,000 worth of office equipment for RENAMO's office in Mapuo, and small amounts for three other parties--PCN, PPPM and UNAMO.WALES
Trunk Roads
12. Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the planned expenditure by his Department on trunk roads in (a) Dyfed and (b) Wales in each of the next five years.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Central Government provision for trunk roads in Wales in 1993-94 is £194 million. An analysis by county is not available as the programme is subject to changing engineering, statutory and financial considerations.
Provision for future years will be announced in the usual way.
Grant-maintained Schools
13. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools in Wales have become grant-maintained schools.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Seven, and well over 100 schools have contacted my Department for information about becoming grant-maintained. I am pleased to announce that my right hon. Friend has today decided that Ysgol Derwen in Clwyd shall become the eighth grant-maintained school in Wales from 1 September this year.
Labour Statistics
14. Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the number of (a) men in employment, full time and part time and (b) women in employment, full time and part time in Mid Glamorgan.
Mr. David Hunt : The 1991 census of employment shows that there were 70,100 and 4,800 men in full and part-time employment respectively in Mid Glamorgan. The corresponding figures for females were 41,400 and 35,800 respectively.
Development Policy
16. Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next intends to meet Mr. Millan, the EC Commissioner for Regional Development, to discuss recent development policy in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : I met Commissioner Millan on 15March. I have invited the Commissioner to visit South Wales later this year.
Cardiff Bay Barrage
17. Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans the Cardiff Bay development corporation has to employ extra staff in relation to the Cardiff bay barrage project during and after construction.
Mr. David Hunt : Cardiff Bay development corporation has no plans to employ extra staff in relation to the Cardiff bay barrage during its construction stage. It is, however,
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appointing project management consultants to oversee the construction contract. After construction it is estimated that the operation of the barrage and management of the inland bay will require an additional 18 public sector staff, as set out in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill.Local Government Boundaries (Delyn)
18. Mr. Hanson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to meet representatives of Delyn borough council to discuss proposed local government boundaries.
Sir Wyn Roberts : As soon as a meeting can be arranged.
Regional Policy
19. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the review of EC regional policy and its impact in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : I have sought and received many representations from our structural funds partners. My officials are consulting fully the local authorities, other bodies and the voluntary sector through the review working groups set up for the purpose.
British Columbia
20. Mr. Fabricant : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to further both economic and cultural links with the province of British Columbia.
Mr. David Hunt : My right hon. Friend the Minister of State is to lead a trade mission to North America from 14 to 28 September. One destination of this mission will be Vancouver, British Columbia. Twenty- five Welsh firms have so far expressed an interest in participating.
Road Building (North-east Wales)
21. Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his plans for further road building in north-east Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Our plans are set out in the 1993 supplement to "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s".
Local Government Boundaries
22. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further representations he has received on his proposal to remove the communities of Coychurch Lower, Ewenny, St. Bride's Major and Wick from the proposed Bridgend unitary authority to the Vale of Glamorgan ; how many were in favour ; and how many against.
Mr. David Hunt : Since my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Gentleman on 29 March, I have received a further 63 written representations regarding my decision to incorporate the communities of Coychurch Lower, Ewenny, St. Brides Major and Wick into a Vale of Glamorgan unitary authority. Two have been in favour and 61 against.
Rural Economy
23. Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assistance the Government are giving to the development of the rural economy in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : The Government's policies for developing the rural economy in Wales have gained a new momentum since the launch of the rural initiative in February 1991. A wide range of measures is now in place to help create a self-sustaining market economy and to thereby secure for rual communities the long-term prosperity which is this Government's aim.
I refer my hon. Friend to the Government's Expenditure Plans 1993-94 to 1995-96, Departmental Report by Welsh Office (Command Paper 2215) for more detailed information.
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