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Sri Lanka
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures have been taken by the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to Tamil people in the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka. [1618]
Mr. Hanley: The international community is supporting the efforts of those relief agencies providing emergency shelter, health, water and sanitation, and supplementing food rations to those affected by the conflict. With regard to the United Kingdom's contribution, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 22 November Official Report, column 111. In addition, the UK share of recent European Community emergency aid is some £138,000.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards cutting energy consumption in Government buildings for which he has responsibility in each year since 1990. [1443]
Mr. Hanley: We are actively pursuing an energy efficiency implementation programme with a view to meeting the Government's aim to reduce energy consumption by 15 per cent. by March 1996. Measured by input over output, a reduction of 11.85 per cent. of electricity consumption and 15 per cent. of gas consumption has been achieved from 1990 to March 1995.
European Court of Human Rights
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many judgments handed down by the European Court of Human Rights have gone (a) in favour of and (b) against each member country; and if he will make a statement. [1525]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: A list containing the information requested follows:
| State party | Cases where violations found at 6 October 1995 | Cases where no violations found (Council of Europe Reference Charts published for 1995) |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 28 | 12 |
| Belgium | 20 | 7 |
| Bulgaria | 0 | 0 |
| Cyprus | 1 | 0 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 0 |
| Denmark | 2 | 3 |
| Finland | 2 | 1 |
| France | 33 | 10 |
| Germany | 12 | 16 |
| Greece | 7 | 0 |
| Hungary | 0 | 0 |
| Iceland | 2 | 0 |
| Ireland | 6 | 1 |
| Italy | 84 | 11 |
| Liechtenstein | 0 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 0 |
| Malta | 1 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 23 | 4 |
| Norway | 1 | 0 |
| Poland | 0 | 0 |
| Portugal | 6 | 1 |
| Romania | 0 | 0 |
| San Marino | 0 | 0 |
| Slovakia | 0 | 0 |
| Slovenia | 0 | 0 |
| Spain | 7 | 2 |
| Sweden | 21 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 14 | 8 |
| Turkey | 2 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 37 | 19 |
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Guatemala
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the British contribution to the MINUGUA UN mission in Guatemala; and what is his policy towards the future of this mission. [1623]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The MINUGUA mission is funded from the UN regular budget. The United Kingdom contribution to MINUGUA, based on our assessed contributions, will be approximately US$ 1.4 million for the period 1 October 1994 to 31 December 1995.
The UK co-sponsored a resolution at the UN General Assembly on 14 September 1995 to extend MINUGUA by six months, until 18 March 1996.
Sri Lanka
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings diplomatic officials have held with human rights and political groupings in Sri Lanka. [1620]
Mr. Hanley: British diplomatic officials in London and Colombo have frequent contacts with human rights organisations and a wide range of political parties and groups.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Royal Ordnance
Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investigation his Department has made into the allegation made in a German court that Royal Ordnance staff provided false end-user certificates for the German company Heckler and Koch, prior to its purchase of the company, and re-exported the guns abroad; and if he will make a statement. [1143]
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Mr. Oppenheim: The allegations made during the court case, including that referred to by the hon. Member, were pursued with Royal Ordnance and assurances were received from the company to the satisfaction of my Department.
Public Interest Immunity Certificates
Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all those in his Department who have authority to issue public interest immunity certificates; how many such certificates have been issued in each of the last five years; and what were the main reasons for them. [1395]
Mr. Lang: A claim to public interest immunity relating to departmental documents or information is normally made by the appropriate Minister.
My Department's records show that, since April 1992, 22 public interest immunity certificates have been signed by Ministers of this Department, five of which did not need to be deployed. The annual breakdown is as follows:
The certificates were issued to protect a range of classes of information, in particular the formulation of Government policy, the internal dealings of Government Departments, the operation of the Security and Intelligence Services, and confidential information and advice obtained in connection with the Department's regulatory or statutory functions.
Mr. Frank Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is his policy to require companies taking over regional electricity companies' assurances in respect of the protection of small companies generating electricity by sustainable means; and what assurances have so far been given. [1606]
Mr. Eggar:
The five-year transitional arrangements for those generators which supplied regional electricity companies under extended Energy Act terms ended in March 1995. A public electricity supplier's obligation under the non-fossil fuel obligation are not affected by changes in the ownership of that public electricity supplier.
Mr. Frank Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he is taking to protect small independent companies generating electricity by sustainable means following the opening up of the electricity market. [1605]
Mr. Eggar:
Those renewable generating stations with NFFO contracts will not be affected by the liberalisation of the electricity market until their NFFO contracts with the regional electricity companies end. Renewable generating stations without NFFO contracts will have the opportunity to benefit from the freedom to supply end-users in small niche markets, at a price that may be related to the electricity retail price as opposed to the
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 249
wholesale price at which licensed electricity suppliers purchase electricity. I understand that OFFER and the electricity pool are considering the possibility of simplified arrangements to enable embedded generators to sell electricity without the requirement to become pool members.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of potential insider dealing offences (a) considered by the stock exchange surveillance group, (b) referred by that group to his
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Department, (c) investigated or prosecuted by his Department or by the stock exchange and (d) resulting in a conviction in each year since 1988. [541]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
The information sought by the hon. Member is contained in my Department's report on companies published annually by HMSO. For convenience I provide a compendium of information derived from reports from 1988-89 to 1994-95. The stock exchange reviews transactions ahead of all price-sensitive announcements on a routine basis. Where evidence of insider dealing is suspected a referral is made to the Department. The tables include such referrals.
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 249
No central record is kept of certificates issued before April 1992.
1992: 4 (from April)
1993: 8
1994: 6
1995: 4 (to date)
| 1989-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prosecutions pending at beginning of year | |||||||
| Following S177 enquiry | 2 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 9 | (7)-- | (7)-- |
| Total | 6 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 9 | -- | -- |
| Prosecutions started | |||||||
| Following S177 enquiry | 3 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 6 | (7)-- | (7)-- |
| Total | 6 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 6 | -- | -- |
| Convictions | |||||||
| Following S177 enquiry | -- | 3 | -- | 3 | (8)4 | 2 | -- |
| Total | -- | 4 | 2 | 3 | (9)5+ | 2 | -- |
| Acquittals | |||||||
| Following S177 enquiry | -- | 2 | -- | 2 | 2 | 5 | -- |
| Total | 1 | 9 | -- | 5 | 2 | 6 | -- |
| Prosecutions pending at end of year | |||||||
| Following S177 enquiry | 5 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 1 | (7)-- | (7)-- |
| Total | 10 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 1 | -- | -- |
(7) This information was not included in the 1993-94 Companies Annual Report or subsequently.
(8) Includes three convictions acquitted on appeal in 1994-95.
(9) Includes one conviction acquitted on appeal in 1993-94.
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23 Nov 1995 : Column: 249
| 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases referred by the London stock exchange for consideration | 33 | 21 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 13 |
| Cases in hand at the beginning of the year | 15 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Appointment of inspectors | 12 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Final reports submitted by inspectors | 13 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Cases in hand at the end of the year | 14 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 249
23 Nov 1995 : Column: 249
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