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Ostrich Farms
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many ostrich farms have been licensed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, in each appropriate administrative area of Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. [2162]
Mr. Clappison: This information is not held centrally. Responsibility for the issue of licences under the Act rests with individual local authorities. The 1976 Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Royal Ordnance plc
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the relationship between his Department, Royal Ordnance and PRB; and which countries were supplied with armaments and defence equipment arising from it. [1032]
Mr. David Davis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement on 24 November, Official Report, column 344.
Research and Development
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993-94. [1919]
Mr. David Davis: Table 2.1 of the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-- funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. This Department does not have any policy responsibilities for Community research and development expenditure.
27 Nov 1995 : Column: 424
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects to publish the fundamental expenditure review. [2316]
Mr. Hanley:
I expect to place copies of the FCO, diplomatic wing, and ODA fundamental expenditure reviews in the Library of the House shortly.
Ms Quin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations about European Free Trade Association membership by countries of central and eastern Europe. [1233]
Mr. David Davis:
No such negotiations are taking place. Slovenia has signed a bilateral free trade agreement with EFTA and Estonia has initialled a similar agreement. However, these agreements do not hold out the prospects of membership of EFTA. The central and east European countries with association agreements with the EU continue to aspire to membership of the EU itself.
Ms Quin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals his Department has to give effect to declaration No. 13 of the Maastricht treaty relating to the role of national Parliaments. [1235]
Mr. David Davis:
The Government are committed to enhancing the role of national Parliaments in the EU and are considering a number of proposals to give fuller effect to declaration No. 13. These include proposals put forward by the European Legislation Committee.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of the United Nations convention on mercenaries. [1349]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
We do not intend to accede to the UN convention on mercenaries, as we believe that it would be difficult to enforce its provisions. Only nine states have now acceded to the treaty.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries currently subject to embargoes on the export of British military equipment. [1350]
Mr. David Davis:
We observe mandatory embargoes imposed by the United Nations on Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Liberia, UNITA (Angola) and Rwanda.
We will continue to observe the arms embargo on all the states of the former Yugoslavia in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1021 of 22 November 1995.
We also observe embargoes imposed by the European Union on China, Burma, Zaire, Sudan and Nigeria.
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We observe a voluntary embargo agreed by the then Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe on Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In addition, as a matter of declared national policy, we refuse to supply military equipment to Argentina and Iran.
Mr. Barnes:
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 20 to 21 November, giving details of all votes and all decisions which were determined by unanimity or without dissension. [1597]
Mr. David Davis:
The A items listed in document 11618/95, which will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as it is available, were adopted, except for that on Nigeria, which was the subject of substantive discussion.
The Council took note of the European Parliament resolutions in document 10794/95 PE-RE 73. A copy of this document will be deposited in the Library of the House as soon as it is available.
On Mediterranean policy, the Council discussed preparations for the Barcelona conference. It also considered the draft MEDA regulation, on assistance to countries in the Mediterranean region. The item was referred back to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further consideration and will be examined again at the 4 to 5 December Council.
The Council briefly discussed the prospects for the 9 December Paris conference on economic assistance for Palestinians.
The Commission presented draft negotiating directives for a new EU-Chile framework co-operation agreement. This was remitted to COREPER for further work.
The Commission presented an outline of a communication on future humanitarian aid to former Yugoslavia, focusing on aid quantity and quality and the need to ensure success of future rehabilitation and repatriation programmes.
The Commission briefly introduced draft negotiating directives for an agreement between the EC and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This was remitted to COREPER for further work.
The Commission also presented a paper on reconstruction, co-ordination and financing in former Yugoslavia. The Council took note and asked COREPER to take the work forward. The Council agreed to a fact- finding mission on the needs of the high representative and his staff and the principle of a joint action on the EU contribution to the costs of the high representative and his staff in Sarajevo and Brussels.
On Nigeria, the Council adopted a common position covering a ban on military sales, an extension of the visa regime to civilian members of the Nigerian Government and suspension of EU aid. The Council also agreed to examine further measures.
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The Council agreed, by qualified majority, a negotiating mandate which would provide for 5 per cent. increases in agriculture quotas, year on year, for central and east European countries, with a list of exceptions. The UK, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands voted against, and issued an explanatory declaration. The Commission expressed strong regret at the Council's decision.
The Council adopted conclusions on EU-Russia relations.
The Council agreed in principle to an EU contribution to the Korean Peninsular Energy Development Organisation--KEDO--but instructed COREPER to consider the matter further, including the size of the EU contribution.
On EU-US relations, the Council agreed an action plan to be endorsed at the EU-US summit on 3 December, including a commitment to a study on ways to reduce and eliminate trade barriers.
The presidency gave a brief progress report on negotiations with third countries for tariff compensation following enlargement, under GATT article XXIV.6.
The Council agreed to the current proposed composition of the WTO appellate body.
The Council had a further discussion of a draft for a new TACIS--Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States--regulation. COREPER was tasked to carry out further work and the Foreign Affairs Council will consider the issue again on 4 December.
Only one vote was taken--that on EU-central and eastern European agricultural trade.
The EU-Nepal co-operation agreement and the EU-Israel association agreement were signed in the margins of the Council. There were also meetings with the Foreign Ministers of the EEA and of Cyprus and Malta, in the context of the structured dialogue.
I should also like to take this opportunity to record that at a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 November the Council reached agreement on an EU-Morocco association agreement.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of his Department's expenditure in 1994-95 was spent on procuring goods or services from small and medium enterprises. [1946]
Mr. Hanley:
Business transacted by the FCO, diplomatic wing, with small and medium enterprises in the United Kingdom in 1994-95 accounted for 43.5 per cent. of its total expenditure on the purchase of goods and services.
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