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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iran

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the observations of the European Union observers at the trial of those accused of murdering the Christian leaders, Rev. Tateos Michaelian and Rev. Mehdi Dibaj in Iran. [1996]

Mr. Hanley: A representative of the European Union presidency attended two of the four sessions of the trial. No formal observations have been issued. But despite the fact that the trial was held in public, it is not possible to say that justice was done. We are concerned that certain aspects of the procedure did not conform to generally accepted international standards. Examples are the publicity given to the apparent confessions made by the accused before the trial, and the impression that it was stage-managed.

Nevertheless, the holding of a public trial is a welcome development in itself and we shall continue to stress the importance of public trials and of due process.

4 Dec 1995 : Column: 79

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to press the Iranian Government to allow the free sale and distribution of bibles and to put an end to the forced closures of churches. [1998]

Mr. Hanley: Following the hon. Member's question on the Bible Society on 10 January 1995, Official Report, columns 60-61, we raised the matter with our European Union partners. As a result, one partner pressed the Iranian Government to clarify their position: no substantive response has been forthcoming. In March 1995 the European Union sponsored a tough resolution on human rights in Iran, adopted by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which reflected the criticisms of the then UN special representative, Mr. Galindo Pohl. Mr. Pohl referred to the Bible Society's predicament in his final 1995 report.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to press for the Government of Iran to allow an independent investigation into the murders of Bishop Haik Hovsepian Mehr, Rev. Tateos Michaelian and Rev. Mehdi Dibaj by the United Nations human rights rapporteurs. [1997]

Mr. Hanley: We fully support the involvement of UN special representatives in investigating the human rights situation in Iran. We and our European partners co-sponsored resolutions on human rights in Iran adopted at the General Assembly in December 2994 and by the Committee on Human Rights in March 1995. They called on Iran to co-operate with the UN special representative and to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the deaths of the three pastors.

Saudi Arabia

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to link the United Kingdom's trade and defence policies with Saudi Arabia's performance in the area of respect for religious liberty; and if he will make a statement. [2000]

Mr. Hanley: The practice of any form of religious other than Islam in Saudi Arabia is prohibited by law. Her Majesty's Government have no plans to link the UK's trade and defence policies with Saudi Arabia's performance in the area of respect for religious liberty. But the Saudi Government are well aware of our views on freedom of thought, conscience and religion and on the importance of inter-faith dialogue.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage the Government of Saudi Arabia to permit (a) Christian worship, (b) the building of churches and (c) the free sale and distribution of bibles in that country; and if he will make a statement. [1999]

Mr. Hanley: The practice of any form of religion other than Islam in Saudi Arabia is prohibited by law. The Saudi authorities are aware of our views on the importance of the freedoms enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights, including the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

4 Dec 1995 : Column: 80

Executive Agencies (Overseas Travel)

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel (a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2323]

Mr. Hanley: The FCO--diplomatic wing and ODA-- has two executive agencies, Wilton Park and the Natural Resources Institute.

The details requested of overseas travel in financial year 1994-95 for Wilton Park were as follows:


The chief executive of the Natural Resources Institute has written to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested in respect of that executive agency. The lists mentioned in his letter have been deposited in the Library of the House.

Letter from Anthony Beattie to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 29 November 1995:

In your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs you asked for information about travel undertaken by the staff of executive agencies. It has been agreed that I should provide this information in respect of NRI.


European Convention on Human Rights

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to propose an amendment to article 2.2 of the European convention on human rights, in respect of the use of force which is no more than absolutely necessary to replace the word "absolutely" with the word "reasonably". [3165]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The Government do not intend to propose any amendment to article 2 of the European convention on human rights. As my noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development said in another place on 23 October, the European Court of Human Rights did not find a violation in relation to compatibility of the national law on the use of lethal force article 2 standards.

4 Dec 1995 : Column: 81

Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the compliance of the security forces of other signatories to the European convention on human rights with article 2 of that convention. [3166]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Compliance with the European convention on human rights by other states party to it and their security forces is a matter for them or, when applications raising questions of such compliance are introduced, for the European Commission and Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers, as appropriate.

International Court of Justice

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy in respect of advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice. [2942]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor [holding answer 28 November 1995]: The Government believe that advisory opinions by the International Court of Justice at the request of the UN or a specialised agency can serve a useful purpose when they resolve legal matters on which the requesting organisation requires guidance for its current activities. Advisory opinions of the court are given careful consideration. However, they are not binding either on the requesting organisation or on its member states. The Government's attitude to particular advisory opinions depends on the terms of the opinion and the circumstances of the case.

BBC World Service

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the charges for the use of transmission faciltiies by the BBC World Service when transmission is privatised will be paid out of the Foreign Office grant; and what proposals he has to bring forward in respect of specific grant for transmission charges. [3248]

Mr. Hanley: The BBC World Service's costs will continue to be paid by grant in aid after privatisation of the BBC's transmission services. I have no proposals for a specific grant for transmission charges.

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the BBC World Service would be allowed to hire foreign transmission facilities if these were cheaper than its own transmission facilities following privatisation. [3242]

Mr. Hanley: The BBC World Service already hires foreign transmission facilities where they fit in with its delivery plans, which are a matter for the World Service.


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