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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Globe Europe Network
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the benefits that have accrued from the United Kingdom financial support through the know-how fund for the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment-Globe Europe Network; and what financial commitments have been made for further funding of the Globe Europe Network. [12002]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The know-how fund has not previously provided any direct support to the Globe Europe network. However, it has pledged a sum of up to 35,868 ecu--approximately £20,000--20 per cent. of the total cost of a project to be started in 1996.
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The details are still under negotiation. However, the project aims to promote among parliamentarians in central and eastern Europe understanding of parliamentary procedures and techniques with particular emphasis on environmental policy-making. The project will consist of some preliminary research into environmental concerns in the Central and Eastern Europe region; two international seminars at which parliamentarians will be invited to discuss related issues with experts in the environmental field; the implementation of joint initiatives based upon findings and examples of successful co-operation between parliaments and NGOs; and a campaign aimed to publicise the initiatives and their results.
The benefit likely to accrue from know-how fund support for this programme is the formation of constructive policy work in the environmental field as parliamentarians are encouraged to forge practical policies.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 690-91, if he will give details of the ceremonial dress expected to be worn by Her Majesty's representatives in (a) Japan, (b) the Cayman Islands and (c) Swaziland. [11571]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The ceremonial dress expected to be worn by Her Majesty's representatives in Japan is full dress uniform comprising coatee and trousers, cocked hat with feathers, sword and accessories, boots, black braces and white gloves.
The ceremonial dress expected to be worn by Her Majesty's Representative in the Cayman Islands and Swaziland is tropical uniform which comprises white drill and trousers, collar, sword and accessories, braces, white gloves, boots and embroidered cap.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 691, if he will give details of the uniform expected to be worn by Her Majesty's representatives to the Holy See; when that post was last held by a man; and what was the then cost. [11572]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The last male Her Majesty's representative to the Holy See was accredited between 1991-1995. The cost of his diplomatic uniform was
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£3,193 and consisted of coatee and trousers, cocked hat topped with feathers, sword and accessories, boots, braces and white gloves.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 692, what was the total cost of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps; how many staff are employed; and what are the principal duties of the Marshal. [11624]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The marshal occupies official accommodation for which he makes a contribution from his salary. The direct costs of his office borne by Buckingham palace and the FCO in 1994-95 were £70,995.35.
The marshal's staff consists of a secretary and the services of an office cleaner.
His principle duties are to make arrangements for heads of diplomatic missions on state and official occasions.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Serbs, (b) Croats, and (c) Moslems have been indicted for war crimes by the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal. [11847]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
To date, 45 Serbs, seven Croats, and no Moslems have been indicted by the international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what has been the cost to public funds of United Kingdom military personnel providing training assistance between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1995 in (a) Gambia, (b) Indonesia, (c) Nigeria and (d) Saudi Arabia. [12125]
Mr. David Davis:
The details of training given under the United Kingdom military training assistance scheme are confidential between Governments.
Sir David Steel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Kenya concerning their intention to introduce the Press Council and Mass Media Commission Bills, especially insofar as they affect foreign correspondents. [12118]
Mr. Hanley:
We have maintained a dialogue at senior level with the Kenyan authorities on the draft legislation
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in question, in which we have emphasised the importance we attach to freedom of the press in Kenya.
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the presidential elections held in Zanzibar in October 1995. [10618]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 24 January 1996]: Together with other participants in the international monitoring exercise we have called on the Zanzibari and Tanzanian authorities to take appropriate action following concerns about discrepancies in the compilation of votes for the presidency of Zanzibar.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of absenteeism rates in days per annum for staff in his Department for each of the years (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95 and (f) 1995-96. [11381]
Mr. Hanley
[holding answer 25 January 1996]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not collect statistics on absenteeism rates. Though we believe non-sick-related absences to be minimal. Therefore, the information requested by the hon. Member can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the European Commission to publish its new draft directive on chocolate; and if he will make it his policy to oppose proposals from the Commission to (a) reduce the proportion of vegetable fat currently permitted in United Kingdom chocolate and (b) require chocolate manufactured in the United Kingdom to be described on its packaging as anything other than chocolate. [9949]
Mrs. Browning:
I understand that the European Commission hopes to issue soon a formal proposal to replace the 1973 Cocoa and Chocolate Products Directive.
British manufacturers make a wide variety of high quality chocolate products, many of which include a small addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, so as to meet the full range of consumer tastes and expectations both in this country and elsewhere. This has had the effect of expanding the chocolate market, securing jobs at home and increasing demand for cocoa and other products on which the economies of many developing countries are heavily dependent.
The Government will therefore vigorously oppose any proposal which seeks to reduce the diversity of chocolate formulations which may be marketed freely within the European Community or which seeks to prohibit the use
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of the name chocolate on products containing the traditional mixture of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what length of (a) monofilament netting and (b) other fishing gear is estimated to have been lost or discarded in United Kingdom waters in each year since 1990; and what measure he has taken to (i) monitor and (ii) regulate the loss and discard of monofilament netting. [11573]
Mr. Baldry:
No information is held centrally on the loss or discard of fishing gear. Under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 it is an offence to discard into the sea any fishing gear, including netting, for which the penalty may be a substantial fine or even imprisonment. The Ministry will not hesitate to prosecute in such cases where sufficient evidence is considered to be available.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sea mammals have been trapped in monofilament nets in (a) United Kingdom waters and (b) Scottish waters, since 1980. [11574]
Mr. Baldry:
The Ministry does not hold the information requested. However, since 1980 there have been no recorded cases of sea mammals becoming trapped in monofilament nets in Scottish inshore waters, where the carriage of such nets is prohibited. The Ministry has commissioned the sea mammal research unit to undertake a two-year study to evaluate the extent of cetacean by-catch in the bottom-set gill net fishery in the North sea. Some of the nets involved are likely to be monofilament.
Mrs. Ray Michie:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels currently use monofilament nets in United Kingdom waters; and in what areas they operate. [11575]
Mr. Baldry:
The Ministry does not hold information on the number of fishing vessels currently using monofilament nets in United Kingdom waters. Such nets may be used in United Kingdom waters apart from Scottish inshore waters where their carriage has been prohibited since 1986.
(2) how many military personnel from (a) Indonesia, (b) Saudi Arabia, (c) Sierra Leone, (d) Gambia, (e) Sudan and (f) Nigeria were given training in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1995; and what has been the cost to public funds in each case. [12124]
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