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Iraq

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom security and intelligence services provided information to their United States counterparts in regard to Iraqi attempts to procure components towards the construction of nuclear weapons between 1987 and 1990. [15978]

Mr. David Davis: Intelligence reporting on Iraqi procurement intentions is covered in the report of Sir Richard Scott's inquiry. It is not our practice to comment on the intelligence relationship with a close ally.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now reconsider publication of the report received from the UN special commission on Iraq, listing the names of military and dual-use equipment suppliers to Iraq, given to UNSCOM by the Iraqi Government on 26 January 1993. [15972]

Mr. Davis: It is not our practice to comment on information passed to us by the UN special commission. We understand that no such list was passed by the Iraqi Government to the UN special commission on the date in question.

Uranium Sales

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 9 February, Official Report, column 389, regarding the selling of weapons-grade enriched uranium by Russia to Euratom for use in European research reactors, what countries this material is going to; what special security

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arrangements are in place to avoid unauthorised diversions; what representations have been made about this sale by the United States authorities; and what was his response. [15980]

Mr. David Davis: Negotiations are still continuing between Euratom and Minatom over the possibility of acquiring highly enriched uranium--HEU--for use in European research reactors. It is for the countries concerned to comment on their own prospective involvement. The UK's role would be limited to possible processing of the HEU at Dounreay for use elsewhere in Europe. The material in question would be subject to Euratom and International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and to stringent security arrangements in line with international requirements and recommendations. The UK has not received any representations on this subject from the US authorities.

Turkey

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation took place with Her Majesty's Government over the revised EC document COM(95) 389 final "The Implementation of a Special Financial Co-operation Measure for Turkey"; what agreement was reached regarding provisions for human rights and democracy in Turkey as part of the EU aid package for that Government; what reasons were given for not extending the consultation upon the revised document to the United Kingdom Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [16001]

Mr. David Davis: We welcome this financial co-operation measure, which supports the customs union with Turkey which came into force at the beginning of this year.

The draft measure was subject to the usual procedures for parliamentary scrutiny in the UK. The UK has been fully involved in subsequent discussion of this measure in the Council and working groups. We do not believe that the final text, which we hope will be adopted in the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February, was sufficiently different from the original draft to require further parliamentary scrutiny.

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The measure makes provision for the Council to take appropriate action if democratic principles, the rule of law and basic human rights are violated.

East Timor

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make urgent representations to his French counterpart to retain discussion of the situation in East Timor on the agenda of the EU-Association of South-East Asian Nations meeting on south-east Asian affairs to be held in Bangkok. [15957]

Mr. David Davis: We remain in close touch with France, and our other EU partners, on the topics for discussion at the Asia-Europe meeting in Bangkok.

South Africa

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 13 February, Official Report, column 490, if contact has been made between his Department and other authorities in South Africa (a) before and (b) since Mr. Grecian's departure for South Africa. [16152]

Mr. David Davis: Officials have frequent contacts with the South African authorities in the course of their duties. However, they had no contacts concerning Mr. Grecian prior to his arrival and arrest in South Africa. Since his arrest, officials have been in touch with the South African prison authorities and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the course of their consular duties.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [16014]

Mr. David Davis: The information is in the table.

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Subject to:

Investigation by Parliamentary CommissionerScrutiny by Audit CommissionScrutiny by HAOStatutory provisions for open governmentPerformance indicatorsProvisions under citizens charter
British CouncilYesNoYesNoYesYes
Britain-Russia CentreYesNoYesNoYesYes
British Association for Central and Eastern EuropeNoNoYesNoYesYes
Commonwealth Institutes in London and EdinburghNoNoYesNoYesYes
Great Britain-China CentreYesNoYesNoYesYes
Marshall Aid Commemoration CommissionNoNoYesNoNoYes
Westminster Foundation for DemocracyNoNoYesNoNoNo
Commonwealth Scholarship CommissionNoNoYesNoNoNo
Crown Agent's Holding and Realisation BoardNoNoYesNoNoNo

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Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base and which (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and whether in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntarily. [16032]

Mr. Davis: The information is in the following table:

Name of bodyStatutory baseAdmit members of the public to all board or committee meetingsHold open meetings for the public
Britain-Russia CentreYesNoNo
British Association for Central and Eastern EuropeYesNoNo
British CouncilNoNoNo
Commonwealth Institutes, London and EdinburghYesNoNo
Great Britain-China CentreYesNoNo
Marshall Aid Commemoration CommissionYesNoNo
Westminister Foundation for DemocracyYesNoNo
Commonwealth Scholarship CommissionYesNoNo
Crown Agents Holding and Realisation BoardYesNoNo

Sex Tourism

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Commonwealth countries who suffer from the abuse of young children in their countries by sex tourists as to what help or advice his Department can give to such countries. [16045]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We regularly raise our concerns with Commonwealth and other countries where child prostitution is prevalent. We are always willing to co-operate with such countries in their efforts to eradicate the abhorrent practice of child sex tourism.

Algeria

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards and what steps he is taking to promote trade between Algeria and the United Kingdom. [16158]

Mr. David Davis: Algeria is not one of the United Kingdom's top 80 export markets--UK exports were £64 million in 1995. Therefore, it has not been the subject of a sustained promotional campaign.

The current security situation in Algeria has meant that our efforts have been modest. It is not realistic to encourage new exporters into a market which they cannot visit safely and whose potential is not easy to access. However, we are aware of the long-term promise of this market and follow developments there closely.

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Mr. Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much economic aid has been provided by the United Kingdom to Algeria in each of the last five years for which information is available. [16159]

Mr. Davis: Over the last five years, the UK has provided the following bilateral aid:


In addition, the latest figures for the estimated UK share of total multilateral disbursements of official development assistance are:



    1989: £2.5 million
    1990: £1.3 million
    1991: £1.8 million
    1992: £1.2 million
    1993: £5.7 million

Mr. Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since the general election of 1979 Ministers have (a) visited Algeria and (b) met (i) the Foreign Minister of Algeria and (ii) one of his deputies. [16160]

Mr. Davis: Although there was a visit to Algeria by the Minister for Industry and Energy, my right hon. Friend the member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar), a meeting with the Foreign Minister or one of his deputies was not part of the programme.

There have been no visits to Algeria by Government Ministers since 1993.

To ascertain whether there have been visits in the period 1979 to 1992 would require considerable research which would incur disproportionate cost.

Mr. Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he discussed democratic progress when he last met the Foreign Minister of Algeria. [16162]

Mr. Davis: My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed democratic progress with the Algerian Foreign Minister when they met in October 1995.


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