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Visa Applications (Waiting Times)

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current waiting times for interviews for visa application in respect of (a) spouses, (b) fiances, (c) visitors, (d) dependants, (e) business visitors and (f) quota vouchers, at (i) Bombay, (ii) New Delhi, (iii) Dacca, (iv) Karachi, (v) Islamabad, (vi) Nairobi, (vii) Dar-es-Salaam and (viii) Kampala. [17055]

Mr. Hanley: In December 1995, the waiting times for interview for visa applicants at the posts listed were:


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The waiting times for interview for visa applicants in Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala are not yet available.

For waiting times for persons applying for a special voucher, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Leeds, North (Mr. Kirkhope) to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 9 January, Official Report, column 198.

Police Training

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Indonesian police officers have received training in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990; and if he will list for each officer the (a) name, (b) rank, (c) cost of training, (d) duration of training, (e) United Kingdom police force which provided the training and (f) Government department which provided the funding. [16941]

Mr. David Davis: The details of training given under the United Kingdom military training assistance scheme are confidential between Governments. Details of training funded by other Government Departments are not available.

Scott Inquiry

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take as a result of the recommendations of the Scott report. [16959]

Mr. Hanley: The recommendations of the Scott report are being carefully considered by the FCO and other interested Departments. Some recommendations, for example on intelligence handling, have already been adopted.

Kashmir

Sir Michael Grylls: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential role of the Commonwealth in facilitating peace negotiations between the Governments of India and Pakistan and representatives of the Kashmiri people. [16940]

Mr. Hanley: We believe that the Commonwealth could play a mediatory role only at the request of both India and Pakistan. We continue to urge the two countries to resolve their differences over Kashmir through dialogue.

Yugoslavia

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to give a substantive reply to the letter dated 13 December 1995 from the hon. Member for Bradford, North concerning visa facilities in former Yugoslavia. [16915]

Mr. Hanley: I replied on 8 January. I have arranged for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member.

Montserrat

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he has

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received in relation to possible worsening of volcanic activity on the island of Montserrat; and if he will make a statement. [16977]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Since 18 July 1995, we have received regular reports from scientists from the UK and the Trinidad-based seismic research unit, which is monitoring the volcano 24 hours a day.

Montserrat remains on a state of alert and we have put in place contingency plans to evacuate Montserratians to the north of the island in the event of a partial eruption. Contingency plans also exist for a full evacuation of the island if it became necessary.

Ecuador (Father Colin MacInnes)

Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what report he has received on progress by the central bank of Ecuador in recovering funds gathered by Father Colin MacInnes in Scotland and other moneys intended for community development purposes. [17166]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The recovery of these funds is a matter for the Ecuadorian authorities. However, our embassy is closely monitoring the situation.

Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Ecuadorian authorities concerning the safety of Father Colin MacInnes. [17165]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Our embassy in Quito is in direct contact with Father MacInnes about his situation. It has also registered its interest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Imia

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international agreements govern the sovereignty of the island of Imia. [15671]

Mr. David Davis [holding answer 16 February 1996]: The two sides do not agree on the question precisely because they take different views of the relevance of international documents concerned. The 1923 treaty of Lausanne, two agreements of 1932, and the 1947 Paris treaty of peace with Italy are among these.

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 13 February, if the 1947 agreement is the basis of the international law in respect of sovereignty over Imia. [15723]

Mr. Davis [holding answer 19 February 1996]: The two sides do not agree on the question precisely because they take different views of the relevance of international documents concerned. The 1923 treaty of Lausanne, two agreements of 1932, and the 1947 Paris treaty of peace with Italy are among these.

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessments were made by (a) his departmental officials and (b) departmental Ministers of the reliability of information provided by Mr. Paul Henderson, while managing director of Matrix Churchill, on the status of the Iraqi military procurement network. [15692]

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Mr. Hanley [holding answer 16 February 1996]: Details of the information supplied by Mr. Paul Henderson on the Iraqi military procurement network are covered in sections D and G of the report of Sir Richard Scott's inquiry. We do not propose to comment further on the sources of intelligence material.

HEALTH

Drug Purchases

Mr. Loyden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the monitoring mechanism to ensure that hospital trusts that purchase drugs from abroad meet British standards. [15889]

Mr. Malone: Licensed medicinal products imported from outside the European Union are required to undergo a full qualitative and quantitative analysis of at least all the active constituents and all other tests or checks necessary to ensure that the product is in full compliance with its marketing authorisation. Unlicensed medicines may be imported to fulfil a bona fide unsolicited order from a doctor or dentist on his or her personal responsibility. A condition of this exemption is that the importer should hold the appropriate wholesale dealer's licence and comply with its conditions.

Thalidomide

Mr. Loyden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines have been issued to hospital trusts about purchasing thalidomide, and if he will make a statement. [15896]

Mr. Malone: No guidance specifically relating to purchasing has been issued for the drug thalidomide. "Guidance on thalidomide" was published by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Control Agency in the May 1994 issue of "Current Problems in Pharmocovigilance", a drug safety bulletin circulated to all doctors, dentists, pharmacists and coroners. This guidance note strongly advised all doctors considering the use of thalidomide to follow detailed external guidelines on the clinical use and distribution of thalidomide, which were published in a widely available medical journal. A reminder was published in the July 1995 issue.

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