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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Executive Agencies

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in his Department have passed (a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of letters and questions received. [19429]

Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Roxborough and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 16 February 1996, Official Report, column 728.

These figures as a percentage are:

1992-93: 0.19 per cent.
1993-94: 0.13 per cent.
1994-95: 0.19 per cent.
1995-96: 0.62 per cent.

There is no record of any letters from hon. Members being transferred to executive agencies.

Computers

Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all cases since 1987 where his Department has bought computer capacity from (a) other Departments and (b) the private sector, giving the value of each contract and the name of the private sector contractors. [19459]

Mr. Hanley: There have been no contracts of this nature since 1987.

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Sudan

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to raise at the forthcoming meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the subject of violations of human rights in Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [20223]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We deplore the continual and widespread violations of human rights in the Sudan. Together with our EU partners, we will seek to ensure continued monitoring of the situation by the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the evidence of violations of human rights in Sudan presented by Baroness Cox and John Eibner of Christian Solidarity International; and if he will make a statement. [20222]

Mr. Hanley: We read the reports of Baroness Cox and John Eibner with interest and concern. They contain many disturbing first-hand accounts of human rights abuses. We expect the Government of Sudan to investigate them fully and take appropriate action when allegations are well founded. Investigating human rights abuses in Sudan is not easy, but it is important to establish the facts. We look to the Government of Sudan to allow human rights monitors, including the UN Special Rapporteur, free access to all areas of Sudan.

British Council

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the British Council now has to withdraw facilities and services previously available to its staff. [21227]

Mr. Hanley: The provision of facilities and services to its staff is principally a matter for the British Council, but I am not aware of any proposed changes.

War Crimes Tribunal

Sir Russell Johnston: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards widening the remit of The Hague war crimes court to include actions in Kosova; and if he will make a statement. [20277]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia's mandate covers the whole territory of the former Yugoslavia.

China (Missile Testing)

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on what occasions the testing of missiles by China near Taiwan's main ports has been raised in the European Union; and if he will make a statement; [20119]

(2) if Her Majesty's Government will protest at the Government of China's decision to have missile tests close to Taiwan on 11 to 15 March; and if he will make a statement. [20118]

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Mr. Hanley: The European Union partners issued the following statement in Rome on 8 March:

"The EU deeply regret the firing by the People's Republic of China of missiles, beginning in the morning of March 8th, into test zones in the Taiwan Straits. The planned week-long exercise could lead to further tension in the region and increase the possibility of any miscalculation eventually leading to confrontation.
The EU, recalling the pledge always made by the PRC to stick to its fundamental policy on the Taiwan issue, which is to seek a peaceful solution, call on the PRC to refrain from activities which could have negative effects on the security of the entire region and urge early resumption of the cross-Strait talks".

We continue to monitor this difficult situation very closely.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base, and which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [20099]

Mr. Hanley: I have nothing to add to the answer that the then Minister for State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury, (Mr. Goodlad) gave to the hon. Member on 27 April 1995, Official Report, columns 707-08.

Mr. Imshah Syed

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which Mr. Imshah Syed was refused leave to board a plane for Pakistan on 6 February to attend the Human Rights International General Assembly in London. [20120]

Mr. Hanley: We assume that the question relates to Mr. Syed Imdad Shah. We understand that Mr. Shah was refused leave to board a flight from Islamabad on 6 March on the instructions of the Pakistani authorities.

Human Rights

Mr. Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the United Nations draft declaration on human rights defenders and its inclusion on the agenda of the 52nd session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. [20369]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We have participated actively in the working group preparing this declaration and regret that it has not been possible to reach agreement yet on a text. The UN Commission at its forthcoming session will consider a recommendation that the working group chairman should prepare a consolidated and refined text for further consideration by the group.

EU Member States (Territories)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 260, if he will list for

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each EU member state those territories for whose external relations it is responsible; and in each case if the territory is (a) a member of the EU and (b) elects representatives to the European Parliament. [20396]

Mr. David Davis: The information requested is as follows:

Territory	Part of EU?	Vote in EP elections?
Denmark
Faroe Islands	No	No
Greenland	No (since 1982)	No
France
(The French Overseas Departments are an integral part of France and so are part of the EU and take part in elections to the European Parliament)
French Polynesia	No	No
New Caledonia	No	No
Wallis and Futuna	No	No
St. Pierre and Miquelon	No	No
Mayotte	No	No
Netherlands
The Netherlands Antilles	No	No
Aruba	No	No
Portugal
(The Azores and Madeira are autonomous regions of metropolitan Portugal and so are part of the EU and take part in elections to the European Parliament)
Spain
(The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are integral parts of metropolitan Spain and so are part of the EU and take part in elections to the European Parliament)
UK
Anguilla	No	No
Bermuda	No	No
British Antarctic Territory	No	No
British Indian Ocean Territory	No	No
British Virgin Islands	No	No
Cayman Islands	No	No
Falklands Islands	No	No
Gibraltar	Yes	No
Hong Kong	No	No
Montserrat	No	No
Pitcairn Henderson Ducie and Oeno Islands	No	No
St. Helena and Dependencies	No	No
S. Georgia and S. Sandwich Islands	No	No
Turks and Caicos	No	No
Sovereign Base Areas (Cyprus)	No	No
The Channel Islands and Isle of Man apply some parts of the EU treaties, but do not elect representatives to the EP
Germany
Buesingen	Yes	Yes
Heligoland	Yes	Yes
Italy
Livigno	Yes	Yes
Campione d'Italia	Yes	Yes
Finland
Aaland Islands	Yes	Yes
Austria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden have no overseas territories for whose external relations they are responsible

12 Mar 1996 : Column: 533

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