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Post Arrangements
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what changes are planned to the system of transfer of post from the letterboard in the Members' Lobby to the internal post; and if he will make a statement. [24750]
Mr. Michael J. Martin: The Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod have commissioned a study into all aspects of the mail system for both Houses. This will include examination of the transfer of post which has not been collected from the Members' letterboard into the mail system.
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I understand that the Serjeant at Arms will be writing to the hon. Member.
Hours and Procedures
32. Mr. Gapes: To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will set up an all-party review of the hours and procedures of the House. [24753]
Mr. Newton: The hours at which the House sits were reviewed by the Select Committee on Sittings of the House--the Jopling Committee--in 1992, and changes in procedure designed to reduce sitting hours were agreed to by the House last year. The procedures of the House are also kept under review by the Select Committee on Procedure, which is itself an all-party Committee.
Oral Statements
32. Mr. Skinner: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many Government oral statements have been given in the Commons since January. [24755]
Mr. Newton: From 11 January until 3 April there were 26 oral statements given in the House of Commons.
Private Members' Balloted Motions
35. Mr. Spearing: To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the number of private Members' balloted motions debated in each of the Sessions (a) 1991-92, (b) 1992-93 and (c) 1993-94. [24757]
Mr. Newton: The numbers of private Members' balloted motions debated in each of the specified Sessions are as follows:
- (a) 8
(b) 14
(c) 19.
Heads of Government
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals to permit Heads of foreign Governments to address the House from within the Chamber. [24754]
Mr. Newton: No. I believe that the present arrangements for Heads of State or Heads of Government to address both Houses in the Royal Gallery or in Westminster Hall are satisfactory.
Legislation
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many Henry VIII clauses have been contained in legislation each year since 1979; and if he will list the relevant clause, Act or statutory instrument in each case. [24528]
Mr. Newton: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Lord President of the Council when he last reviewed the arrangements for dealing with urgent legislation in the House. [24756]
Mr. Newton: I have not undertaken such a review, but if the hon. Member has suggestions to make in the light of recent or current experience, I should be glad to consider them or to invite consideration by the Procedure Committee.
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Anthony Duncan
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's application to Dublin district court for the extradition of Anthony Duncan. [25617]
The Attorney-General: Anthony Duncan was arrested in the Republic of Ireland on 11 April on domestic charges. He is wanted in this country to face charges in connection with bombs in Brighton and Bognor in August 1994. Extradition between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland takes place under the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965 and the corresponding legislation of the Republic of Ireland. In accordance with the provision of that legislation and following my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General's decision to prosecute, the Metropolitan police delivered an arrest warrant for Duncan and supporting papers to their Irish counterparts on 12 April. The original arrest warrant, however, was not produced in the Irish court. There is a conflict of evidence as to how this came about, but a fresh warrant has now been delivered to the authorities in the Republic of Ireland.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Entry Clearance (Indian sub-continent)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the number of entry clearance officers at British high commission offices in (a) Pakistan, (b) Sri Lanka, (c) India and (d) Bangladesh on 30 March. [25572]
Mr. Hanley: The numbers of entry clearance officers serving at the British high commission offices in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are as follows:
- (a) Pakistan:
i. Islamabad: 28
ii. Karachi: 5
(b) Sri Lanka: 4 officers
(c) India:
i. Bombay: 10
ii. Calcutta: 1
iii. Madras: 2
iv. New Delhi: 12
(d) Bangladesh: 12
Mr. Hanley: Since 1989, the target times for the preparation and submission of appeal statements by the high commission in Islamabad have been one month for non-settlement appeals and three months for settlement appeals.
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British Steel
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total value of commercial orders placed by his Department with British Steel plc in each year from 1988 to 1995. [25815]
Mr. Hanley: We have no record of any order having been placed with British Steel.
France (Middle East Visit)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions took place with the French Government before the visit by the French Foreign Minister to Israel, Syria and Lebanon; and if he will make a statement. [25568]
Mr. Hanley: France has kept us fully informed of the progress of the visit and negotiations.
UN Peacekeeping Forces
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries in which the United Kingdom has United Nations peacekeeping forces; and what are the numbers of peacekeepers in each country. [25573]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Four hundred and twenty-two British troops are deployed as follows on United Nations peacekeeping operations:
Cyprus (UNFICYP): 388
Kuwait/Iraq (UNIKOM): 16
Angola (UNAVEM): 3
Croatia (UNPF, UNMOP, UNTAES): 5
Georgia (UNOMIG): 10
Lake Kojanovskoe, Russia
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 3 April to the hon. Member for Linglithgow, what conclusions have been drawn about funding action to counter contamination of Lake Kojanovskoe. [25532]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: It is too early to consider what concrete assistance might be made available to counteract contamination of Lake Kojanovskoe. The conclusions of the EU-financed study are being considered and will be followed up with the Commission in due course.
Liberia
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the situation of British nationals remaining in Liberia. [25831]
Mr. Hanley: Our consular correspondent has reported that, of the 12 British nationals in Liberia, nine have elected to remain in Liberia and one is undecided. They are all well. The whereabouts and condition of the two other British nationals are unknown.
Council of Europe
Mr. Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a
22 Apr 1996 : Column: 18
statement about the proposal for a second summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe. [26279]
Mr. David Davis: We support the principle of a second summit. Such a summit might best be held in 1999 when the Council of Europe will, in any event, wish to mark its 50th anniversary.
Mrs. Shazia Bi
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decision has been taken on the application by Mrs. Shazia Bi, Ref: IMM/C7321, to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to join her husband in the United Kingdom; and on what date that decision was taken. [26244]
Mr. Hanley: I have asked the high commission at Islamabad for details and will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit as soon as possible.
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