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General Affairs Council

Ms Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU General Affairs Council on 13 to 14 May. [29656]

Mr. David Davis: The "A" points in document 7127/96, which will be placed in the Libraries of the House as soon as it is available, were approved.

The presidency noted the resolutions adopted by European Parliament in document 6216/96, PE-RE 33 and drew attention to Nos. 8 (co-operation on EU fisheries with Morocco), 23 (outcome of Turin European Council), 24 (central and eastern Europe integration into internal market), 30 (Baltic sea co-operation) and 32 (economic and monetary union and social cohesion).

The Council heard a progress report from the chairman of the consultative commission on racism and xenophobia, Jean Khan, about the comission's study on a possible EU observatory on racism and xenophobia.

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The Council reached political agreement on draft negotiating directives for a new EU-Mexico agreement. The Commission also presented draft negotiating directives for new agreements between the Community and Cambodia and Laos; and updated agreements between the Community and Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The Commission gave a brief report on progress in the negotiations for Euro-Med agreements between the EU and Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon; progress towards opening negotiations with Algeria; and the Commission's exploratory contacts with the Palestinian authority and Syria. The Council decided to reconsult the European Parliament on the text of the MEDA regulation.

The presidency reported on progress in the middle east peace process and Ministers had a meeting in the margins of the Council with Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri. Ministers also discussed reconstruction aid for the Lebanon.

EU high representative Carl Bildt briefed Ministers about the current situation in Bosnia. Mostar administrator Casado briefed the Council on the Mostar elections. Ministers also had a brief discussion on Albania.

The Council agreed the EU-Russia action plan and adopted conclusions reaffirming its support for the reform process, looking forward to free and fair elections, and restating EU willingness to take part in observation of them.

The Council endorsed conclusions on preparation for the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference in Singapore in December.

The Council also adopted conclusions on Niger, foreseeing progressive resumption of EU cooperation, subject to a review at the Council on 10 June of the results of the 12 May referendum and the lifting of the ban on political parties; and on Liberia, expressing concern at the humanitarian situation and affirming EU willingness to provide humanitarian aid.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary urged EU partners to agree to a relaxation of the ban on the export of gelatine, tallow and semen.

The second substantive ministerial meeting of the intergovernmental conference also took place on 13 May. Ministers had before them a presidency note, CONF 3847/96, which has been deposited in the Library of the House, which raised two broad issues for discussion: flexibility of the Union and the efficiency and balance of the institutions. On the former, Ministers considered the desirability of more flexible structures in the Union and whether treaty provisions were necessary to provide a framework for this. On the latter, Ministers considered a range of institutional issues, including the size of the Commission, the scope and weighting of qualified majority voting, the role of the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice, in particular in the light of future enlargement.

The ministerial session was preceded by an exchange of views with the European President and two representatives of the European Parliament.

There were association Councils with Malta and Cyprus on 14 May, followed by a joint structured dialogue meeting and lunch.

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Gibraltar

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last visited Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement about his policy towards that country. [29843]

Mr. David Davis: I visited Gibraltar on 7 and 8 November 1995. I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on 14 December 1995 at columns 753-54.

Bosnia

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Mr. Carl Bildt; and if he will make a statement about the progress of the reconstruction fo Bosnia. [29844]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary last met Carl Bildt at the EU General Affairs Council on 13 May.

At the Brussels donors conference on 12 and 13 April, $1.25 billion was pledged for reconstruction projects for the remainder of 1996. United Kingdom bilateral programmes, aimed at restoring power and water supplies to both entities, are well under way.

Croatia

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met President Tudjamn; and if he will make a statement about his policy towards the progress of democracy in Croatia. [29845]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary met President Tudgjman on 19 September 1995 in Zagreb.

We continue to encourage the Croatian Government to bring about greater democracy in Croatia so as to achieve stronger political and economic relations with Europe and its institutions.

Diplomatic Representation

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries in the continent of (a) Asia, (b) Africa, (c) America, (d) Europe and (e) Australasia in which the United Kingdom has diplomatic representation indicating the level of representation, and by number and grade his Department's staff serving in these countries. [29846]

Mr. Hanley: The information requested is published in "H.M. Diplomatic Service Overseas Reference List", a copy of which is in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries which are members of the Untied Nations in which the United Kingdom has no diplomatic representation. [29847]

Mr. Hanley: The member states of the United Nations in which the United Kingdom has no resident diplomatic representations are listed in table 1. Those states in which an office has been opened but has no UK-based resident staff are listed in table 2.

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Albania

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress of democracy in Albania; and if he will make a statement about his policy towards that country. [29849]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The British Government have good relations with the Government of Albania. We believe that Albania has made good progress towards greater democracy since the fall of communism in 1992.

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We are contributing to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe mission to observe the forthcoming Albanian elections.

Former Warsaw Pact Countries

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely date of the accession to the North Atlantic treaty of members of the former Warsaw pact. [29850]

Mr. David Davis: NATO has yet to decide when to invite countries from the former Warsaw pact to join the alliance. NATO Foreign Ministers decided in December 1995 to consider the way forward at their meeting this December.

Deregulation Unit

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual budget for his departmental deregulation unit; how many staff it employs; and of these how many (a) are career civil servants and of what grades, (b) have been seconded from business, and (c) have experience of the private sector. [30058]

Mr. Hanley: We are not directly involved in domestic deregulation policy and therefore have no deregulation unit or staff.

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