| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Saudi Arabia
20. Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next meet his counterpart in Saudi Arabia to discuss British-Saudi relations. [35181]
Mr. Hanley: My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary had extensive discussions with the Saudi Foreign Minister during his visit to Jedda last week. Relations between the UK and Saudi Arabia are in very good shape.
Western Sahara
21. Mr. McWilliam: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to persuade the Government of Morocco to reach a settlement with Polisario in the Western Sahara. [35182]
Mr. Hanley: We continue to urge both Morocco and Polisario to co-operate fully with the UN and its operation in the Western Sahara, MINURSO, in reaching a settlement to the conflict.
I stressed this point with the Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister during his recent visit.
Indonesia
22. Mr. Michael Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK relations with Indonesia. [35183]
Mr. Hanley: UK relations with Indonesia are very good.
China
23. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Chinese Government about abuses of human rights in that country. [35184]
10 Jul 1996 : Column: 217
Mr. Hanley: I raised human rights in China during my talks with Chinese leaders in Peking in January, and again with the Chinese Foreign Minister in The Hague on 20 April.
Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current relations between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China. [36266]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Our relationship with China is of great importance--particularly because of our shared interest in the successful transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong next year.
Kashmir
24. Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conduct of recent elections held in Kashmir. [35185]
29. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent election procedures in Jammu and Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [35190]
Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the oral answer that my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell) earlier today.
Middle East Peace Process
25. Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current developments in the middle east peace process. [35186]
Mr. Hanley: We give full support to the continuation of the peace process and look to both Israel and the Palestinians to fulfil their undertakings under the Oslo accords.
Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the peace process in the Palestine--Israel dispute. [36274]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We welcome the confirmation by Prime Minister Netanyahu of his intention to proceed with the peace process.
We look forward to full implementation of the Israel--Palestine interim agreement, and the declaration of principles. Resumption of negotiations with Syria is also important.
Yousef Salam
26. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 151, to the hon. Members for Linlithgow and for Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) and his answer to the hon. Member for Southend, East of 24 June, Official Report, column 14, what discussions he has had with the German authorities about the content of the Stasi files referred to and the time scale proposed by the German authorities for a trial of Yousef Salam alias Yassir al-Shuraidi. [35187]
10 Jul 1996 : Column: 218
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We have had occasional contact with the German authorities about the evidence implicating Yassir al-Shuraidi in the 1986 bombing of the "La Belle" discotheque. The investigation into the bombing remains a matter for the German authorities.
We understand from the German authorities that no date has yet been set for Yassir al-Shuraidi's trial.
South Africa
27. Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent elections in South Africa. [35188]
Mr. Hanley: The local government elections in KwaZulu-Natal on 26 June completed the process of democratic elections in South Africa. We are pleased that these elections took place in a generally peaceful and orderly way, and we wish the newly elected local authorities every success.
Sudan
28. Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he (a) has made to and (b) received from, the Government of Sudan since the signing of the peace charter in Sudan. [35189]
Mr. Hanley: I discussed the political charter and other matters with the Sudanese ambassador on 2 July.
We look to all sides in the Sudanese civil war to make genuine moves towards peace.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government on the incidence of female genital mutilation in the north of Sudan. [36171]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
We have made no formal representations to the Government of Sudan on this subject.
At the last session of the UN Commission for Human Rights, in April 1996, the United Kingdom co-sponsored a resolution which stressed the obligations of states to enact and enforce legislation against the perpetrators of acts such as female genital mutilation.
30. Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the current criteria for the admission of new members to the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement. [35191]
Mr. David Davis:
Article XI of the modified Brussels treaty permits the members of Western European Union, by agreement, to invite any other state to accede to the treaty on conditions to be agreed between them and the states so invited.
Such conditions would need to take into account the facts that the mutual defence guarantee of the modified Brussels treaty implies prior membership of NATO and that at Maastricht EU members were invited to accede to WEU on conditions to be agreed in accordance with article XI of the modified Brussels treaty.
10 Jul 1996 : Column: 219
31. Mr. John Townend:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress he has made towards re-negotiating the common fisheries policy at the intergovernmental conference. [35192]
Mr. David Davis:
The UK will shortly be tabling proposals in the IGC to address the problem of quota hopping.
32. Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current political situation in Nigeria. [35193]
Mr. Hanley:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) Official Report, columns 373-74, on 3 April; we remain deeply concerned about the lack of progress towards restoring human rights and democracy in Nigeria.
33. Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the political situation in Cyprus. [35194]
Mr. David Davis:
The Cyprus problem has gone unresolved for too long. In May, my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary appointed Sir David Hannay to strengthen the Government's efforts to work with all parties concerned to bring about a solution.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances marriages at St. Andrew's Anglican church, Kyrenia, Cyprus, are recognised by United Kingdom authorities; and if he will make a statement. [36224]
Mr. Davis:
The practice of this Department is to recognise, for its administrative purposes, the validity of church marriages conducted in northern Cyprus, provided that they are conducted in accordance with all local requirements, and are valid in the place of celebration. The legal validity of any particular marriage will depend on the facts of the individual case and would be a matter for the courts to determine.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |