| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
BILLS PRESENTED
City of Edinburgh Council Order Confirmation
Mr. Secretary Forsyth presented a Bill to confirm a Provisional Order under section 7 of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936, relating to City of Edinburgh Council: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Tuesday 5 November and to be printed. [Bill 4.]
Mr. Secretary Forsyth presented a Bill to confirm a Provisional Order under section 7 of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936, relating to Edinburgh Merchant Company: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Tuesday 5 November and to be printed. [Bill 6.]
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Kashmir (British Hostages)
1. Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when was the last time that direct information was received about the condition of the British hostages in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [683]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Sir Nicholas Bonsor): I apologise for the absence of my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary, who is accompanying Her Majesty the Queen on the state visit to Thailand.
We are deeply concerned about Keith Mangan and Paul Wells. The last proof of life we received was on 29 August 1995. We continue to work closely with all the countries concerned, in a joint attempt to find the kidnap victims.
Mr. Simpson:
This is the 485th day that my constituents, Paul Wells and Keith Mangan, have been in captivity. Will the Minister explain why, in all that time, no Minister has come before the House to give us a detailed statement on the Government's knowledge on the hostages' state of health or state of existence? Why has no information been given to the House about the organisations with which the Government are working, about the nature of their contacts with the Kashmiri community and about the specific action that is being taken to secure the hostages' prompt release? Will the Minister assure us that--before the hostages reach an anniversary of 500 days in captivity--a Minister will come before the House to give us an opportunity to know in detail what the Government are doing to secure the hostages' safe release?
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
I am extremely surprised to hear those comments from the hon. Gentleman. My office has made every effort to keep him fully informed of our efforts to find out about, and, we hope, obtain the release of, the hostages. It would not help the hostages if we were to release all the information available to us. I have told the hon. Gentleman and the House that we have had no proof of life since August 1995. We are making every effort--with other members of the G4, our allies--to find the hostages. We have kept constantly in touch with the families, who know absolutely what the Government are doing. We are working to the best of our abilities with America, Germany and Norway to find the hostages, and the hon. Gentleman is being extremely unfair if he is implying that there is something that we should be doing that we are not doing. It is open to him, or to anyone else who has a suggestion, to make it.
Mr. Devlin:
I thank my hon. Friend for that suggestion, because there is a feeling on Teesside that Keith Mangan has been neglected. Although I know that my hon. Friend and his colleagues have made great efforts to keep me informed of the efforts that are being made in Kashmir--for which the Mangan family and I are deeply grateful--
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has frequently been in touch with the families, and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary met them last week in India. There is no question of any members of either family being unaware of the Government's efforts. We keep in touch with them and listen carefully to what they have to say to us. We have also kept my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin) fully informed. If he wishes to come to see me or any of my ministerial colleagues, as he knows, our doors are always open.
Mr. Madden:
Will the Minister confirm that well-known Kashmiri political leaders have condemned hostage taking and have demanded the immediate release of hostages alive and well? Those concerns have been reinforced by numerous public demonstrations by the people of Kashmir against hostage taking. Will the Minister explain why several offers by Kashmiri political leaders to mediate and to attempt to locate the hostages have not been taken up?
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
I am not aware that any such offer that could be taken seriously has not been taken up. The Government are in close contact with Kashmiri leaders. We have had unsubstantiated reports of sightings of the hostages. We have also had unsubstantiated reports of their death. It is difficult to get to the truth in that troubled province of India. We have made every effort to find the hostages and we shall continue to do so.
2. Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's initiatives in respect of ending the partition of Cyprus. [684]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. David Davis):
We are working closely with the United States, our European Union partners and others in support of the United Nations-led effort to achieve a political settlement. My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary has appointed Sir David Hannay as the British Government's special representative for Cyprus. My right hon. and learned Friend plans to visit Cyprus before Christmas for talks with both leaders.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
I welcome what my hon. Friend has said. It is clear in retrospect that the partition of Cyprus after the invasion by Turkey 22 years ago should not have been tolerated. Will the Minister give an assurance that the United Kingdom Government, as a co-guarantor, the United Nations, the European Union and the United States will make the reunification of Cyprus the top international political priority in the coming 12 months?
Mr. Davis:
We take our duties as a co-guarantor seriously. Our appointment of Sir David Hannay and the
Mr. Cox:
The House will welcome the forthcoming visit to Cyprus of the Foreign Secretary. Will his discussions with Mr. Denktas centre on the return of Famagusta--something that, as the Minister knows, has long been promised but has sadly never happened?
Mr. Davis:
I am sure that my right hon. and learned Friend will focus on every issue relating to making Cyprus a single country again, guided by the ideas of the United Nations Secretary-General. I am sure that all those matters will be in front of him when he sees Mr. Denktas and Mr. Klerides.
Mr. Waterson:
Does my hon. Friend agree that, when Cyprus accedes to membership of the European Union, it would be preferable if it did so as a whole island which was no longer partitioned? Will he also confirm that no party has a right of veto over the accession negotiations moving forward?
Mr. Davis:
My right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary said last week that it would be much more difficult to arrange entry to the European Union for a divided Cyprus. Reunification is therefore clearly desirable for that reason, but it is also desirable for its own sake to return Cyprus to what the United Nations Secretary-General has described as a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Every effort will go into that. My hon. Friend is right that, in maintaining that policy, we must ensure that no party has a veto
Mr. Trimble:
I welcome the fact that the Foreign Secretary, on his visit to Cyprus, is for the first time to meet the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. It is right that the two communities in Cyprus should be treated equally. I urge the Minister to persuade our colleagues in the European Community to afford them similar status and to ensure that the European Community is not used by the Greek Cypriot community in Cyprus as a tool with which to beat the Turkish Cypriots.
Mr. Davis:
We have always made balanced contacts with both communities without, of course, recognising the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; we recognise the proper Government of Cyprus and will continue to do so. We shall do everything possible to ensure that the European Union does everything in its power to bring that divided country together again.
| Next Section
| Index | Home Page |