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Gibraltar
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to expand the use of Gibraltar airport. [1499]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The development of the airport should contribute significantly to the development of Gibraltar's economy. We are ready to consider any practicable proposal which is acceptable to all parties.
2 Jun 1997 : Column: 83
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 19 May, Official Report, column 14, if Her Majesty's Government and the Spanish Government agree upon the existence and extent of the territorial sea adjacent to the coast of Gibraltar under British sovereignty. [1500]
Mr. Henderson:
We are clear that the territorial sea adjacent to the coast of Gibraltar is under British sovereignty. The Government of Spain disagrees.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will, in co-operation with other departments, provide a cost assessment for implementing articles 118 and 119 of the draft Amsterdam treaty. [1719]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Article 118 and 119 of the draft IGC treaty would not have any direct cost implications in themselves. It is clearly not possible to assess now the cost of legislation which may be brought forward under these articles in the future. But the Government will assess carefully all future proposals for legislation, taking fully into account their likely cost both to industry and to the taxpayer.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the relationship is between article B of the draft Amsterdam treaty and the Schengen Protocol in the same draft. [1734]
Mr. Henderson:
Currently the relationship between draft Article B and the draft Schengen Protocol is unclear. The matter remains under discussion at the Inter-Governmental Conference.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what would be the effect of the application of article Fa in the draft Amsterdam treaty to a state refusing to comply with treaty law. [1726]
Mr. Henderson:
Draft Article Fa would provide a mechanism for determining whether sanctions could be imposed on a member State. It would be for the Council to determine whether a refusal to comply with Treaty law merited sanctions and if so what sanctions would be appropriate. The draft article is still under discussion at the Intergovernmental Conference.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, under article F in the draft Amsterdam treaty, the European Union could undertake further acts of European integration without the need for further treaties. [1724]
Mr. Henderson:
The Presidency's draft revised article F would emphasise the principle that the European Union is founded on, and should respect, fundamental rights. The revised article F, like the current text of the article, confers no power to adopt legislation or other measures. It could therefore not be a basis for "further acts of European Integration".
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on article 113(5) of the draft Amsterdam treaty. [1714]
2 Jun 1997 : Column: 84
Mr. Henderson:
The Government do not support the proposed amendments to article 113 as currently drafted. We shall be participating fully in discussions in the Intergovernmental Conference and seeking amendments which meet our concerns.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the areas of policy-making which the draft Amsterdam treaty would change from being subject to unanimity to being subject to a qualified majority vote in the Council of Ministers. [1738]
Mr. Henderson:
The document, circulated by the Dutch Presidency on 16 May, makes no recommendations on which areas of policy making might move from unanimity to qualified majority vote. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will, in co-operation with other departments, provide a cost assessment for the United Kingdom of applying the common concern principle in the Title on Employment as set out in the draft Amsterdam treaty; and what assessment he has made of the effect on inward investment to the United Kingdom of applying that principle. [1720]
Mr. Henderson:
Negotiations on the draft Employment Title are continuing. The Government's assessment is that including in the title the idea that Member States shall regard their employment policies as a matter of "common concern" would not have significant cost implications nor any impact on inward investment in the UK.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Amsterdam treaty proposals concerning European Union peacemaking. [1713]
Mr. Henderson:
We support proposals for the incorporation into the treaty on European Union of "humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking" as issues covered by the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy. These tasks would continue to be carried out by the Western European Union, which formulated and agreed them in 1992 as part of that organisations' implementation of its role agreed at Maastricht in 1991.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, according to the draft Amsterdam treaty, British diplomats will act under British or European Union instructions in the event of a conflict of interests under article J. [1735]
Mr. Henderson:
British diplomats will continue to represent British interests at all times and will act under instructions from the British Government.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what would be the effect of the application of article Fa in the draft Amsterdam treaty to a state declining to apply a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. [1733]
2 Jun 1997 : Column: 85
Mr. Henderson:
Draft Article Fa would provide a mechanism for determining whether sanctions could be imposed on a Member State. It would be for the Council to determine whether a refusal to apply a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights merited sanctions and if so, what sanctions would be appropriate. The draft article is still under discussion at the Intergovernmental Conference.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on article J.13 of the draft Amsterdam treaty and the circumstances in which a member state could be overruled when a common foreign policy position is being sought. [1715]
Mr. Henderson:
Article J.13 of the draft Treaty is the subject of current negotiation in the Intergovernmental Conference. The Government does not foresee circumstances in which a Member State could be overruled against its wishes.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means his Department makes available its publications in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print; and how this is publicised. [1686]
Mr. Fatchett:
This Department's leaflet on British Consular Services Abroad is available in large print. We also provide an automated telephone answering service providing recorded travel advice on destinations which give rise to the most enquiries. Advice on other destinations is available from the Travel Advice Unit whose members can read out the advice or provide hard copies in large print. We are currently discussing with the RNIB how we can best publicise these services through RNIB publications. Other publications aimed at an overseas audience are not available in Braille, audio tape or large print.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the names of the political and special advisers appointed to his Department since the general election. [1625]
Mr. Robin Cook:
Special Advisers who have been appointed are Andrew Hood and David Clark.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic contacts have been made with the new regime in Zaire; and if he will make a statement. [1747]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Her Majesty's Ambassador in Kinshasa met Mr. Kabila on 24 May. He was one of the first Ambassadors to do so. The Embassy in Kinshasa is in contact with other members of the Alliance in line with normal diplomatic relations with an incoming administration. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz).
2 Jun 1997 : Column: 86
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