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Defence Exports
30. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will publish his criteria for determining the granting of British defence equipment export licences. [1187]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The review of criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms is being conducted as a matter of urgency. The new criteria will be made available to the House when the Review is complete.
Congo
32. Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about United Kingdom relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [1189]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 2 June 1997, Official Report, columns 78-79.
Gibraltar
33. Dr. Michael Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Spanish Foreign Minister to discuss Gibraltar. [1190]
Mr. Doug Henderson: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Spanish Foreign Minister on 2 June in Luxembourg, when they discussed a number of issues of mutual interest, including Gibraltar.
EU (Applicant Nations)
36. Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he made at the European Union Foreign Ministers' Conference at Nordwijk to accelerate the entry of applicant nations into the European Union. [1194]
Mr. Doug Henderson: The Informal European Council at Nordwijk discussed the Intergovernmental Conference. Enlargement of the EU was not on the agenda. however the UK remains a firm supporter of enlargement and is determined to see accession negotiations begin on time, six months after the end of the IGC.
Chemical Weapons
38. Mr. Jim Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about his Department's policy towards chemical weapons. [1196]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Government is committed to the elimination of all chemical weapons and will ensure that the UK continues to play a leading role in international efforts to prevent their proliferation. I welcome the recent ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) by the United States and very much hope that Russia, the other declared possessor of chemical weapons, will shortly follow suit. The First Conference of States Parties to the CWC concluded on 23 May in The Hague. It was successful in taking the key decisions necessary to
10 Jun 1997 : Column: 400
establish the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and ensure the full and effective implementation of the Convention.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made to address the problem of quota hoppers. [1169]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We attach great importance to achieving progress on this issue and we are striving to secure the best possible deal before the conclusion of the IGC. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made our concerns clear in his meetings with European colleagues. We are looking actively at all available options with the European Commission and the Presidency.
Mr. Tom King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research has been commissioned and what estimates have been made by his Department and what information presented to him, regarding the costs per annum to the FCO budget of the introduction of a minimum wage at (a) £3.50 an hour, (b) £4 an hour and (c) £4.40 an hour; and if he will make a statement. [2115]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 9 June, Official Report, column 310.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further preparations are required to enable ratification of the 1977 additional protocols to the Geneva conventions by Her Majesty's Government; and on what time scale these are expected to be completed. [2541]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We will need to consider the question of national statements which may be made by the United Kingdom when ratifying. We are pursuing this as a matter of priority.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on any conclusions he has reached about the consequences of Lockerbie and UN sanctions against Libya, since the Minister of State met the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) and the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Dr. Turner) at the Foreign Office on Wednesday 14 May. [1096]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Ministers are still acquainting themselves with the complex details of the Lockerbie tragedy.
10 Jun 1997 : Column: 401
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) men and (b) women aged 24 years or below are unemployed. [1257]
Mr. Hain:
In April 1997 there were 17,611 men and 6,469 women in Wales on the claimant count aged 24 years and under. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. The Office for National Statistics has announced a public consultation on the unemployment figures.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes in (a) the operation of and (b) the responsibilities of the Welsh Development Agency. [2004]
Mr. Ron Davies:
In line with the Government's manifesto commitment, I am considering the options for establishing an economic powerhouse for Wales, including the role of the WDA. I shall announce my conclusions in due course.
Mr. Tom King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research has been commissioned and what estimates have been made by his Department and what information presented to him, regarding the costs per annum to the total Welsh Office budget of the introduction of a minimum wage at (a) £3.50 an hour, (b) £4 an hour and (c) £4.40 an hour; and if he will make a statement. [2112]
Mr. Hain:
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, Official Report, 9 June 1997, column 310.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for changes to regional policy in Wales. [2003]
Mr. Ron Davies:
I intend to publish an economic development strategy document later this summer. This will set out my general approach and priorities.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance is provided to national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty by the Welsh Office on the location of telecommunications mast. [2370]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
Planning policy guidance on development in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty and on the location of telecommunications masts is provided in Planning Guidance (Wales) Planning Policy. Further advice, which should be taken into account by local planning authorities in determining planning applications, is given in technical advice Note (Wales) 8 Telecommunications, which issued for consultation in December 1996 and in annexes to Planning Policy Guidance note 8 Telecommunications.
10 Jun 1997 : Column: 402
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about future appointments to health authorities and health trusts in Wales. [2378]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
Appointments will be made in line with the guidance published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments which includes provision for public advertisement.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the proposed Euro-freight terminal for south Wales. [2368]
Mr. Ron Davies:
The Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) wrote to me on 29 May outlining his recommendations on the proposed terminal. I am considering the report and will reach a conclusion shortly.
Mr. Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of ovarian cancer have been reported in Wales in each of the last five years. [2190]
Mr. Win Griffiths:
The information, which relates to the latest five years for which data are available, is given in the following table:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 340 |
| 1988 | 349 |
| 1989 | 342 |
| 1990 | 322 |
| 1991 | (16)327 |
(16) Estimated figure based on 90 per cent. completeness.
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths from ovarian cancer have been reported in Wales in each of the last five years. [2191]
Mr. Griffiths: The annual numbers of registered deaths of Welsh residents from ovarian cancer, recorded by the Office for National Statistics, are given in the following table:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 225 |
| 1993 | 221 |
| 1994 | 238 |
| 1995 | 233 |
| 1996 | 215 |
(17) ICD 183-International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.
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