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Sri Lanka
18. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of civil rights in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [5747]
Mr. Fatchett: Basic civil rights are enshrined in the Sri Lankan constitution. We hope that the Sri Lankan Government will continue to respect them.
India and Pakistan
19. Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with India. [5748]
Mr. Fatchett: We enjoy good relations with India as I discovered during my visit there last month. We look forward to strengthening this relationship still further.
24. Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to encourage improved relations between India and Pakistan. [5753]
Mr. Fatchett: We welcome the talks between India and Pakistan and support them in their desire to achieve progress. We are willing to provide our good offices if both sides want us to.
32. Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with Pakistan.[5761]
Mr. Fatchett: We have good relations with Pakistan and look forward to strengthening them further.
Burma (Human Rights)
20. Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the steps being taken by his Department to improve human rights in Burma. [5749]
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 416
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mrs. Brinton) earlier in the House today.
21. Mr. Galloway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had whilst in the United States of America on the prospects for peace in the middle east; and if he will make a statement. [5750]
Mr. Fatchett:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the Middle East peace process with his colleagues at the Denver Summit. The G8 expressed concern at the crisis faced by the Middle East peace process and determination to inject new momentum into the search for a just and lasting settlement.
22. Mr. Alan Keen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's role in the future of Hong Kong. [5751]
26. Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's role in the future of Hong Kong. [5755]
Mr. Fatchett:
As a co-signatory of the Joint Declaration, Britain has an enduring moral and political responsibility towards Hong Kong. We will continue to watch developments closely, in particular through the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, which continues until 1 January 2000. We will report to Parliament at six-monthly intervals on the implementation of the Joint Declaration, with special reference to the protection of human rights in Hong Kong. We will also continue to remind the international community of its stake in Hong Kong's continuing success.
Mr. Day:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the departmental special advisers and parliamentary private secretaries who attended the hand over ceremonies in Hong Kong; [6965]
(3) if he will list the overall cost to the Exchequer of travel and accommodation expenses incurred by departmental special advisers and parliamentary private secretaries who attended the hand over ceremonies in Hong Kong; [6956]
(4) how many departmental special advisers and parliamentary private secretaries attended the handover ceremonies in Hong Kong. [6961]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 7 July 1997]: The only Departmental Special Advisers or Parliamentary Private Secretaries to attend the handover ceremonies in Hong Kong were Mr. Alastair Campbell, Chief Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Mr. Andrew Wood, Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary.
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 417
The Chief Press Secretary accompanied the Prime Minister at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
Mr. Hood accompanied my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs on the chartered plane which took the official British delegation to Hong Kong, at no additional cost to the taxpayer. his accommodation cost £2,581, which was met from public funds.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding his discussions in Hong Kong with his Chinese counterpart Qian Qichen. [7178]
Mr. Fatchett:
The meeting in Hong Kong between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and his Chinese counterpart which I also attended was the first since taking office. This was an historic occasion and provided a unique opportunity to set the tone for future relations. Discussions focused mostly on Hong Kong issues but also covered a range of bilateral matters including human rights.
23. Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the assistance his Department provides for exporting to north America. [5752]
Mr. Fatchett:
A wide range of services is available to British exporters through our network of twelve Diplomatic Posts in the US and four in Canada. The assistance available includes market research, customised contact lists, help with finding agents and distributors and help with publicity for new products and services. Support is also available for companies participating in trade missions and trade fairs in the region.
31. Dr. Naysmith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he proposes to take to promote Britain's export trade. [5760]
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave, earlier in the House today, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Mr. Browne).
25. Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the treaty of Amsterdam on the future control of the British strategic nuclear deterrent. [5754]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We believe that the Treaty of Amsterdam has no implications for the British nuclear deterrent.
28. Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the policy areas in the Amsterdam inter-governmental treaty in which he proposed the introduction of qualified majority voting, but failed to achieve agreement. [5757]
8 Jul 1997 : Column: 418
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Discussion of QMV in the IGC was based on Presidency proposals. These included introducing QMV in areas such as industry and the environment, where the UK supported some extension of QMV, but on which there was ultimately no agreement.
34. Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 23 June, Official Report, column 346, if he will make a statement on the impact of the extension of qualified majority voting under the Amsterdam Treaty. [5763]
Mr. Henderson:
We fully support the modest extension of qualified majority voting agreed at Amsterdam which will help effective decision making in areas like fraud and research and development.
29. Ms Southworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further discussions he will be holding with United States of America authorities about the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. [5758]
Mr. Fatchett:
I and my colleagues will take every opportunity between now and the Conference in Kyoto in December to press the US to make significant reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the post-2000 period.
30. Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being made to inform applicants for settlement in the Asian sub-continent of changes in the rules affecting their cases; and how long they may have to wait. [5759]
Mr. Fatchett:
The abolition of the Primary Purpose criterion of the Immigration Rules has been widely publicised in South Asia. All visa applicants are provided with detailed guidance notes on how to make an application; these naturally include details of the current regulations. Posts in South Asia are now also offering specific advice to those whose applications are affected by the abolition of the Primary Purpose criterion.
(2) if he will list the publicly funded travel and accommodation costs incurred by individual departmental special advisers and parliamentary private secretaries who attended the handover ceremonies in Hong Kong; [6959]
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