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Venezuela
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Venezuelan Government took in response to the British ambassador's request for medical checks for Paul Loseby on 10 April and 10 July. [10436]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: Mr. Loseby had a routine medical examination on 5 May. He has not yet seen a doctor about the specific medical concern which prompted our ambassador to write to the Venezuelan authorities. The Venezuelan court has issued an order for Mr. Loseby to be seen by a doctor, but the visit has not yet taken place.
Our consular staff will continue to press the Venezuelan authorities to organise a medical visit.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if James Miles has received medical checks since his detention in Venezuela in November. [10437]
Mr. Lloyd:
James Miles received a medical check on 5 May 1997. When he was last visited by our consular staff on 9 July, Mr. Miles had no complaints about his health.
Rev. Martyn Smyth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Sudanese Government following the peace agreement signed in April 1997. [11122]
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Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The April 1997 agreement contains positive elements, notably the commitments to self-determination and to respect for human rights, but the main southern group, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, is not a party. We remain concerned about Sudanese policies in three main areas; human rights, support for terrorism and the civil war, but we welcome the Sudanese Government's acceptance of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development's declaration of principles as the basis for talks with the SPLA and look forward to early negotiations. We and our EU partners fully support IGAD's efforts to bring peace to Sudan and are ready to consider any way to help that process.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the whereabouts of Camilla Carr and Jon James, kidnapped in Chechnya; and what steps are being taken to ensure their safety. [10957]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We are concerned about the safety of Camilla Carr and Jon James. Since their abduction in Grozny on 3 July, no one has claimed responsibility. Their whereabouts are unknown. We are in touch with the Russian and Chechen authorities, who have undertaken to do what they can to help. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary expressed our concern to the Russian Foreign Minister on 14 July. Consular division is in daily contact with the families of the couple, to keep them informed of developments.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when the Government will ratify the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe convention on conciliation and arbitration; [10754]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Possible UK accession to the OSCE convention on conciliation and arbitration will be considered shortly. I shall write to my hon. Friend with a considered response as soon as possible thereafter.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Somali nationals applied for family reunion at the British embassy at Addis Ababa in (a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996 and (d) 1997; and how many of these applications were (i) successful and (ii) refused. [10876]
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Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The number of Somali nationals who applied for family reunion at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 were as follows:
(2) for what reasons the United Kingdom has not yet ratified the OSCE convention on conciliation and arbitration; and what objections it has raised to the convention. [10756]
| Applications received | Granted | Refused | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | (7)-- | 1,228 | (7)-- |
| 1995 | (7)-- | 654 | (7)-- |
| 1996 | 670 | 359 | (8)1,020 |
| 1997 | 366 | 207 | (8)402 |
(7) The number of applications received and refused in 1994 and 1995 are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(8) In 1996 and 1997 the refusal numbers exceed the applications received due to the build up of a large backlog from previous years.
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many OSCE participating states have ratified the convention on conciliation and arbitration. [10755]
Mr. Lloyd: As at 24 July 1997, 22 of the 54 OSCE participating states had ratified or acceded to the convention on conciliation and arbitration.
Russia (Baby Seal Cull)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the British embassy in Moscow last contacted the Russian authorities about the cull of baby seals in the White sea. [10946]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The British embassy in Moscow last contacted the Russian authorities about the number of Greenland seal pups taken from the White sea on 28 May. It was advised then that the quota for the 1997 cull was broadly the same as for 1996--31,000--but that the final figure was not yet available. The embassy will approach the Russian authorities again in September.
Scientific Equipment Exports
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ban exports of scientific equipment to research institutes in (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) China, (d) Russia and (e) Israel suspected of nuclear weapon development; and if he will make a statement. [11015]
Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 28 July 1997]: It is not the intention of the present Government to embargo the export of scientific equipment to any country, other than to fulfil a binding commitment made in an international forum.
It is our policy not to grant licences for the export of items of scientific equipment controlled under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, Council Regulation (EC) 3381/94, and related Council decision 94/942/CFSP as amended, or the Dual Use and Related Goods (Export Control) Regulations 1996 as amended, where to do so would risk the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or of missiles capable of delivering them.
Russia (Religious Freedom)
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what
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representations he (a) has made and (b) proposes to make to the Russian Government about the restrictions of religious freedoms in Russia. [10764]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We are acting in concert with our EU partners.
The EU troika ambassadors in Moscow carried out a demarche on Mr. Sidorov, the Deputy Foreign Minister, on 9 July. The demarche called upon President Yeltsin not to allow the law to come into effect in its present form. He vetoed it on 22 July.
We shall consider any further action in the light of developments.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the entry of Rwanda into the Commonwealth. [10797]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Decisions on membership are taken by Commonwealth Heads of Government on the basis of consensus. The Heads of Government meeting in Edinburgh will consider a report on Commonwealth membership criteria and look at Rwanda's application in the light of this. We believe that among other conditions, it is important for any applicant to the Commonwealth to have had a former constitutional link with a Commonwealth country and to comply with the Harare declaration on human rights and democracy.
Mr. Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards military assistance to (a) Rwanda and (b) the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [10796]
Mr. Lloyd:
We do not at present provide any military assistance to Rwanda or to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mr. Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's military assistance to (a) Rwanda and (b) the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the last three years. [10798]
Mr. Lloyd:
We have provided no military assistance to Rwanda or the Demcratic Republic of the Congo in the last three years.
Mr. Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government have given to private companies investing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last two months. [10799]
Mr. Lloyd:
I met a number of UK private companies who have experience of the great lakes region on 17 June, to discuss commercial prospects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This Department and the Department of Trade and Industry continue to advise British business on possible commercial opportunities.
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