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Bosnia
23. Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace process in Bosnia. [12136]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer that I gave today to the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire, (Mr. Barnes).
Middle East Peace Process
25. Mr. Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his assessment of progress in the middle east peace process. [12139]
26. Mr. Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the middle east peace process. [12141]
33. Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received regarding the middle east peace process. [12148]
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer hon. Members to the oral answer that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden).
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27. Mr. Eric Clarke:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he has put forward to try to solve the impasse over the re-unification of Cyprus. [12142]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We intend to remain active and creative in support of the UN Secretary-General's mission of good offices on Cyprus.
28. Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in Indonesia. [12143]
Mr. Fatchett:
We remain concerned about the human rights situation in both Indonesia and East Timor. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation during his visit to Indonesia in August.
29. Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce incidents of fraud in relation to the EU budget. [12144]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We are committed to reducing fraud against the EU budget. Tackling fraud and financial mismanagement will be a priority for our Presidency next year and we will be announcing a package of measures which we intend to take forward.
31. Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Taiwan. [12146]
Mr. Fatchett:
While we have no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, we value our commercial and cultural ties. We welcome expanding trade links, the growing number of Taiwanese students and tourists who visit, and increasing Taiwanese inward investment in the United Kingdom.
32. Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UN reform package. [12147]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear at the UN General Assembly last month our strong support for the Secretary-General's reform package. It will give the UN the flexibility, competence and efficiency it needs for the next century. We are now working for its early endorsement.
34. Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve communications between national parliamentarians and EU institutions. [12149]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
We support closer contacts between national parliamentarians, in line with its commitment to enhance the role of national parliaments in the EU. The development of such contacts is principally
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a matter for national parliaments to pursue. I understand that the House authorities are considering the question of representation at the European Parliament and/or in Brussels for the House of Commons.
35. Mr. McAllion:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Cuban Government on relations with the European Union and the United Nations. [12150]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Cuban Ambassador at the Diplomatic Reception in June and the Ambassador called on my noble Friend Baroness Symons, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, on 26 June. Officials frequently discuss with the Cuban Government their relations with the European Union and the United Nations.
We and EU partners share the goal of a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba. We favour constructive engagement, not isolation. The EU adopted a Common Position on Cuba on 2 December 1996, reaffirming the EU's commitment to constructive engagement and to promoting political, economic and human rights reform in Cuba. This was presented to the Cuban Government on 21 July and we look forward to furthering this dialogue.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made on international controls on weapons proliferation to the strategic defence review.[12114]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have worked closely with the Ministry of Defence on all aspects of the Strategic Defence Review. We remain committed to maintaining and, where necessary, strengthening international controls on weapons proliferation. We are working in the relevant international fora to this end.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the United Kingdom Government are offering to the Kenyan election process. [12335]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Provided we are satisfied that there is the prospect of free and fair elections in Kenya, we will seek to contribute to international and local monitoring of them. Our exact plans have yet to be finalised.
We welcome reforms which will be relevant to electoral conditions agreed by the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group in Nairobi and President Moi's acceptance of them. We look to all concerned to observe both the letter and the spirit of the reforms in the conduct of the elections themselves.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the Kenyan Government. [12336]
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Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have made clear to the Government of Kenya our views on the conditions that need to be established to ensure that the forthcoming Presidential and legislative elections are free and fair. We have welcomed reforms agreed by the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group in Nairobi and President Moi's acceptance of them. We have urged that the necessary legislative and other measures be taken quickly to allow sufficient time for full implementation before the elections. We look to all concerned to observe both the letter and the spirit of the reforms in the conduct of the elections themselves. We have also made clear our concerns about human rights in Kenya, and about the economic issues which led the IMF to allow Kenya's Enhanced Statement Adjustment Facility to lapse.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the enrolment at (a) Brooklands primary school, Dundonald, and (b) Dundonald primary school at the beginning of the academic year 1997-98; how many pupils applied for places for that year; and how many applications were refused. [12772]
Mr. Worthington:
The enrolment numbers at the beginning of the academic year 1997-98 for Brooklands primary school and Dundonald primary school were:
There were 104 applications for Brooklands primary school of which one was refused. There were 84 applications for Dundonald primary school and no refusals.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the enrolment at (a) Movilla high school, Newtonards, (b) Regent House grammar school and (c) Glastry high school at the beginning of the academic year 1997-98; how many pupils applied for places for that year and how many applications were refused; and if she will make a statement about the future provision of places at (a) to (c). [12773]
Mr. Worthington:
The information requested is set out in the table.
Brooklands Primary School: 602
Dundonald Primary School: 588
| Number of applications received | Number of applications refused | Actual enrolment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movilla High School | 199 | 21 | 888 |
| Regent House School | 270 | 59 | 1,422 |
| Glastry College | 102 | none | 583 |
Movilla high school has been refurbished and extended to cater for an enrolment of 900 pupils. A capital scheme is planned to increase the size of Regent House grammar school to cater for 1,470 pupils. Glastry high school has the capacity to cater for 697 pupils.
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