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Immigration Correspondence
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the staffing levels of the migration and visa correspondence unit on 1 October (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997. [13998]
Mr. Fatchett: The answer is as follows:
- (a) 13
- (b) 12
- (c) 12 permanent, four temporary.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will create a dedicated unit to deal with hon. Members' correspondence at the migration and visa correspondence unit. [14001]
Mr. Fatchett: The migration and visa correspondence unit's primary role is to deal with members' correspondence, which accounts for the greater part of its workload.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints have been received about the level of service of the migration and visa correspondence unit in the last 12 months. [14002]
Mr. Fatchett: Our correspondence statistics are not broken down in a way that enables complaints to be identified separately. To provide the information requested would involve disproportionate cost.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average time taken by the migration and visa correspondence unit to answer correspondence from an hon. Member. [14000]
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average time between hon. Members writing on behalf of constituents in immigration and related cases and the reply being sent to the hon. Member. [13198]
Mr. Fatchett:
As the result of a 35 per cent. increase in correspondence from Members since the general election the migration and visa correspondence unit has been unable to maintain its normal target of a reply within 15 working days. The average time for non-urgent correspondence is currently five weeks. Extra staff have been deployed with the aim of eliminating delays.
4 Nov 1997 : Column: 167
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters were received by the migration and visa correspondence unit in each month of 1997. [13999]
Mr. Fatchett:
The migration and visa correspondence unit has received the following number of letters from Members:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| January | 556 |
| February | 517 |
| March | 459 |
| April | 600 |
| May | 427 |
| June | 982 |
| July | 1,278 |
| August | 1,158 |
| September | 956 |
| Total | 6,933 |
In addition, 4,461 letters were received during the same period from other correspondents.
Congo
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate human rights abuses relating to the disappearance of refugees from the camps south of Kisangari in rebel-held Congo-Zaire; and if he will make a statement. [13976]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We fully support the mission of the UN human rights inquiry team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The inquiry team will investigate alleged human rights violations between 1993 and 1997--including the disappearance of refugees from the Kisingani area--throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo; what diplomatic relations the United Kingdom has with that country; and if he will make a statement. [13501]
Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 3 November 1997]: We enjoy normal diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. HM ambassador and diplomatic staff in Kinshasa are in regular contact with all levels of the Government, and I met President Kabila during the EU ministerial troika visit to Kinshasa on 4-5 August. We have made clear that our future relationship with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the resumption of development assistance, is conditional upon respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
NATO Expansion
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) civilian and (b) political elements of NATO expansion. [13917]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
At the Madrid summit in July NATO member states invited the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to begin accession discussions. We expect these to
4 Nov 1997 : Column: 168
be completed in time for my right hon. Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary to be able to sign accession protocols at the North Atlantic Council on 16 December. After ratification of the three Protocols by all 16 NATO allies the three new members would enter the political, military and civil structures of the alliance. NATO's existing political consultations, civil emergency planning, economic, scientific and environmental activities will all involve the new member states.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what matters in regard to the retention of nuclear weapons by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have been raised by nations addressing the United Nations First Committee on Disarmament and International Security in its annual debate. [13748]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Questions of nuclear disarmament were widely discussed in the First Committee's general debate. Progress by the US and Russia on reductions of their nuclear forces through the bilateral START negotiations was widely welcomed. Other issues relevant to the retention of nuclear weapons by the nuclear weapon states included the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, a fissile material cut-off treaty, the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on the threat or use of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon free zones and security assurances.
Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current human rights situations in Kenya and Uganda. [13927]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We strongly believe that the Governments of Kenya and Uganda should meet their obligations under the international human rights instruments to which they are parties. I raised the human rights situation in Kenya, including the concerns set out by Amnesty International, with President Moi and Attorney General Wako when I visited Nairobi in June. In Uganda we have condemned atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army against the Acholi people in the north. We continue to make clear to the Ugandan Government that operations by their security forces must conform with international human rights standards.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United Kingdom's European partners on the repeal of article 223 of the treaty of Rome. [13857]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
There have been no such discussions.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions were taken at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Scotland to assist small low-lying island states threatened by sea level rises. [13751]
4 Nov 1997 : Column: 169
Mr. Fatchett:
Small island developing states are particularly vulnerable to rise in sea level as a result of global warming. Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Edinburgh discussed the threat of climate change and called for developed countries to pursue significant reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions at December's Kyoto negotiations. They also agreed to initiate action in the international community to strengthen assistance to small states which suffer the effects of natural disasters.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United Kingdom's European partners on the development of a common policy on arms exports. [13858]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have discussed the possibility of a code of conduct informally with a number of partners, and will formally take forward an initiative during our Presidency of the European Union in early 1998.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards the expansion of the OSCE. [13918]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We are committed to strengthening the OSCE's role in conflict prevention, including through support for the work of its Missions in the field. Together with EU partners we are also contributing actively to the development within the OSCE of a security model for Europe.
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