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Tobacco Sponsorship
Mr. Redwood: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the impact on employment of the removal of tobacco sponsorship from (a) darts and (b) snooker. [16938]
Mrs. Beckett [holding answer 20 November 1997]: We have always made it clear that we are pursuing twin objectives of reducing smoking and of safeguarding sport from any effects arising from the loss of tobacco sponsorship. We are therefore looking very carefully at how best to achieve an end to the advertising and promotion of tobacco at sports events in a way which will minimise any damage to the sports concerned. Discussions are under way within Government on how best to achieve this. Plans for the removal of tobacco sponsorship include a transitional period to allow darts and snooker to find alternative sponsors. The Government will publish a White Paper next year setting out measures to tackle tobacco consumption.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Public Appointments
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public appointments he has made since 1 May; and how many and what percentages of these (a) receive remuneration and (b) are of (i) Afro-Caribbean and (ii) Asian origin. [16781]
Mr. Fatchett: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made or approved six public appointments since 1 May: Director General of the British Council (paid), Director General of the Commonwealth Institute (paid), and four members of the Board of Governors of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (unpaid).
The information about ethnic origin cannot be provided since to do so would risk identifying individuals without their consent. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has provided information for all Departments in an aggregated form.
NATO Expansion
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimates of the cost of NATO expansion he plans to provide to the House.[18030]
Mr. Fatchett: NATO is currently conducting an assessment of the military and financial implications of enlargement. This will be the most authoritative study of the issue to date. Once this has been completed and considered by NATO Ministers in December we will publish as much information as possible as soon as we can.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of NATO's cost study on enlargement after it has been approved by NATO Foreign Ministers on 16 December. [18028]
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Mr. Fatchett:
The publication of NATO documents is a matter for NATO Member States collectively. The handling of NATO's assessments of the military and financial implications of enlargement is still under consideration at NATO.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether NATO is keeping Russia informed of the financial implications of NATO enlargement. [18029]
Mr. Fatchett:
No. The NATO/Russia Founding Act, which provides the basis for consultation between NATO and Russia on matters of European Security, does not provide for discussion on any aspect of NATO enlargement. Enlargement, including its financial implications, is a matter for members of the Alliance and those countries who have been invited to seek accession.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on relations between the European Union and the Kaliningrad enclave. [17907]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
As an integral (albeit geographically separate) part of the Russian Federation, Kaliningrad enjoys no special relations with the European Union other than those established between the EU and the Russian Federation itself.
The EU's economic and commercial relations with Russia are governed by the provisions of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) which was signed on 24 June 1994 and comes into force on 1 December 1997. Since 1 February 1996, the trade aspects of the PCA have been applied provisionally under the Interim Agreement. The inaugural Co-operation Council under the terms of the PCA is likely to take place during the UK presidency.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons he visited the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland; and what assessment he has made of the time scale for the admission to EU membership of (a) the Czech Republic, (b) Hungary, (c) Poland, (d) Slovenia, (e) Cyprus and (f) Estonia. [18031]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Central Europe as part of the UK's continuing close bilateral relationship with the countries of that region (it is our fastest growing export market). He also set out our strong support for EU and NATO enlargement. Looking ahead to our EU presidency, he made it clear that we want the Luxembourg European Council to take the decisions necessary to allow accession negotiations to begin as early as possible next year.
Negotiations will be conducted on an individual basis with each candidate. Progress will depend on each applicant's preparations for membership. So it would be misleading to set any firm deadlines for accession.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he or his
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officials have had recently with their Spanish counterparts concerning (a) the status of Gibraltar in the new NATO command structure and (b) United Kingdom military access to Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.[18032]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed this subject with the Spanish Foreign Minster most recently on 21 November in the margins of the Special Employment Summit in Luxembourg, and again on 24 November in the margins of the EU General Affairs Council. Further discussions between UK and Spanish officials took place on 27 November.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK and EU enactments that would need amendment for Gibraltarians to be enfranchised for European Parliamentary elections.[18333]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
An amendment would be required to the EC Act concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, which was annexed to a Council Decision of 20 September 1976. An amendment would also be needed to the UK European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the approval of an export licence for the supply of an armoured Range Rover to the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia. [18540]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We recently approved the export of a light armour-plated Range Rover to the Office of the High representative (OHR) in Bosnia to help protect staff and visitors at the OHR who need to travel in the region as part of their normal duties. Given the important contribution made by the OHR to the international community's peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia, we were glad to be able to approve this export as an exception to our interpretation of the EU arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia. This decision does not affect our continued support of the EU common position on arms exports to the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available a copy of the Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms. [18541]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
A copy of the report of the UN Panel of Experts on Small Arms has been placed in the Library of the House. We endorse the panel's recommendations and urge other States to do likewise. The ready availability of small arms in several regions across the world contributes to serious problems of instability. Illicit transfers are the most common sources of supply. We strongly support the EU Programme for Preventing and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Conventional Arms and intend to take it forward vigorously during the UK presidency of the EU in the first half of 1998. As an initial
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step, the Department for International Development will fund a seminar in Southern Africa to look at how we and others might assist affected countries in practical measures to combat the problems caused by illicit small arms trafficking.
Ms Shipley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his policy to maintain an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the EU's common position of 17 December 1996. [18275]
Mr. Fatchett:
We remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods Order 1994, as amended.
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