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Middle East Peace Process
15. Mr. Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has provided to the Palestinian Authority in combating terrorism. [64601]
Mr. Fatchett: We make a significant contribution to the $8 million EU package of counter-terrorism assistance to the Palestinian Authority to help it deliver its security commitments.
22. Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for peace in the middle east following the Wye agreement. [64608]
Mr. Robin Cook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in the House today to my hon. Friends the Members for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) and for Milton-Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey).
27. Mr. Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the middle east peace process; and if he will make a statement. [64613]
29. Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the Palestinian Authority in developing a sound economy. [64615]
32. Ms Oona King: 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. [64618]
Mr. Fatchett: I refer my hon. Friends to the oral answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friends the Members for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) and for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey), Official Report, column 694.
Government Hospitality (Wine)
17. Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the purchase of wine for Government hospitality purposes. [64603]
Mr. Fatchett: The policy is intended to ensure availability of wines of appropriate quality at reasonable cost for official hospitality hosted by Ministers on behalf of HMG.
Falkland Islands
18. Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the economic future of the Falkland Islands. [64604]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Licence revenue from a well managed fishery has enabled the Falkland Islands Government to build up healthy reserves of more than £143 million without receiving any aid from the UK budget since 1992. The islanders are diversifying their agriculture, promoting tourism and the service sector and investing in better infrastructure and public services, while safeguarding their environment. It is too early to say whether there is oil in recoverable quantities in Falklands waters.
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Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government have received from President Clinton concerning negotiations over, and the sovereignty of, the Falkland Islands. [65819]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have received no proposals from President Clinton concerning negotiations over, or the sovereignty of, the Falkland Islands. The American Government have reiterated that they would like to see two of their close friends overcome their differences, but that it is not appropriate for them to be involved.
20. Mr. Paul Clark:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Kingdom's foreign policy of the Franco-British European defence initiative. [64606]
33. Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the foreign policy implications of the Franco-British European defence initiative. [64619]
Mr. Robin Cook:
It is firmly in Britain's interests for Europe to speak and act more effectively on the world stage. But, as recent events in Kosovo have shown, a stronger and more coherent European voice in international foreign policy must be backed by a more effective European military capability. The St. Malo Declaration of 4 December set out a framework for building this capacity.
This initiative has been welcomed by the US Government, to whom we have it made it clear that NATO will remain the cornerstone of European security and the basis of our collective defence.
21. Mr. Donald Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts have been made by his Department (a) bilaterally and (b) in cooperation with EU partners to encourage the Eritrean Government to respond positively to the proposals presented by the Organisation of African Unity to Ethiopia and Eritrea on 7 and 8 November relating to the settlement of their border dispute. [64607]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have taken advantage of bilateral meetings with Eritrean Government representatives in Asmara and London to reinforce the message that full acceptance of the OAU proposals provide the way forward.
After the OAU issued its proposals on 7-8 November we supported an EU Presidency statement urging both parties to commit themselves to full acceptance. The Presidency Declaration of 16 December reiterated this position.
23. Dr. Vis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Syria. [64609]
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Mr. Fatchett:
I visited Syria from 8 to 10 December and had useful meetings with President Asad and Foreign Minister Shara'a. Our talks focused on the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq and bilateral issues.
24. Mr. Robathan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Iraq. [64610]
Mr. Robin Cook:
We remain committed to maintaining international pressure on Iraq to fulfil its obligations and to preventing Iraq from threatening its neighbours once again. We are at one with our friends and allies on this. Our main priorities are to resolve outstanding disarmament questions and to improve further the humanitarian situation in Iraq. Discussions in the Security Council are focusing on both issues. We are also looking with EU partners at proposals for alleviating the suffering to which Saddam Hussein continues to subject the Iraqi people.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the claim by Mr. Scott Ritter that UNSCOM supplied information to five countries in return for intelligence from their sources; and if he will make a statement. [66102]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
UNSCOM is entitled to seek information and advice from all possible sources in pursuit of its mandate to destroy Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction capability.
UNSCOM Executive Chairman Richard Butler has made it clear that he has always insisted on all UNSCOM activity being carried out strictly in pursuit of its disarmament mandate, not to benefit any individual member state.
25. Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the position of women in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [64611]
Mr. Fatchett:
We receive frequent representation about the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan. At the start of our EU Presidency last year we drew up and agreed a new Common Position on Afghanistan. This urges the Afghan factions to end discrimination and promote equal rights. We ensured that UN Security Council Resolutions 1193 and 1214 did the same. We will continue to urge all factions fully to respect human rights.
26. Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Sudan. [64612]
Mr. Fatchett:
The situation in Sudan continues to cause us great concern. While humanitarian conditions in some of the areas worst hit by famine have stabilised, UN agencies expect there to be continuing substantial need in 1999. The suffering is, of course, made much worse by the continuing civil war.
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 434
We are therefore working with the UN and others to improve the delivery of aid at the same time as pressing all sides to work towards a peaceful settlement to the civil war--the only long-term solution to the humanitarian crisis.
We continue to support the IGAD peace process as the best way to bring about a negotiated end to the civil war. In this context, UN Special Envoy Vraalsen will shortly be visiting the region, as will an IGAD Partners Forum mission. We are lending our full support to these initiatives.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the British Ambassador to Sudan to return to Khartoum. [66490]
Mr. Fatchett:
When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary ordered the withdrawal of British staff from our Embassy in Khartoum on 27 August 1998, he said that it was only a temporary withdrawal and that he hoped the necessary conditions for the return of staff would be re-established before too long.
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