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Arms Control and Disarmament
28. Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what current discussions he is having on arms control and disarmament; and if he will make a statement. [64614]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We are committed to the measures set out in the Strategic Defence Review, and are pursuing these with a wide range of interested parties. In particular, we will participate fully in forthcoming negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, and on a verification Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and are working for the successful completion of talks on the adaptation of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
United Nations (Subscriptions)
30. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the United States of America concerning the payment of arrears to the United Nations. [64616]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last raised this issue with Madeleine Albright early last year. Since then we have used our Presidencies of the EU and the G8, and numerous other contacts at ministerial and official level, to urge the US quickly to settle its arrears to the UN. We will continue to raise this issue with the US Administration and Congress when we judge this will be effective.
Burma
31. Mr. Khabra:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage democracy in Burma. [64617]
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 435
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) in the House today, Official Report, columns 701-02.
34. Mr. Peter Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has reached a conclusion on the citizenship rights of St. Helenans. [64621]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer I gave earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Colchester (Mr. Russell), Official Report, column 689.
35. Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he proposes to have with representatives of Pakistan and India on their forthcoming discussions about Kashmir. [64622]
Mr. Fatchett:
I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer I gave in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East (Mr. Heppell), Official Report, column 695.
36. Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from the Russian Government about the integrity of its command and control over its weapons of mass destruction. [64623]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have not received any direct assurances. We have, however, taken careful note of statements made by senior Russian representatives assuring the safety and control of Russia's weapons of mass destruction, including a statement of 25 November made by the Russian Minister for Atomic Energy, Mr. Adamov.
37. Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about relations with Dubai. [64624]
Mr. Fatchett:
Our relations with Dubai, as with the United Arab Emirates as a whole, are very close. We work together closely on a range of international issues. In addition, British exports to Dubai were worth over £900 million in 1997. Despite the general down-turn in the global economy 1998 saw another strong trade performance with UK exports until the end of October alone worth over £1.3 billion. We expect a similar result this year.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in improving the business promotion activities of British embassies. [64605]
Mr. Fatchett:
There is a number of initiatives in progress to strengthen further the export promotion services offered by our 219 commercial posts overseas. Implementation of Export Forum recommendations has
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 436
given a sharper focus on priority markets, and following the Comprehensive Spending Review we will be creating over 120 new commercial slots overseas. To strengthen our professionalism we have increased interchange between the private sector and FCO/DTI staff and refocused staff training and development programmes. Our expanded Quality Management System shows increased levels of customer satisfaction. 1999 will see further improved levels of service provision with greater use of information technology/Internet based services by overseas commercial posts based on the TradeUk service launched in September 1998.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress in the EU-South Africa trade negotiations. [65659]
Ms Quin:
We remain actively committed to finalising a Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and South Africa. We regret that the deadline agreed at the Cardiff European Council for conclusion of the negotiations by the end of 1998 was not met. The Vienna European Council in December 1998 called for the negotiations to be finalised as soon as possible, and no later than the informal Council to be held in March 1999. We will continue to press for a rapid and liberal outcome which honours the EU's commitments to help the South African transition from apartheid, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reiterated to Deputy President Mbeki during his recent visit to South Africa.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of recent damage to the British Council offices in Damascus. [65386]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: The cost of the damage to the British Council property in Damascus is still being evaluated.
Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Guatemalan Government concerning the legal case of Mr. Bruce Harris; and if he will make a statement. [65912]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Our Ambassador in Guatemala City has raised the case of Bruce Harris and made known our concerns to the President of the Guatemalan Supreme Court, the President of the Guatemalan Presidential Commission on Human Rights and to the Guatemalan Fiscal General. We shall continue to follow the case closely and to make known our concern to the Guatemalan authorities that the case is conducted in conformity with the human rights standards to which Guatemala is committed under its domestic law and international obligations.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will define the extent of British waters around Gibraltar. [65505]
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 437
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: British waters extend to a limit of three nautical miles around Gibraltar. The limit is restricted to two nautical miles on the west side, in the Bay of Algeciras, where a median line exists between British and Spanish waters. I have placed copies of a map showing territorial waters in the Gibraltar area in the Libraries of the House.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Spanish fishing boats based in Algeciras Bay. [65510]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: We do not have a reliable figure. We are aware of 33 fishing vessels based in Algeciras port which have been sighted and recorded as entering British waters around Gibraltar. Similar numbers of other vessels based in both La Linea (also in Algeciras Bay) and La Atunara (to the east of Gibraltar) have also been seen in British waters.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many incursions into British waters around Gibraltar have been made by Spanish fishing boats in each of the last three years. [65509]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: The royal Gibraltar Police recorded 520 occasions on which Spanish fishing boats entered Gibraltar waters in 1998. Detailed records were not kept in previous years.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many arrests of Spanish fishermen unlawfully fishing in British waters around Gibraltar have been made in each of the last three years. [65508]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: Figures for the arrest of Spanish Fishermen for illegal fishing in British waters around Gibraltar are as follows:
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the definition of the status quo with regard to the activities of Spanish fishing boats in British waters around Gibraltar. [65507]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: Between 1991 and 1997, Spanish fishermen entered Gibraltar waters and fished in moderate numbers, kept away from the harbour and Admiralty waters, and respected the authority of the law enforcement agencies. We have been seeking to return to that situation, including through discussion with the Spanish authorities.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has evaluated of the use by Spanish fishermen in British waters around Gibraltar of unlawful fishing equipment. [65506]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: Section 10(b) of the Gibraltar Nature Protection Ordinance 1991 provides that the use of, inter alia, any seine or gill net or any pot or device for raking of sea bed, for the purpose of killing or taking any wild animal, constitutes an offence. The use of any fishing equipment other than fishing lines is therefore unlawful. Spanish fishing boats have used a variety of nets and rakes.
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Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Spanish Foreign Minister on the possibility of a licensing and quota agreement for Spanish fishing boats in British waters around Gibraltar. [66247]
Ms Quin:
I have discussed the fishing dispute on several occasions with the Spanish Minister for European Affairs. In these discussions, the possibility of a licensing regime has been raised as one option for the way forward.
1996: None
1997: 4 fishermen in one incident
1998: 6 fishermen in two incidents.
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