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Spain
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of European funding allocated to Spain in each year since accession. [71697]
Ms Quin:
The EC budget is not broken down by Member State. But in its report "Financing of the European Union" COM (98) 560, deposited in the House Library on 26 October 1998 (Batch list 121), the Commission show at Table F Annex 8 the total EU
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expenditure in all Member States from 1992-97. The table shows that between those years Spain received the following from the EC budget:
| Mecu | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 7,536.0 |
| 1993 | 8,215.0 |
| 1994 | 7,889.7 |
| 1995 | 10,898.4 |
| 1996 | 10,661.5 |
| 1997 | 11,303.6 |
Information on Spain's receipts from accession to 1992 can be derived from the European Court of Auditors Annual Reports which provide a comprehensive breakdown of all EC expenditure.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of manpower and military assets Spain dedicates to the NATO alliance. [71696]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
I have been asked to reply.
The forces that Spain makes available to NATO is a matter for the Spanish Government.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to take legal action regarding Spanish imposed delays at the Gibraltar frontier. [71701]
Ms Quin:
In our discussion of Gibraltar with the Spanish Government, we have emphasised that border restrictions going beyond those compatible with EU norms for a light passport check and customs control (Gibraltar is outside the Community customs territory) are unjustified and counter-productive. We have also drawn the current situation at the Gibraltar/Spain border to the attention of the President of the European Commission; and look to the Commission to remind the Spanish authorities of their obligations. We want to see the outcome of those representations before considering further steps.
Mr. Gill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what cost burden Gibraltar has imposed upon HM Treasury in each of the last 10 years. [71700]
Ms Quin:
The Government of Gibraltar budget is self-financing, and Gibraltar has received no technical aid, programme aid or budgetary support in the last ten years. Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office activities in Gibraltar are financed from departmental budgets while the Department for International Development deals with some Gibraltar- related pension matters.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was his response to the Gibraltar House of Assembly's motion, of 17 December, calling on Her Majesty's Government to reject the Spanish proposals for joint sovereignty; and on what date his response was made. [72212]
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Ms Quin:
We are, of course, aware of the Gibraltar House of Assembly motion of 17 December. We were not asked for a formal response. The Chief Minister drew our attention to the motion in a letter of 18 December (received on 8 January). I responded to that letter on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 28 January.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on self-determination for the people of Gibraltar. [72214]
Ms Quin:
We support the right or principle of self-determination reflecting the wishes of the people concerned. It should be exercised in accordance with the other principles and rights in the UN Charter and with other Treaty obligations. In Gibraltar's case, that includes article X of the Treaty of Utrecht. This has been the long-standing position of successive British Governments.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 1999, Official Report, columns 702-03, if he will list the agenda of the bilateral meeting with the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Defence; at whose request that meeting took place; for how long it lasted; which common foreign and security policy issues were resolved to be specific areas for further discussion; and if he will make a statement. [71355]
Mr. Robin Cook:
On 12 January I held a short meeting with the Liberal Democrat spokesman on foreign affairs and defence. We agreed to recommend an extension of the Joint Consultative Committee's remit to cover a range of common foreign and security policy issues. The meeting took place by agreement as a result of the widening of co-operation announced by my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in December.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit in the Library a list of the members of the cabinets of European Commissioners, with their pay scales. [71148]
Ms Quin:
I have deposited in the Library a list of the members of the different cabinets in the Commission, together with a table of pay scales, as provided by the Commission's Personnel Directorate.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to the reply of 2 February 1999, Official Report, column 542, if he will make a statement on the nature of the activities authorised under (i) 3706-other political activities and (ii) 3708- information work. [71143]
Ms Quin:
A detailed breakdown of the activities authorised is not readily available. I will write to the right hon. Member in due course. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Mr. Stevenson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government on its campaign to promote atheism in Tibet. [71163]
Mr. Fatchett:
The situation in Tibet, including restrictions upon religious freedom, continues to be a matter of concern. We take every opportunity to raise Tibet with the Chinese authorities, both bilaterally and in conjunction with our EU partners.
Mr. Stevenson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact the current situation regarding human rights in China and Tibet will have on (a) bilateral aid to and (b) EU dialogue on human rights with the Chinese Government. [71162]
Mr. Fatchett:
The EU/China human rights dialogue provides an opportunity for the EU to address many serious human rights concerns, including in Tibet, directly with the Chinese authorities. We will continue to support this dialogue with bilateral assistance, such as in the legal and judicial fields, which is a valuable way of bringing about concrete improvements on the ground in China.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press releases have been issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each of the years 1990 to 1998. [71447]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: 1,028 FCO press releases have been issued by the COI since the COI began distributing press releases on the FCO's behalf in 1995. Between 1990 and 1995 1,223 press releases were issued by the FCO direct. The year by year breakdown is as follows:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 263 |
| 1991 | 221 |
| 1992 | 182 |
| 1993 | 197 |
| 1994 | 180 |
| 1995 | 200 |
| 1996 | 207 |
| 1997 | 296 |
| 1998 | 325 |
In respect of FCO Agencies and non-departmental public bodies I am asking the Chief Executives of those bodies to write to the hon. Member direct.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the conventions governing the propriety and cost of press releases issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies; and what is the total cost of the press releases issued since May 1997. [71462]
Mr. Fatchett
[holding answer 16 February 1999]: The conventions governing the propriety and cost of press releases issued by Governments Departments are laid down in the Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service published by the Cabinet Office in
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July 1997. More specific guidance on the writing of press releases is given in the Working Guide for Government Information Officers. Copies of both documents are in the libraries of the House.
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