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Waiting Lists
Mr. Livsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate (a) the number of people in each health authority region in Wales currently waiting for an appointment with a consultant following a referral by a general practitioner and (b) the length of time which those people (i) have already waited and (ii) are expected to wait. [74382]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: The numbers of people in each health authority area in Wales waiting for an appointment with a consultant at 31 December 1998, and the numbers waiting over six months, were published in the statistical release "NHS Wales Hospital Waiting Lists: December 1998" (SDR 7/99), a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Data are not collected centrally on the expected length of wait, which will depend on individual circumstances. However, information on the routine outpatient wait for hospital consultants in Wales is published in the bulletin "Hospital Waiting Times" produced by the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority region the waiting time for new entrants to the waiting list for (a) ear, nose
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and throat, (b) trauma and orthopaedic, (c) general surgery, (d) ophthalmology and (e) gynaecology consultants. [74383]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
The waiting times for new entrants to the lists to see NHS consultants will depend on individual circumstances. The proportions of patients seen within three months and six months of referral to consultants in these specialties in Welsh hospitals during the period 1 January 1998 to 31 March 1998 were published in "The Patient's Charter NHS Wales Performance Tables 1998", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what means he proposes to quantify (a) the benefits and (b) the risks that might flow from the genetic modification of (i) crops and (ii) food. [74863]
Dr. Jack Cunningham
[holding answer 5 March 1999]: The Government receive advice on these issues from their independent expert committees, including the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes.
Chevening House
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) for what purposes Chevening House has been used by Her Majesty's Government, other than for Foreign and Commonwealth Office business, since 1 May 1997; [72965]
- (2) what discussions concerning genetically modified foods and crops have taken place at Chevening since 1 May 1997. [73515]
Mr. Robin Cook
[holding answers 25 and 26 February 1999]: Chevening House is available to members of Her Majesty's Government, senior officials and others for meetings and entertainment, with my permission.
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As far as we are aware, no discussions about genetically modified food have taken place at Chevening.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the investigation of the massacres in autumn 1998 at Gornje Obrinje and Vucitrn; what estimate has been made of the number of victims; and what steps have been taken to bring the perpetrators before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. [75137]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
HMG have been informed by the Tribunal that its investigations into the massacres at Gornje Orbinje and Vucitrn are ongoing but are being seriously hampered by the lack of cooperation and access from the Yugoslav authorities. HMG continue actively to support the work of the ICTY, including financing an additional courtroom which has helped speed up trial procedures and contributing more than £1.2 million to the Tribunal's Exhumations 1998 Programme.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 1999, Official Report, columns 438-39, if he will place in the Library copies of the reports of the Common Foreign and Security Policy working groups since 1 May 1997. [75081]
Ms Quin:
The Government are committed to ensuring more effective parliamentary scrutiny of, and greater openness in European Union business, including the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy. We introduced last year procedures for the parliamentary scrutiny of all Common Foreign and Security Policy Common Positions and Joint Actions, and other politically important documents. The Government do not, however, have discretion to disclose unilaterally documents which reveal the negotiating positions of individual European Union member states. They do not, therefore, propose to place the reports of Working Group discussion in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bruce George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) of 25 February 1999, Official Report, columns 438-39, in what form the outcome of the deliberations of the Common Foreign and Security Policy working groups are made available to Parliament. [74569]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 8 March 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Penrith and the Border (Mr. Maclean) today, Official Report, column 179.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department has given to the Prime Minister's Office on the (i) style, (ii) substance and (iii) target audience of articles in the Prime Minister's name to be published in foreign newspapers and journals. [75048]
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Mr. Fatchett:
The FCO offers the Prime Minister's Office informal advice on the style, substance, and target audience of articles in the Prime Minister's name whenever this is requested.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States about the military threats to Taiwan by the People's Republic of China [75080]
Mr. Fatchett:
Following the US Secretary of State's recent visit to Peking, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed China, including cross-straits relations with Taiwan, with Mrs. Albright on 6 March.
Mr. Wareing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current human rights situation in Croatia. [75229]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
While improvements have been made, much remains to be done. In particular, the most recent OSCE report on Croatia has underlined a continuing lack of progress in bringing domestic legislation, eg on protection for minorities and press freedom, into line with Council of Europe and UN human rights instruments.
Among the areas which still require government attention are:
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held by British Embassy officials in Turkey with (a) Kurdish and (b) human rights groups; and if he will make a statement. [74871]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 8 March 1999]: British Embassy officials in Ankara regularly meet representatives of Kurdish groups, including representatives of the
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People's Democracy Party (HADEP). Our officials are also in constant contact with representatives of various human rights organisations in Turkey, including the Human Rights Association and the Human Rights Foundation.
Constitutional amendments to remove the restrictions of certain rights which are currently enjoyed by citizens rather than individuals;
Restoration of certain suspended provisions contained in the 1991 Constitutional Law on Human Rights, providing for the protection of political representation and social and cultural rights of minorities (applying above all to the Serb minority following Operations Flash and Storm in 1995);
Croatia is a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees but no domestic legislation has yet been introduced to implement its principles, leaving Albanian asylum-seekers from Kosovo, for example, with treatment inconsistent with these principles;
Equal application of the Law on Citizenship;
Adoption of democratic standards regarding freedom of the media, information and expression, and public service broadcasting;
We and our European partners take every opportunity to remind the Croatians that fulfilment of its international obligations is a necessary precursor to a closer relationship with Europe.
Reform of electoral legislation in order to comply with the OSCE Copenhagen Document (Articles 7 and 8) and other international standards.
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