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Schengen Agreement
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government plans to sign up to elements of the Schengen
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Agreement at the forthcoming Justice and Home Affairs Council; which elements are concerned; and what representations he has received on this matter. [75722]
Mr. Straw:
I have today made the following statement to the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels.
Other member states will be interested to know of the intentions of the United Kingdom about our participation in JHA matters after the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, in accordance with Article 4 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union and by the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The United Kingdom is committed to active and effective co-operation in the JHA field. We demonstrated that during our Presidency last year. Our citizens have a common interest in ensuring that effective action is taken to combat international organised crime; we shall continue to play a full role in such European union level co-operation. We have been playing an active part in preparation for the incorporation of Schengen and for the establishment of the new Free Movement Chapter under Amsterdam. We are also keen to assist in the development of a useful agenda for the special European Council in Tampere later this year.
We have been giving serious thought to the areas of the Schengen acquis and the measures to be adopted under the Title IV in which we would wish to participate once Amsterdam comes into force. The different effects of our various Protocols influences our approach in this respect.
Our starting point is the Protocol on frontier controls to which all member states agreed at Amsterdam. The United Kingdom Government will maintain their former controls, in line with that political agreement.
Subject to the Amsterdam Protocol, the United Kingdom wishes to approach participation in Schengen and the Free Movement Chapter positively. Indeed we are keen to engage in co-operation in all areas of present and future JHA co-operation which do not conflict with our frontiers control.
We are therefore ready to participate in law enforcement and criminal judicial co-operation derived from the Schengen provisions, including the Schengen Information System. We have been in the forefront of European Union co-ordination in the fight against crime and drugs and we shall maintain that position. We are also interested in developing co-operation with European Union partners on asylum--a European Union-wide phenomenon--and in the civil judicial co-operation measures of the Free Movement Chapter.
Our intention to maintain our frontier controls has implications for our participation in the direct operation of external frontier controls. For similar reasons, enhanced visa co-operation raises difficulty for us. But, within this constraint, we shall seek discussions with European Union colleagues to maximise the scope for mutual operational co-operation in combating illegal immigration, without prejudice to the maintenance of our national immigration controls. We shall also look to participation in immigration policy where it does not conflict with our frontiers-based system of control.
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We realise that much detailed discussion with our European Union partners will be necessary in order to pave the way for co-operation in these areas. We shall shortly put forward a formal request for participation.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information his Department has collated on the number of deaths, broken down by age group, arising from misuse of lighter fuel refills in each of the last three years. [75471]
Ms Jowell:
I have been asked to reply.
Information for 1997 and 1998 is not yet available. Data for 1994 to 1996 are given in the table.
| Age | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All age groups | 31 | 38 | 39 |
| 0-9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-14 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 15-19 | 16 | 23 | 23 |
| 20-24 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| 25-29 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 30 and over | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Note:
Figures for 1994 have been revised since publication in June 1996
Source:
Register of Volatile Substance Abuse Mortality, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London
WALES
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many applications were received in Wales during 1998 to join the Countryside Stewardship Scheme; what area of land they represented; how many were approved; and what area of land they represented; [76096]
- (2) what is the total area of land in Wales covered by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme; and what is the area covered by the scheme within the less favoured areas and its proportion of the total LFA area; [76092]
(3) what the total budget allocated to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in Wales is in each of the next three years. [76094]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones [holding answer 11 March 1999]: The Countryside Stewardship Scheme is not available in Wales.
PRIME MINISTER
Foreign Affairs Committee
Mr. Wilshire:
To ask the Prime Minister when (a) he, (b) his officials, (c) his advisers and (d) his parliamentary private secretary were first made aware of the leaked
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Foreign Affairs Committee documents on (i) its Human Rights inquiry and (ii) its European Union enlargement inquiry. [75862]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 10 March 1999]: My office was made aware on Wednesday 3 March. I was told the same day.
Mr. Gummer:
To ask the Prime Minister what discussion he has had with the Sudanese Government as to their version of the purpose of the factory bombed by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom. [76446]
The Prime Minister:
FCO officials have been in regular contact with the Government of Sudan following our withdrawal from Khartoum last August.
We continue to encourage Sudan to become a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits the acquisition, development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and is supported by a verifications regime consisting of data declarations and on-site inspections.
Sir Norman Fowler:
To ask the Prime Minister (1) for what reasons he approved the decision of the Home Secretary on 20 February to seek an injunction against The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement; [76394]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 10 March 1999, Official Report, column 277. My right hon. Friend has explained fully the circumstances and events which led him to seek an injunction in his oral statement to the House on 22 February 1999, Official Report, columns 21-23.
(2) at what time on 20 February he was consulted by the Home Secretary on the injunction he proposed to apply for against The Sunday Telegraph; and if he will make a statement. [76393]
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the additional cost of introducing the ICCS system to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency while retaining the four coastguard stations due for closure. [75825]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The estimated additional cost to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of introducing the ICCS system while retaining the four coastguard stations due for closure is in the order of £2 million. This includes additional capital and running costs associated with the system. However, there could also be additional estimate costs upwards to £1 million for new building works to accommodate the new equipment at least of the stations due for closure.
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Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the former Maritime and Coastguard Agency office at Gosforth, Tyne and Wear. [75826]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Newcastle Marine Office currently occupies accommodation at Government's Buildings, Broadway West, Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne under the terms of an inter Departmental Agreement with the Department of Social Security. MCA are currently exploring an option of vacating Broadway West site by the end of the year.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents were dealt with during 1998 by the Maritime Rescue subcentres at (i) Tyne Tees and (ii) Forth in which assistance was (a) rendered and (b) not rendered; and how many of the incidents were hoaxes. [75827]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
In 1998, Tyne Tees MRSC dealt with (a) 274 incidents in which assistance was rendered and (b) 169 incidents in which assistance was not rendered. Seventeen incidents were hoaxes. For the same period, Forth MRSC dealt with (a) 167 incidents in which assistance was rendered and (b) 107 incidents in which assistance was not rendered. Four incidents were hoaxes.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents dealt with by the Tyne Tees Maritime Rescue subcentre in 1998 were (a) inshore and (b) offshore. [75824]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
Applying a 3-mile limit to inshore incidents: Tyne Tees MRSC dealt with (a) 442 incidents inshore and (b) 18 incidents offshore in 1998.
Mr. Alan Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people assisted, (b) the number of people rescued and (c) the number of lives lost during incidents dealt with in 1998 by the Maritime Rescue subcentres at (i) Tyne Tees and (ii) Forth. [75828]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
In 1988 Tyne Tees MRSC (a) assisted 769 people, (b) rescued 136 people and (c) recorded 15 lives lost during incidents. For the same period, Forth MRSC (a) assisted 244 people, (b) rescued 177 people and (c) recorded 5 lives lost during incidents.
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