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James Miles and Paul Loseby
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the conditions at Yare prison in Venezuela. [76425]
Mr. Fatchett:
Consular staff from the British Embassy in Caracas have not yet visited Yare prison. Following the transfer of James Miles and Paul Loseby on 15 March to Yare, the British Vice-Consul is hoping to visit before the end of this week.
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Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the British Embassy to ensure that James Miles and Paul Loseby will be considered for parole. [76421]
Mr. Fatchett:
James Miles and Paul Loseby are not yet eligible for parole.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the current whereabouts of James Miles and Paul Loseby in Venezuela; [76424]
Mr. Fatchett:
James Miles and Paul Loseby were transferred to Yare 1 prison on 15 March.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reach agreement with HM Treasury on Financial Services passporting for Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [76639]
Ms Quin:
In June 1997, after discussions involving the Department of Trade and Industry, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Treasury, HMG approved the passporting by Gibraltar-based insurance companies of insurance services into the UK and elsewhere in the European Union.
HMG, acting on advice from the Financial Services Authority, have explained to the Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission what measures need to be in place before HMG will be in a position to approve the passporting by Gibraltar-based credit institutions of banking services into the UK and elsewhere in the European Union. We understand that the Government of Gibraltar and the Financial Services Commission expect to satisfy these requirements in the near future.
The regulation of investment services in Gibraltar is less advanced than the regulation of banking services and insurance services. HMG hope to provide the Government of Gibraltar and the Financial Services Commission in the near future with guidance on which measures need to be in place before Gibraltar seeks HMG's approval for the passporting of investment services into the UK and elsewhere in the European Union.
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants in his Department have been invited to waive the working time directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in his Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the directive. [76808]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Records of Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff choosing to sign voluntary agreements to disapply the 48-hour weekly limit for working hours are not maintained centrally. The standard
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terms and conditions of service for staff employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are well within the limits set by the Working Time Regulations. The regulations do not require employers to keep records of the number of workers who choose not to sign an opt-out agreement. It is too early to judge the likely compliance costs.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason his Department's replies to written parliamentary questions for 15 March were in the Press Gallery more than three hours before they were delivered to the Library; and if he will make a statement. [77439]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Library copies were left in the House of Commons Post Office at 1700, the same time as copies were delivered to Hansard and the Press Gallery.
We have now altered our delivery procedures to ensure that the Library and Table Office copies are hand delivered at the same time as the Hansard and Press Gallery copies.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to announce the appointments of British ambassadors to (a) Bahrain and (b) Yemen. [77755]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Mr. Peter Ford will be replacing Mr. Ian Lewty as HM Ambassador to Bahrain in April 1999. This appointment was officially announced on 10 November 1998. Mr. Victor Henderson took up his post as HM Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen in October 1997. There are no current plans for the succession to him.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for the post of Consul-General in New York were from ethnic minorities; and how many ethnic minority candidates were interviewed. [77756]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Of the 168 applications for the position of Director-General Trade and Investment, and Consul-General New York, seven declared themselves to be from a minority ethnic background. None of the six candidates interviewed declared themselves to be from a minority ethnic background.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people applied for the post of consul-general in New York and how many applicants came from (a) private sector and (b) public sector backgrounds. [77753]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Of the 168 applicants for the position of Director-General Trade and Investment US, the Consul-General New York, 156 were from the private sector and 12 were from the public sector.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the remit and
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powers of (a) the European Community Court of Justice in Luxembourg and (b) the Court in Strasbourg relating to the European Convention of Human Rights. [77612]
Ms Quin:
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has a general responsibility under Article 31 of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty, Article 164 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC) and Article 136 of the Euratom Treaty, to ensure that in the interpretation and application of these treaties the law is observed.
The ECJ's jurisdiction is laid in the treaties, in particular Articles 169-188 of the EC Treaty, Articles 33-45 of the ECSC Treaty, 141-160 of the Euratom Treaty and Article L of the Treaty on European Union.
The European Court of Human Rights is a key instrument in enforcing the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court is a judicial body and it produces final and binding decisions. Petitions to the Court may be made by any person, group of people, or non-governmental organisation claiming to be a victim of a violation of one of the Convention's rights.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United Nations to ask (a) Secretary General Kofi Annan and (b) the Executive Chairman of Unscom what information has been made available to the office of (i) the Secretary General and (ii) Unscom in respect of allegations of the United States using Unscom as a cover for signals intelligence operations in Iraq. [78155]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 8 March 1999, Official Report, column 15 and the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 181. We are in regular touch with both the UN Secretary-General and the Executive Chairman of UNSCOM on many aspects of UNSCOM's work.
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants saw the European Scrutiny Committee questions brief in advance of the appearance of the Minister of State before the committee on 25 November. [77851]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 19 March 1999]: It has been common but not universal practice, over a long period, for Committees to agree to give officials an indication of the broad areas they intend to cover at the hearing to ensure that the evidence session is as effective and productive as possible. I was informed of the likely areas of questioning in advance of the Committee hearing on 25 November.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will
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make a statement on the steps taken by the European Union to adopt an arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea. [78414]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Following a UK proposal, the European Union adopted a mandatory arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea at the EU Finance Ministers Council on 15 March 1999.
Following adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1227 on 10 February 1999, which urged UN member states to end immediately all sales of arms and munitions to Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Government took immediate steps to ban exports from the UK to Ethiopia and Eritrea of all goods and technology on the Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended. Details were reported to Parliament on 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 582. The national measures necessary to implement the EU arms embargo were therefore already in place when the EU embargo was adopted.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be issuing a press release on the EU embargo and has issued guidance to Departments in London, Posts overseas and other Whitehall Departments. An updated version of the list of all UK policy commitments on the application of strategic export controls, including arms embargoes, will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the current conflict in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [78034]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea resumed on 6 February, with subsequent violation of the air moratorium. We made clear our strong opposition to this resort to war. We supported UN Security Council resolution 1227 of 10 February, which demanded a cessation of hostilities and a resumption of diplomatic negotiations; reaffirmed support for the OAU Framework Agreement; and called for a voluntary arms embargo. I announced on 15 February 1999, Official Report, column 582, that the United Kingdom had implemented the arms embargo.
(2) what reports the British Embassy in Caracas has received concerning the possible transfer of James Miles and Paul Loseby. [76422]
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