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European Scrutiny Committee
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 his Department has made available to the European Scrutiny Committee (1) Council working documents; [80547]
- (2) unofficial texts of draft European legislation. [80550]
Mr. Wilson
[holding answer 13 April 1999]: The Department receives a large volume of both official and unofficial/working texts during the course of negotiations on EU legislation. In order to facilitate the work of the European Scrutiny Committee and keep it informed of the progress of negotiations, the Department regularly submits Explanatory Memoranda to the Committee. It would involve disproportionate cost to provide a definitive list of the unofficial/working documents made available to the Committee since 1 May.
20 Apr 1999 : Column: 506
European Council
14. Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Berlin European Council. [79958]
Mr. Robin Cook: At Berlin, we won a good deal for Britain.
For the first time, spending on the existing member states has been brought under strict control, with a lower ceiling for spending in the existing member states in 2006 than in 2000.
On agriculture, price cuts were agreed to bring milk, cereals and beef prices closer to world prices. A British family of four will benefit by £65 a year.
We won a good deal for UK regions.
The proportion of the UK living in regions covered by Objective 1 will increase by two-thirds and include for the first time Cornwall, West Wales & the Valleys and South Yorkshire.
And we have preserved the British abatement.
15. Dr. Palmer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Kosovo. [79959]
Mr. Robin Cook:
I discussed developments in Kosovo with European counterparts at a Special General Affairs Council on 8 April. I am in regular contact with them, given the very grave nature of the situation in Kosovo.
Kosovo was also the main topic of discussion amongst EU Heads of Government at the European Council on 14 April.
28. Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Foreign Minister of Russia regarding the situation in Kosovo. [79974]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been in regular contact with the Foreign Minister of Russia, Mr. Ivanov. He last spoke to him on 15 April.
35. Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet European counterparts to discuss developments in Kosovo. [79981]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King), Official Report, column 679.
18. Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to make a statement on the Armenian genocide. [79964]
20 Apr 1999 : Column: 507
Ms Quin:
The British Government condemned the massacres of Armenians in Eastern Anatolia in 1915-16 at the time, and views the sufferings of the Armenian people then as a tragedy of historic proportions. But the British Government have not recognised the events of 1915-16 as a "genocide" a term which did not exist at the time and has no plans to make a statement.
22. Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new steps he is taking to improve communication between the national parliaments of Europe. [79968]
Ms Quin:
The Government strongly support improvements in communication between the national parliaments of Europe and between Westminster and the European Parliament.
In particular, the Government have recently extended the scheme which enables MPs to visit EU institutions so that it now includes visits to national parliaments of EU Member States. Such visits will complement the step change initiative which the Government have instigated in relations with our European partners.
In addition, our European embassies regularly advise and make arrangements for UK parliamentarians and Select Committees who wish to make contact with national parliamentarians across Europe.
The entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, with the Protocol on National Parliaments, on 1 May will further enhance the role of national parliaments in the EU.
Closer links between national parliaments improve knowledge and awareness of European issues in Westminster and enable Westminster's views to be heard more clearly across Europe.
24. Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK relations with Pakistan. [79970]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The United Kingdom relations with Pakistan are long-standing and friendly. We have a continuing dialogue on a variety of issues of mutual concern.
25. Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the negotiations on Agenda 2000 relating to enlargement. [79971]
Ms Quin:
The settlement reached at Berlin on Agenda 2000 provides for the costs of enlargement to be met within the existing 1.27 per cent. GNP Own Resources ceiling. It therefore paves the way for enlargement. Substantial funds will be available to help prepare applicant counties for accession and to provide assistance after they join--£14.6 million (21.8 million euro) and £38.7 million (58.1 million euro) respectively over the next financing period 2000-06.
20 Apr 1999 : Column: 508
26. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Colombian Government with regard to displaced people. [79972]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The British Government take every opportunity to raise the issue of displaced people, and human rights in general, with the Colombian Government at senior level. I have raised these issues on both of my visits to Colombia and regularly raise them with the Colombian Ambassador in London.
27. Mr. Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the action proposed to be taken by the European Union as a result of the declaration on the middle east peace process at the Berlin European Council. [79973]
29. Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the EU in assisting a negotiated settlement in the middle east. [79975]
33. Mr. Burden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the declaration on the middle east peace process at the Berlin summit. [79979]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Mrs. Cryer), Official Report, column 690.
30. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answer of 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 869-70, on Iraq, if he will define the humanitarian objectives of the no-fly zones. [79976]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
As my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow is aware from the answer given to his question on 18 March 1999, Official Report, column 764, by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), the No-Fly Zones were established in response to a situation of overwhelming humanitarian necessity. Coalition aircraft patrol the No-Fly Zones in support of SCR 688 which called on Iraq to end the repression of its civilian population. The humanitarian objective is therefore to limit this repression as far as possible. This remains a vital task. as the latest report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights makes clear, the Iraqi security services continue to persecute opponents of the regime on the ground. Without our continued presence in the No-Fly Zones, they would be free to do so from the air as well. With past atrocities committed by Iraqi forces in mind, including the chemical weapons attack on the Kurds in Halabjah, we are not prepared to countenance that.
20 Apr 1999 : Column: 509
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the sanctions imposed by the international community on Iraq have affected the supply of radioactive isotopes for the treatment of cancer there. [80161]
Mr. Fatchett:
We are not aware that sanctions have affected the supply of radioactive isotopes for the treatment of cancer in Iraq. Radioactive isotopes are included on the distribution plan for the present phase of the UN "oil for food" programme. We are not aware that any contracts for these isotopes have been put on hold or blocked in the UN Sanctions Committee.
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