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El Shifa Factory
21. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his American counterparts concerning the American Government's decision to withdraw from legal proceedings against Mr. Idris relating to the bombing of the El Shifa factory. [83520]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The US decision to lift its block on Salah Idris' assets is a matter for the US authorities. Her Majesty's Government have not taken action against Mr. Idris, nor has it made any allegations against him. We have not therefore discussed the issue with the US Government.
Tibet
23. Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government about the continuing imprisonment of the Tibetan nun Ngawang Sangdrol; and what prospects there are for her release. [83522]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We are deeply concerned about the well-being of Ngawang Sangdrol, and others imprisoned in Tibet. Her name is on a list of individual cases which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised with Chinese leaders in October last year, and on an EU list of individual cases which was presented to the Chinese authorities on 7 May 1999. We will continue to raise her case with the Chinese authorities, both bilaterally and through the EU, and to press for her release.
Albania
24. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about relations with Albania. [83523]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty), Official Report, column 871.
Balkans
25. Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the refugee position in the Balkans. [83524]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has estimated that ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia had resulted in some 1.7 million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons by the end of 1998. Milosevic's latest actions have added to this grim total. Some 743,000 Kosovo Albanians are now
18 May 1999 : Column: 329
refugees in the region. Over 50,000 have been airlifted out of the region. Many more are displaced inside Kosovo, facing great hardship.
Milosevic is directly responsible for this latest tragedy. NATO action will not cease until we are satisfied that all Kosovo Albanians will be able to return in safety to their homes. This can be guaranteed only by an international military presence
Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in resolving the dispute with Serbia. [83504]
Mr. Robin Cook:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), Official Report, column 863.
26. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the preparations for the enlargement of the European Union with regard to the reform of the European structural policy. [83525]
Ms Quin:
Reforms to the structural and cohesion funds were agreed at the Berlin European Council on 24-25 March. These reforms were part of a consolidated effort to bring EU spending under stricter control to prepare the European Union for enlargement. Enlargement will not require an increase to the Own Resources ceiling (1.27 per cent.) of Community GNP. Despite that, substantial funds will be available to provide assistance during the financing period 2000-06 to applicants for membership, before and after accession.
27. Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made in improving and updating the 1995 aims and objectives of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. [83526]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Preparatory Committee for the NPT 2000 Review Conference is currently meeting in New York. The Principles and Objectives adopted at the 1995 Conference will be discussed both at PrepCom and RevCon.
28. Mr. David Heath:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of Iraq. [83527]
Mr. Hoon:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. Clapham), Official Report, column 855.
30. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the NATO countries concerning the future of Kosovo as an independent state after the end of the hostilities; and if he will make a statement. [83529]
18 May 1999 : Column: 330
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We are in frequent contact with NATO counterparts about finding a peaceful solution to the Kosovo crisis on the basis of the G8 principles. We respect the territorial integrity of all countries in the region and it has never been part of our objectives to create new independent states.
The statement on Kosovo issued at the NATO Summit in Washington on 23 April called on President Milosevic to provide credible assurance of his willingness to work for a political framework agreement based on the Rambouillet Accords. But given what the Kosovo Albanians have suffered, we are now proposing a much stronger role for the international community in the civil administration of Kosovo.
33. Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the priorities for his policy relating to Brazil. [83532]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have excellent bilateral relations with Brazil, which is our biggest market in Latin America. We are committed to strengthening our commercial and political links in line with the priorities set out in the bilateral action plan signed by the Prime Minister and President Cardoso during the President's State Visit to the UK in December 1997.
34. Mr. Soley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's discussions with Russia on closer co-operation with the International Criminal Court. [83533]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We welcome the fact that Russia voted in favour of the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. We are working closely with the Russians and others at the Preparatory Commission for the ICC.
35. Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proliferation risks of exporting MOX fuel. [83534]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Government are satisfied that the export of Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) from EU suppliers to Japan poses no unacceptable risk to the proliferation of nuclear materials. The UK's international nuclear trade, including the export of MOX fuel, is undertaken strictly within the terms of international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation, safeguards and physical protection and is entirely consistent with the UK's obligations in these areas.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with Malta. [83528]
18 May 1999 : Column: 331
Ms Quin:
Our relations with Malta are excellent. We have continued to build on the longstanding and close links the UK enjoys with Malta across a wide range of issues.
I visited Malta on 4-5 May and had discussions on bilateral and European issues with representatives of the government, of the opposition and others, including business and economic interests.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) of 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 35, if he will list the provisions in international law which make military intervention legally justifiable. [83547]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The United Nations Charter preserves the right of a state or group of states to use force in self-defence in accordance with Article 51; the Charter also allows the use of force under the authorisation of the Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the Charter. Cases have also arisen, as in Kosovo, when in the light of all the circumstances the use of force is justifiable in support of purposes laid down by the Security Council when that was the only means to avert an immediate and overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe.
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