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Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 27 April, ref. GU10051886. [86401]
Mr. Hoon: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs wrote to my hon. Friend today.
MOX Fuel Shipments
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by Caribbean states over the proposed shipment of MOX fuel to Japan. [86739]
Mr. Hoon: I am aware of the interest of Caribbean states on this issue, which the Government take very seriously.
I have received a letter from the High Commissioner of the Bahamas on behalf of his Commonwealth Caribbean colleagues requesting a meeting to discuss this issue. Arrangements are in hand to hold such a meeting.
China
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the membership and functions of the United Kingdom/China Forum. [85835]
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Mr. Hoon:
The UK/China Forum is a non- governmental organisation of senior British and Chinese individuals from the worlds of politics, business, administration, academia, the media and the arts, whose purpose is to promote contacts at all levels between Britain and China and develop initiatives to build stronger links in areas where better contact will bring mutual benefit to both sides. The Forum will meet yearly.
The British members of the Forum are:
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage men and women with engineering qualifications to enter the Diplomatic Service. [86163]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The FCO encourages a diverse range of candidates to apply to join the Diplomatic Service, so that the FCO is representative of the best of modern Britain. Applicants can have degrees in any discipline, so men and women with engineering degrees are encouraged
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to apply. We aim to visit each UK University every 4 to 5 years, which brings us into contact with graduates studying the whole spectrum of subjects, including engineering.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ambassadors are chartered engineers. [86162]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Senior Management Structure of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office includes one officer who has qualified as a Chartered Engineer. No current Ambassador has this qualification.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will account for the delay in replying to the questions from the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border, 19 May 1999, Official Report, columns 349-50, [84699 and 84697]; and if a provisional agenda was available at the time of the holding answers. [85631]
Ms Quin:
Holding replies were given to these questions as the Minister was overseas. The substantive answers were given the following day.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he is proposing to make to the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Welsh Office and the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales for the current financial year. [87029]
Mr. Michael:
Subject to Parliament's approval of the related Revised Estimate, the Welsh Office Departmental Expenditure Limit for 1999-2000 will be increased by £30,800,000 from £7,061,717,000 to £7,092,517,000, including a transfer from the Department for Education and Employment Class I, Vote 1 to take account of the change to student support arrangements following the Dearing Review of higher education.
The increase will be offset by a transfer and will not add to the overall level of planned total public expenditure.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations were undertaken with fishing organisations in advance of the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999. [85527]
Mr. Macdonald:
A press release was issued at the time the draft order was laid, on 8 March 1999. All fishing organisations were therefore able to comment on the draft Order between that date and the Order being approved by the Privy Council on 13 April 1999. None did so.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what rights in respect of consultation are available to Scottish fishermen operating in the areas of
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sea, responsibility for which is transferred by the Scottish Adjacent Water Boundaries Order 1999 with regard to oil, gas and other subsea operations. [85531]
Mr. Macdonald:
Under the Petroleum Act 1998, the Department of Trade and Industry is required in considering various oil and gas activities to have regard to the implications for other users of the sea including the fishing industry. Historically there has been appropriate consultation with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry through the Scottish Office. These consultation arrangements will continue through the Scottish Executive.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the impact on activities of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency of the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999. [85529]
Mr. Macdonald:
Officers of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) remain British Sea Fisheries Officers and, as such, will be empowered to operate anywhere within British fisheries limits. In practice, SFPA vessels will patrol down to the new median line, but they will have powers of pursuit outwith the Scottish zone.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the reallocation of responsibilities between the United Kingdom Parliament and the Scottish Parliament as a result of the Scottish Adjacent Water Boundaries Order 1999. [85528]
Mr. Macdonald:
The Order makes statutory provision for the first time for a Scottish zone of British fisheries limits. By doing so it helps define the functions of Scottish Ministers and the responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament. Responsibility for the regulation of sea fisheries issues, including measures implemented under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), will be devolved to the new Scottish Parliament within the zone, and in respect of Scottish boats outwith the zone.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement setting out the effects on the jurisdiction of the Scottish courts for waters in the area of sea transferred by the Scottish Adjacent Water Boundaries Order 1999. [85530]
Mr. Macdonald:
It remains possible for prosecutions for most alleged offences to be taken anywhere in the UK. The current practice is normally to refer the prosecution case folder to the nearest court to where the offence took place. This is likely to continue to be the case.
Right hon. Michael Heseltine PC MP, Chairman; Dr. Chris Gamble (Director, Royal Institute of International Affairs), Executive Chair; Professor David Wall (Head, Asia Programme, Royal Institute of International Affairs), Secretary General; Mr. David Brewer (Chairman, Great Britain China Centre and Chairman, British Invisibles); Sir Charles Powell (President, China Britain Business Council); Sir Len Appleyard (Vice Chairman, Barclays Capital); Mr. Martin Broughton (Chairman, Chatham House China Task Force); Mr. Ben Chapman MP (Chairman, All-Party Parliamentary Group on China); Sir William Purves; Sir Patrick Gillam (Chairman, Standard Chartered Bank); Mr. Bob Mendelsohn (Group Chief Executive, Royal and Sun Alliance); Mr. Win Bischoff (Chairman, J. H. Schroder and Co. Ltd.); Sir John Jennings; Sir Ralph Robins (Chairman, Rolls Royce); Mr. Niall Fitzgerald (Chairman, Unilever); Mr. David John (Chairman, BOC); Baroness Kennedy (Chair, British Council); Lord Puttnam (Chairman, Enigma Productions); Sir Crispin Tickell; Mr. Giles Henderson (Senior Partner, Slaughter and May) and Mr. Richard Lambert (Editor, Financial Times).
The Chinese members of the Forum are:
Mr. Song Jian (Vice Chairman, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Chairman; Mr. Mei Zhaorong (President, People's Institute of Foreign Affairs), Executive Chairman; Mr. Xin Futan (Vice President, People's Institute of Foreign Affairs), Secretary General; Mr. Yao Zhenyan (Chairman, China-UK Group, National People's Congress); Mr. Qu Geping (Chairman, Environmental Protection Committee, National People's Congress); Mr. Xie Anshan (Member, National People's Congress Standing Committee and Legal Committee); Mr. Chen Yuan (Governor, State Development Bank); Mr. Wang Xuebing (Governor, Bank of China); Mr. Wu Chunhe (Editor-in-Chief, Economic Daily); Mr. Wang Jiming (Vice President, China Petrochemical Group); Mr. Tu Guangshao (General Manager, Shanghai Stock Exchange); Mr. Chen Zhongbiao (Chairman, China Overseas Shipping Company Group); Mr. Feng Xiaozeng (Vice Chairman, State Insurance Regulatory Committee); Mr. An Chengxin (Vice President, Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade); Mr. Yao Jinrong (Deputy General Manager, China International Trust and Investment Corporation); Mr. Zhang Yanzhong (Deputy General Manager, China Aviation Industry Corporation); Mr. Wang Ren (Vice President, China Academy of Agriculture); Mr. Lin Jintong (President, Beijing Post and Telecommunications University); Mr. Wang Xuan (President, Research Institute of Founder Group of Peking University); Mr. Yang Qixian (Vice President, China Society of Economic Reform) and Mr. Li Gang (Director-General, Liaison Department, Ministry of Culture).
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