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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 24 June 1999
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Kosovo
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral Statement of 14 June 1999, Official Report, column 22-33, on Kosovo, what response he has received from Hashen Thaqi about ending violence in Kosovo. [87591]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: As the Prime Minister pointed out in his statement to the House on Kosovo on 21 June 1999, Official Report, columns 761-64, and at the G8 Summit, the KLA has now agreed an undertaking to demilitarise in phases over 90 days, beginning with an immediate ceasefire.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the gathering of evidence in Kosovo on behalf of the War Crimes Commission. [87875]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We are doing all we can to help ICTY investigate crimes against humanity in Kosovo. A UK Scenes of Crime team has been initially tasked by ICTY to examine sites of two of the worst atrocities thought to have taken place in Kosovo. The UK team was the first such team operating on the ground in Kosovo.
In April, we appointed a UK Kosovo war crimes co-ordinator who is responsible for ensuring that as much information as possible is passed to ICTY that might be relevant to the Tribunal's investigations.
We have contributed an extra £290,000 this year to ICTY in addition to the UK's assessed contribution of US$5.1 million.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will deposit in the Library documentation relating to the seminars provided by the European Commission to EU consumer organisations in November and December on training in important aspects of the transition to the euro, from the consumer's viewpoint; [87672]
(3) if he will make a statement on the nature of the project financed by the European Commission relating to vulnerable sectors of the population and preparation for the advent of the euro. [87659]
Ms Hewitt:
I have been asked to reply.
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These projects appear to be financed by the European Commission from the European Union Budget, line B3-306, Information Programme for European Citizens (Prince).
The Prince programme exists to stimulate public debate on the EMU. I understand that the Commission gave the European Trades Union Congress (ETUC) 200,000 euro under the Prince programme in 1997. ETUC distributed this money to the national trades union organisations. The money received by the TUC was used to help organise seven conferences aimed at stimulating public debate on the EMU.
The seminars for consumer organisations were also organised under the Prince programme.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 17 May 1999, Official Report, column 253, which special advisers visited the United States of America on 10 and 11 September 1997; and if he will list the meetings which these special advisers held with members and officials of the US Government during the visit, stating the dates and locations of each meeting and the names of the US ministers and officials at each meeting. [87414]
Mr. Byers:
My right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett), as the then President of the Board of Trade met Charlene Barshefsky (US Trade Representative), William Daley (US Commerce Secretary) and Elizabeth Moler (US Deputy Energy Secretary) during her visit to the United States of America in September 1997. She also participated in other meetings involving Senators and Congressmen. She was accompanied by her Special Adviser, Mr. Corry, at these meetings.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the tariffs imposed by the United States on European Union goods as a result of the banana dispute. [87506]
Mr. Wilson:
The point at issue in this dispute is the compatibility of the EU's banana import regime with the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
This regime was revised during 1998 to take account of the earlier adverse WTO rulings, but the WTO Panel ruled on 12 April that the revised regime is still not fully WTO-compliant. In addition, the WTO arbitrator determined that the annual loss to the US from the current regime is $191.4 million. On 19 April, the US was given formal WTO authority to retaliate up to that level.
The US issued a revised retaliation list on 9 April removing several sectors which had been included on an earlier list. Whilst this scaling down was welcome, we remain acutely aware that many UK businesses are adversely affected by the retaliation still in effect.
We are continuing to make representations to the US about the harm which is being caused to UK businesses in the affected sectors.
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We are also continuing to press for the EU to work with the US and other interested parties to achieve an early end to this unnecessary damage to business. We are pressing for further intensive consultations with all the parties involved on the options for reforming the banana regime, in order to make it unambiguously compatible with the WTO.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letter of 18 May from Rosemary Maddock of Highclere, Slapton, near Kingsbridge, Devon, about a former employee of Anchorpac Ltd. [87986]
Mr. Wills:
I understand that a reply was sent by an Official in the Employments Relations Directorate on 23 June.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the security force helicopters operating in the Ashgrove area of Lurgan on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 March were equipped with still or video cameras; and if photographs or video footage from them has been made available to the policy inquiry team investigating the murder of Rosemary Nelson. [86174]
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Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 8 June 1999]: All matters of security force activity in this area over the period of 12-15 March are the subject of major lines of inquiry for Mr. Port's continuing investigation. It is not, therefore, appropriate to go into detail at this stage. However, he has access to all the available information, in whatever form.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many weapons and of what calibre were collected during the 1971 weapons amnesty; and how those weapons were disposed of. [87154]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 16 June 1999]: The Northern Ireland Office does not hold the information in the form requested. I understand, however, that a total of 1,619 firearms and 99,440 rounds of ammunition were handed in.
Mr. Thompson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for each (a) controlled, (b) maintained, (c) integrated and (d) voluntary sector school in each Education and Library Board area the number of, and the expenditure on, PEAG places for the school year 1998-99. [87674]
Mr. McFall:
Under 1998-99 Pre-school Education Development Plans, my Department approved the establishment of new statutory nursery units at the following schools.
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(2) if he will make a statement on the (a) nature and (b) cost of the assistance supplied by the European Commission to the TUC to encourage public debate on EMU; [87686]
| School | Education and Library Board area | Management Type | Capital cost (£000) | Number of part-time places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harryville Primary School, Ballymena | North Eastern | Controlled | 80 | 52 |
| St. Joseph's Primary School, Crumlin | North Eastern | Maintained | 60 | 52 |
| Bloomfield Road Primary School, Bangor | South Eastern | Controlled | 90 | 52 |
| Abbey Primary School, Newtownards | South Eastern | Controlled | 70 | 52 |
| St. Aloysius' Primary School, Lisburn | South Eastern | Maintained | 90 | 52 |
| Craigavon Primary School, Gilford(1) | Southern | Controlled | 20 | 12 |
| St. Clare's/St. Colman's Abbey Primary School, Newry | Southern | Maintained | 55 | 52 |
| Ballykelly Primary School | Western | Controlled | 66 | 52 |
(1) This is an extension to an existing nursery unit
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FE Lecturers (Conditions of Service)
Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if lecturers in Northern Ireland further education colleges prior to April 1993 were employed on conditions of service similar to the Silver Book agreement in England. [87785]
Mr. McFall: Yes, subject to minor regional variations.
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