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Prevention of Terrorism
(Temporary Provisions) Act
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Attorney-General on what date his Department was first informed that Parts IVA and IVB of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 were no longer in force. [88798]
The Attorney-General: As is now known, a lawyer in my office read an article in Criminal Law Week suggesting that the provisions were not in force. This was drawn to the attention of the Home Office and following a request for advice I reached the view on 17 June that Parts IVA and IVB of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 were no longer in force.
NORTHERN IRELAND
RUC (Portadown)
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the distance between Portadown RUC station and the location of the attack on 27 April 1997 on the late Robert Hamill. [85502]
Mr. Ingram: The RUC have advised that the distance a person would have to travel between these locations is around 250m.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were on duty within Portadown RUC Sub- Division between 11 pm on Saturday 26 April 1997 and 4 am on Sunday 27 April 1997. [85501]
Mr. Ingram:
The RUC have advised that there were 19 police officers on duty in Portadown Sub-Division between 11.00 pm on Saturday 26 April 1997 and 4.00 am on Sunday 27 April 1997.
28 Jun 1999 : Column: 16
Mr. Moss:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on her review of the operations to locate the disappeared in Northern Ireland. [88335]
Mr. Ingram:
The Agreement between the United Kingdom and Irish Governments signed on 27 April includes a formal reporting mechanism. The Agreement requires the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains to report to both Governments on its activities no later than one year after its establishment and annually thereafter. Through that formal mechanism, the two Governments will be in a position to review the operation of the Commission's activities. At this time, developments at the search sites are being followed with close interest and we continue to hope that the remains of the victims will be located.
Mr. MacKay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to replace the open provision juvenile justice Provisions by a single closed provision at Lisnevin Centre; when she expects to announce her decision on the provision; and what assessment she has made of the option of retaining open provision facilities for children in the Province. [88467]
Mr. Ingram:
Following recent changes in the law relating to juvenile offenders, only the most serious or persistent offenders can be placed in custody. Most boys in custody are held in the only secure accommodation available--this is at Lisnevin. There has been a significant fall in the numbers in custody due to this legislation and also the introduction of a new determinate sentence and there is considerable spare capacity in the system. A review of the need for custodial places--both open and secure--is being carried out. The outcome of the review will be published in due course.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date her Department was first informed that Parts IVA and IVB of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 were no longer in force. [88800]
Mr. Ingram:
The Northern Ireland Office was first so informed on 21 June 1999.
(Temporary Provisions) Act
Millennium Compliance
42. Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the President of the Council what steps the Government are taking to inform the public on the principal issues relating to the millennium date change. [87242]
Mrs. Beckett:
As part of the Government's continuing public information programme, "The Millennium Bug--Facts Not Fiction" booklet has been produced and widely distributed earlier this month. The quarterly returns of Government Departments, agencies and key parts of the wider public sector are available too on the Internet, as is
28 Jun 1999 : Column: 17
the Government-commissioned tracking research of public perceptions of the Bug. Preparations across the national infrastructure are being brought together and disclosed through the National Infrastructure Forum.
44. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on arrangements for convening meetings of the Privy Council. [87244]
Mrs. Beckett:
The Queen normally holds a meeting of the Council every month except January, August and September. Additional Councils are convened if urgent business requires it.
EU Question Time
43. Mr. Bercow: To ask the President of the Council what plans she has to institute a separate ministerial question period for European Union matters. [87243]
Mr. Tipping: European Union matters feature in questions to virtually every Department and so are answered on the Floor of the House every sitting day. I do not think it would be either practical or desirable to confine such questions to a single, separate period or to create an additional period just for such questions.
Prevention of Terrorism
(Temporary Provisions) Act
Mr. Lidington: To ask the President of the Council on what date her Department was first informed that Parts IVA and IVB of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 were no longer in force. [88799]
Mrs. Beckett: On 18 June 1999.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Russian Military
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russian Federation Government concerning the level of civilian control over its military; and if he will make a statement. [88330]
Ms Quin: The Prime Minister discussed the rapid deployment of Russian paratroops to Pristina with Russian Prime Minister Stepashin at the G8 Cologne Summit on 18 June. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this incident with Foreign Minister Ivanov on 13 June. The Russians agreed that trust is important for closer co-operation between our forces on the ground in Kosovo. We have also supported training courses for the Russian military on civilian and democratic management of the armed forces.
Prevention of Terrorism
(Temporary Provisions) Act
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date his
28 Jun 1999 : Column: 18
Department was first informed that Parts IVA and IVB of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 were no longer in force. [88794]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The Home Office informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 21 June 1999.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning casualties from the conflict in Ethiopia and Eritrea. [88359]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have seen differing reports of casualties throughout the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We have no reliable figures, but estimate that total casualties are high on both sides: approximately 40,000 Ethiopian and 20,000 Eritrean.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Governments of (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea, concerning the conflict between the two countries. [88360]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We have always supported UN and OAU efforts to resolve the conflict. I discussed the issues with the OAU Secretary General on 28 May and with the UN Secretary General on 25 June. I have also discussed the war with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister and the Ambassadors of Ethiopia and Eritrea in recent months. Our message has been clear: both sides must stop fighting immediately and implement the OAU Framework peace proposals.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the meeting of the heads of seven African states in Pretoria on 17 June to discuss the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [88358]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Reports from the region reinforce our view that the meeting was a positive step in preparation for a regional summit scheduled to take place in Lusaka. If real progress is to be made there all parties will need to show the political will and commitment to achieve a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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