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Burma
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the proposed anti-Government demonstrations in Burma on 9 September. [93045]
Mr. Hoon:
We have not received any representations.
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 375
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations KFOR is undertaking on the involvement of Hashim Thaci in the murders of Ilir Kanushevci, Ahmet Krasniqi, Agim Ramadani and Sali Ceku; and if he intends to refer this investigation to the International War Crimes Tribunal. [92719]
Mr. Tony Lloyd
[holding answer 23 July 1999]: I shall reply to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest between Lord Levy's business interests and his mission as an envoy for his Department. [93055]
Mr. Robin Cook
[holding answer 26 July 1999]: Any invitation to Lord Levy to deliver messages from the Prime Minister will have taken account of the need to avoid conflicts of interest. I understand from Lord Levy that he has no business interests in Syria or Jordan.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security clearance of Lord Levy. [93056]
Mr. Robin Cook
[holding answer 26 July 1999]: It is not the normal practice to comment on the security clearance of individuals.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) of 19 July 1999, Official Report, column 429, what plans his Department has to make a submission to the current MOX consultation. [93283]
Mr. Hoon:
We have no plans to make a submission.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the measures his Department takes to ensure that licensed goods are exported to the correct end-use destinations. [93511]
Mr. Tony Lloyd
[holding answer 26 July 1999]: In accordance with our national export licensing criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, when assessing relevant export licence applications we consider carefully whether there is a risk that the goods might be diverted or re-exported to an undesirable end-user.
All applications for Standard Individual Export Licences to export goods controlled for strategic reasons must be supported by appropriate End-User Undertakings, or, if the consignee is a Government body, a copy of the relevant part of the official purchase order or contract. We ask our overseas posts to carry out checks in cases where we wish to confirm the accuracy of the information contained in end-user documentation.
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 376
Ann Keen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Wilton Park Executive Agency performed against the targets agreed for 1998-99; and what are the agreed targets for the current year. [93803]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
Wilton Park exceeded all four of the agreed targets set for the 1998-99 financial year, for the number of conference participants, income, cost recovery and cost per head to the FCO overall.
| 1998-99 Targets: | |
|---|---|
| Income | £2,051K |
| Recovery of cost | 81% |
| Number of Wilton Park conference participants | 2,000 |
| Cost to FCO per conference participant | £240 |
The following key targets have been agreed for the financial year 1999-2000:
| 1999-2000 Targets: | |
|---|---|
| To increase overall income to | £2,182K |
| To maintain cost recovery at | 82.5% |
| To maintain the target for the overall number of Wilton Park conference participants at | 2,000 |
| To achieve an average cost to the FCO of each participant of | £232 |
Entry Clearance Interviews
Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which post will be used as a trial for the tape recording of entry clearance interviews, as recommended in the Fourth report on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Session 1997-98 (HC 515). [93806]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The entry clearance section at the British Deputy High Commission in Bombay will undertake this trial. The trial will run for a three month period from August until October this year. A further three months will be set aside to allow applicants time to register any observations arising from the trial. An evaluation of the trial should therefore be completed in February 2000.
Gracko
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the killing of 14 Serbs at Gracko, Kosovo, on 23 July. [93808]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: We wholeheartedly condemn this massacre and strongly endorse the statement made yesterday by the President of the UN Security Council expressing shock and concern, calling for a speedy and thorough investigation to bring to justice those responsible, and expressing the Security Council's support for the efforts of KFOR and UNMIK to ensure peace and security for all the inhabitants of Kosovo.
UK members of KFOR are taking the lead in the investigation and we will do all we can to assist KFOR, UNMIK and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in their investigations.
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 377
With our partners in KFOR and UNMIK, we are committed to a democratic, multi-ethnic and peaceful Kosovo. Our aim is for Kosovo Serbs to stay in Kosovo, and for those who have left to return.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work has been undertaken by the OECD to ensure the millennium- readiness of the critical computer systems of member states and for the global economy; and if he will make a statement. [93531]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I shall reply to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment. [93460]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I shall reply to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional disaggregated information he plans to include in future strategic export control annual reports. [93524]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
We are considering the format and contents of future annual reports on strategic export controls in the light of responses to the first.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the United Kingdom sponsored draft UN resolution on possible criteria for suspension of sanctions against Iraq. [93512]
Mr. Hoon:
The UK draft Security Council resolution provides for the suspension of the restrictions on exports from Iraq, if Iraq co-operates with a new disarmament mechanism for a sustained period and if Iraq completes key remaining disarmament tasks, to be identified by UNSCOM's successor. Suspension would end immediately if Iraq ceased co-operation, or was found to be reconstituting its weapons of mass destruction programmes. Discussions are continuing within the Council on the draft resolution.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will propose the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry at the General Assembly of the United Nations to investigate the crimes of Saddam Hussein. [93513]
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 378
Mr. Hoon:
The Government support those who are working to bring Saddam Hussein and members of his regime to justice for the crimes they have committed. We applaud the work of the organisation INDICT in this regard.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek the extradition of a responsible member of the Iraqi regime from a third country to face charges under the Genocide Act 1969 for persecution of the Kurds of Northern Iraq and the Marsh Arabs of Southern Iraq. [93510]
Mr. Hoon:
While the Government would wish to see members of the Iraqi regime brought to justice for the appalling crimes they have committed, under the Genocide Act 1969, the Government do not have the right to prosecute individuals for crimes committed beyond the limits of national territory.
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