| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
European Commission
Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the Government's policy that the President of the European Commission should be granted the authority to appoint, dismiss, and reshuffle commissioners. [95214]
Mr. Vaz: We support the process of reform in the new Commission. This is necessary following the events which led to the resignation of the Commission earlier this year. Next year's IGC is likely to consider Treaty provisions on appointment and dismissal of Commissioners.
EU Treaties
Mr. Cash:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of granting the European Commission the authority to draft new European Union treaties. [94900]
27 Oct 1999 : Column: 916
Mr. Vaz:
The Treaty sets out the Commission's role with respect to intergovernmental conferences. The Commission may make proposals to the IGC, but decisions are taken by the member states. We see no reason to change this.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government take to ensure that financial aid to Tunisia under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement is not used to fund the Tunisian state security apparatus. [95094]
Mr. Vaz:
Financial aid under the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement is administered by the European Commission which is responsible for ensuring that these funds are used to further the goals of the Agreement: the establishment of an area of peace and stability; shared prosperity; and partnership in human, social and cultural affairs. We monitor the use of these funds through our membership of the Med Committee established under the Agreement.
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on plans to change arrangements for dealing with representations from hon. Members on consular matters. [94915]
Mr. Vaz:
It is the practice of hon. Members wishing to raise consular matters with the Foreign Secretary to write to him or to a Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, is responsible for consular matters. There are no plans to change these arrangements.
Responsibility for representations on visa matters rests with me. I am currently reviewing the procedures for dealing with representations concerning visas. The objective will be to provide an efficient system to enable hon. Members to assist their constituents. All correspondence should in the first instance be sent to the Migration and Visa Correspondence Unit at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1 Palace Street, (Room 4.3.5) London, SW1 5HE.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange a comprehensive investigation into the complaints made by Mr. Mike Bingham, a resident at Stanley in the Falkland Islands as requested in his letter of 9 October in relation to the Governor's action in suspending Mr. Bingham's residency on 28 May 1998, and associated matters relating to his residency; and if he will make a statement. [95330]
Mr. Battle:
The Government are aware of the allegations made by Mr. Bingham against the Falkland Islands Government. We have consulted the Governor of the Falkland Islands who has investigated the matter thoroughly. We have no grounds to believe that there has been maladministration on the part of the Falkland Islands Government or the Royal Falkland Islands Police in their dealings with Mr. Bingham. Some of the matters raised
27 Oct 1999 : Column: 917
by Mr. Bingham are between himself and his former employer, Falklands Conservation, which is entirely independent of the Falkland Islands Government.
Mr. Bingham already has a Residence Permit, valid until September 2000. It is his application for a Permanent Residence Permit which is under review. This process has been complicated by the various legal difficulties to which Mr. Bingham has been subject. The Governor is satisfied that the Falkland Islands Executive Council has handled the consideration of Mr. Bingham's applications for permanent residence status properly and impartially.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the UK will ratify the statute of the International Criminal Court. [95476]
Mr. Hain:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 26 October 1999, Official Report, column 805.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report those countries which have (a) signed and (b) ratified the International Criminal Court Treaty. [95420]
Mr. Hain:
Eighty-nine States have signed the Intentional Criminal Court Statute: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Eritrea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic), Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Samoa, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Four States have ratified the Statute: Italy, San Marino, Senegal and Trinidad and Tobago.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom Government intend to ratify the International Criminal Court Treaty. [95421]
Mr. Hain:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 26 October 1999, Official Report, column 805.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States Government on their failure to sign the International Criminal Court Treaty. [95422]
Mr. Hain:
The Secretary of State has frequently raised the International Criminal Court in contacts with the United States Government. In his talks with Mrs. Albright on 21 September in New York, he again urged the United States to sign the Statute.
27 Oct 1999 : Column: 918
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with the President of China during his visit to the United Kingdom on China's position concerning the International Criminal Court Treaty. [95423]
Mr. Battle:
The issue was not specifically raised during the visit. The Chinese Government are well aware of our strong position on the International Criminal Court.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chief Executive of Pakistan concerning (i) the restoration of democratic Government and (ii) his plans for those persons under house arrest. [95789]
Mr. Hain:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has called for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. He has also called on the new regime to respect the safety and legal rights of those arrested. The British High Commissioner in Islamabad reinforced these points on 15 October when he called on General Musharraf.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if during the visit to the United Kingdom by the President of China he raised with the President (a) the use of capital punishment in China and (b) the Chinese policy on compulsory abortion; and what replies he received. [95424]
Mr. Battle:
The use of capital punishment figures prominently in the human rights dialogues with the Chinese which we hold both bilaterally and with the EU. The Chinese Government are in no doubt about our strong opposition to the use of the death penalty. We have regularly raised our concerns about China's population policy in the EU and the bilateral human rights dialogues, and at higher levels. We believe that coercion has no place in family planning and our bilateral aid programme does not include funding for population programmes.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |