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Von Weizsacker-Dehaene-Simon Group
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations took place with Her Majesty's Government on behalf of the Von Weizsacker-Dehaene-Simon Group concerning the topics they covered in their recently published documents on Enlargement and Institutional Affairs of the European Union. [96505]
Mr. Vaz: Members of the Group were briefed on the UK's approach to institutional reform. However they sat on the Group in a personal capacity. Consequently the report represents their own views, not those of any national Government.
Burma
Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer of 21 October 1999, Official Report, column 633, what consular services have been provided to James Mawdsley and his family. [96499]
Mr. Hain: Embassy staff have visited James twice since his arrest and taken him soap, vitamins, food, letters, books and other items. The Embassy and our Consular Division in London have been in close contact with James's family. The Embassy has made numerous requests for permission for his mother to visit him. The Burmese have now agreed to this.
Caucasus
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support proposals for a special conference on security in the Caucasus region under the auspices of the OSCE. [96428]
Mr. Vaz: We are committed to supporting existing efforts to promote security in the Caucasus, including the involvement of the OSCE in helping to resolve the conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia and, in support of the UN, over Abkhazia. We expect these issues to be discussed at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul, as well as the situation in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya. We believe there may be a role for the OSCE in seeking a resolution to the conflict in Chechnya. But we are not aware of proposals for a special OSCE conference on security in the Caucasus more broadly.
Chechnya
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the security situation in Chechnya and the Caucasus will be discussed at the OSCE meeting of Heads of State at Istanbul, on 18 to 19 November. [96427]
3 Nov 1999 : Column: 186
Mr. Vaz:
We remain deeply concerned about the situation in Chechnya, and reported civilian casualties. We expect the conflicts in Chechnya and the South Caucasus to be discussed at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul, and hope that the discussion will contribute to security in the region.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long a person applying for entry clearance for settlement in June, July and August can be expected to have to wait for an interview in each queue at each post in the Indian subcontinent. [96617]
| Post | Queue | June | July | August |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | ||||
| Bombay | Q1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | |
| Q3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |
| (3)Q4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |
| Calcutta | (4)-- | 0.4 | 1 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | ||||
| Colombo | (4)-- | 12 | 11 | 9 |
(3) Re-applicants
(4) Calcutta, Colombo, Karachi and Madras do not operate separate queues
The extended queues in Islamabad and Dhaka in particular are a consequence of seasonal pressures. We have deployed additional staff to Islamabad to deal with increased applications for short term visits.
United Nations
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the UK Government's financial contribution to the United Nations' (a) staffing and (b) volunteer programmes for each of the past 10 years. [96652]
Mr. Hain: Staffing costs account for approximately 70 per cent. of UN Regular Budget expenditure. The UK's mandatory contributions for 1990-99 to the Regular Budget are listed in the table. UK contributions to other UN funds and programmes, specialised agencies and peacekeeping and humanitarian operations also cover staffing costs.
| US$000 | |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 38,436 |
| 1991 | 44,776 |
| 1992 | 49,438 |
| 1993 | 51,230 |
| 1994 | 51,068 |
| 1995 | 57,589 |
| 1996 | 58,106 |
| 1997 | 56,662 |
| 1998 | 53,890 |
| 1999 | 52,890 |
3 Nov 1999 : Column: 187
| UK financial years | £000 |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 27,017 |
| 1991-92 | 28,890 |
| 1992-93 | 30,104 |
| 1993-94 | 31,235 |
| 1994-95 | 28,212 |
| 1995-96 | 26,031 |
| 1996-97 | 29,000 |
| 1997-98 | 22,602 |
| 1998-99 | 30,850 |
| 1999-2000 | 35,817 |
Ibiza
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were arrested in Ibiza for (a) possession of and (b) dealing in drugs in each of the last five years. [96626]
Mr. Hain: We do not record separately details of British nationals arrested in Ibiza for possession of drugs and those arrested for dealing in drugs.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 68 |
| 1996 | 18 |
| 1997 | 57 |
| 1998 | 30 |
| 1999 | 46 |
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were arrested and for what categories of offences during 1999 in Ibiza. [96625]
Mr. Hain: On 28 October 1999, our records showed that 162 British nationals had been detained in Ibiza this year. The offences range from violence to drink driving, drugs, damages, fraud and theft.
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were involved in drug-related medical emergencies in Ibiza during each of the past five years. [96624]
Mr. Hain: We do not record details of British nationals involved in drug-related medical emergencies in Ibiza. Spanish hospitals are not required to inform consulates when British Citizens are admitted for treatment.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens travelled to Ibiza during 1999. [96623]
3 Nov 1999 : Column: 188
Mr. Vaz:
As at 30 September 1999 approximately 651,834 British nationals are believed to have visited Ibiza during the year.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will be supporting the resolution at the UN General Assembly's First Committee on Disarmament and International Security entitled, "Towards a Nuclear Weapon Free World: the Need for a New Agenda"; and if he will make a statement. [96433]
Mr. Vaz:
As at last year, the New Agenda resolution contains many proposals we strongly support, but also a number we do not, including measures we examined in detail in the Strategic Defence Review, and concluded were incompatible with the maintenance of our minimum nuclear deterrent. We will therefore vote against the resolution as a whole.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Russian counterpart about that country's level of compliance with its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty; and if he will make a statement. [96925]
Mr. Vaz:
We attach great importance to compliance with the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty by all States party to it. Russian implementation of the Treaty is of major concern, and we have been pressing and will continue to press the Russians for action in areas where they are non-compliant. We have been taking this action both bilaterally and in multilateral forums, including in contacts in Vienna.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when Her Majesty's Government last made representations on behalf of the human rights of the Baha'is faith people of Iran; and if he will make a statement; [96980]
(3) when the Permanent Representative of the European Union last spoke on behalf of the human rights of the Baha'is people of Iran; and if he will make a statement. [96982]
Mr. Hain:
Iran is aware of our serious concern about the Baha'is. Persecution of individuals on religious grounds is totally unacceptable. We and our EU partners regularly press the Iranian authorities on this issue. I personally raised our concerns during a call by the Iranian Ambassador on 4 August. The EU regularly press the Iranian authorities over the plight of the Baha'is, most recently the Germany Presidency did so at the latest EU/Iran talks in May. I assured Barnabas Leith, Secretary General of the UK Baha'is Community of our continue support when we met on 18 October.
3 Nov 1999 : Column: 189
(2) when the Permanent Representative of the United Nations last spoke on behalf of the human rights of the Baha'is faith people of Iran; and if he will make a statement; [96983]
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