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Kosovo

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives Her Majesty's Government are taking to assist the restoration of municipal Government in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [97403]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 8 November 1999]: The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has responsibility for restoring municipal government in Kosovo. The United Kingdom is making a major contribution to UNMIK in terms of finance and personnel. One of the five UNMIK District Administrators in Kosovo is a British national. Four UK local government and two central government experts are working as part of the United Nations civil administration to advise and assist re-establishment of local government in Kosovo. One of the UK secondees, formerly involved in local government in Northern Ireland, has been appointed UN civil administrator for the city of Pristina.

Afghanistan

Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK will continue to impose an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the EU's Common Position of 17 December 1996. [98111]

9 Nov 1999 : Column: 484

Mr. Hain: We remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended.

Following consultations with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry has issued three licences for the export of mine clearance equipment for use by the United Nations and The Halo Trust to aid their demining activities in Afghanistan. The grant of these licences is for humanitarian purposes.

British Nationals (Overseas Trials)

Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of his Department in respect of British nationals on trial overseas. [98112]

Mr. Battle: I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the oral answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, North-East (Mr. White) on 2 November 1999, Official Report, column 80. The FCO takes no view as to the innocence or guilt of British nationals on trial overseas--that is a matter for the courts. International law does not allow the FCO to interfere in the judicial procedures of other sovereign states, just as we would not tolerate other countries interfering in our own judicial procedures.

The FCO therefore cannot intervene in the trials of British nationals overseas. However, the FCO will do everything it can to ensure that such nationals have access to legal representation, and insist that they are treated as well as nationals of the countries concerned.

Chinese President (State Visit)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) of 28 October 1999, Official Report, column 993, on the Chinese State visit, (a) for what reason no minutes were taken of these meetings and whether that is normal practice and (b) if he will name the officers from (i) the Metropolitan Police and (ii) the Cambridgeshire Constabulary who attended these meetings. [97508]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) on 4 November 1999, Official Report columns 271-72.

Drugs (Precursors)

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (i) he and (ii) his Department has had with the Governments of Peru and Colombia about the export of precursors to drugs; and if he will make a statement. [96497]

Mr. Battle: We share the increasing international concern about precursors. We have frequent exchanges with Peru and Colombia at Ministerial and official level on drugs issues. These cover all aspects of the problems which drugs present to our societies, including the problem of the diversion into drugs production of legitimately exported chemicals.

9 Nov 1999 : Column: 485

In 1995, the European Community signed agreements with Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela aimed at preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals.

UK law enforcement agencies work closely with their counterparts in other countries to counter such diversion.

Extradition

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to enter into bilateral agreements under Article 98 of the International Court Statute which would prevent the extradition of nationals to (a) the court and (b) a third country. [97828]

Mr. Hain: We have no plans to enter into new bilateral agreements which would prevent the surrender of British nationals to the International Criminal Court under Article 98 of the Court's Statute. Article 98 relates to surrender of persons to the International Criminal Court; it does not relate to extradition to a third country.

Entry Clearance (Subcontinent)

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]

Mr. Vaz [pursuant to his reply, 3 November 1999, c. 186]: An administrative error led to an omission in my answer of 3 November to my hon. Friend. The complete answer should read as follows.

The statistics are as follows:

Waiting times in weeks on last day of month

Post	Queue	June	July	August
India
Bombay	Q1	0	0	0
	Q2	6	5	4
	Q3	6	5	5
	Q4	6	5	5
Calcutta	(10)--	0.4	1	0
Madras	(10)--	8	4	3
New Delhi	Q1	0	0	0
	Q2	15	15	16
	Q3	27	26	23
	Q4	31	35	34
Pakistan
Islamabad	Q1	12	8	7
	Q2	43	40.5	39
	Q3	47	46	43
	Q4	56	54	51
Karachi	(10)--	8	10	9
Bangladesh
Dhaka	Q1	11	13	14
	Q2	22	20	21
	Q3	11	10	10
	Q4	52	44	46
Sri Lanka
Colombo	(10)--	12	11	9

(10) Calcutta, Colombo, Karachi and Madras do not operate separate queues.

Note:

Queue 1--Right of Abode cases and Dependant Relatives over 65;

Queue 2--Spouses and Children under 18;

Queue 3--Fiance(e)s and Other First Time Applicants; and

Queue 4--Re-applicants

9 Nov 1999 : Column: 486

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.

Central and Eastern Europe

Mr. Pearson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what programmes and resources British Trade International and his Department have to support companies which wish to make investments in Central and Eastern Europe; [97865]

(2) what programmes and resources British Trade International and his Department have to assist companies looking into the feasibility of making investments in Central and Eastern Europe. [97864]

Mr. Battle: Companies wishing to invest in Central and Eastern Europe, like those exporting to those markets, are supported by a variety of British Trade International schemes. These include support for inward and outward trade missions, trade fairs and promotional seminars, and the Export Marketing Research Scheme which is being extended to cover better the needs of outward investors.

This year British Trade International's budget for promoting trade and investment opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe is £3.5 million.

PRIME MINISTER

Qualified Majority Voting

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if it is the Government's policy to support, at the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference, extension of qualified majority voting to include treaty modification; and if he will make a statement; [96570]

(2) if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the extension of qualified majority voting, set out in the Von Weizsacker/ Dehaene/Simon report. [96577]

The Prime Minister: The Government have already made it clear that they will consider the extension of qualified majority voting on a case by case basis. Where it is in Britain's interests we shall support it. But where key national interests need to be protected, such as border controls, defence, Treaty change and taxation, we shall insist on retaining unanimity.

European Charter of Rights

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 1 November 1999, Official Report, column 3, on the European Charter of Rights, (a) when he expects to publish the name and qualifications of the personal representative he is nominating to the drafting body of the working group and (b) what items he expects to be included in such a charter additional to those in the existing European Convention and those capable of introduction under existing treaty powers. [97954]

The Prime Minister: The Finnish Presidency has now confirmed that the first meeting of the drafting body will take place on 17 December. I will therefore announce the details of my representative shortly.

9 Nov 1999 : Column: 487

I believe that the Charter should make it easier for EU citizens to know the civil and political rights they already enjoy under the Treaties, including those covered by Article 6.2 of the Treaty on European Union. The Cologne Conclusions, copies of which were placed in the Libraries, provide further indications of the ground that might be covered.

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