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Cancelled Military Activities
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the eight (a) NATO and (b) UN exercises that went ahead without the planned UK participation; [105617]
- (2) if he will list the deployments and exercises cancelled in the 1999-2000 financial year to help (a) alleviate overstretch and (b) achieve financial savings. [105616]
Mr. Spellar: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Greater London Defence Estates Study
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Greater London Defence Estates Study will be completed. [105621]
Mr. Spellar:
The initial phase of the strategic review of MOD's estate in the London area identified several proposals which could lead to further estate being vacated. Since then, in a still ongoing second phase of work, the
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current users of the estate have been undertaking detailed studies to verify the validity of these proposals and we expect to be able to announce some of the results arising from this work later this year.
Our review of the Estate in London, as elsewhere, is constantly evolving and in the case of the London Study there will be a further phase of work (Phase III) to take forward the implementation of the current work as well as to review the potential for further rationalisation of the London Estate.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the inquiry into war stocks will be completed. [105622]
Mr. Spellar:
Cm 3999 (The Strategic Defence Review) indicated that we would be looking at the longer-term scope for reducing the war reserves of ammunition and guided weapons as a result of longer post-Cold War readiness preparation times. A review of war reserves of key munitions and guided weapons is expected to be completed this year. Stockpiles of munitions will then be reviewed on a regular basis as part of the normal departmental planning process.
EU Enlargement
15. Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the enlargement of the EU following the Helsinki Council meeting. [104204]
16. Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent developments in the European Union enlargement process. [104205]
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26. Miss Geraldine Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the enlargement of the EU following the Helsinki Council meeting. [104217]
Mr. Vaz:
The Helsinki European Council agreed to invite six more countries to open negotiations in February and decided that Turkey is a candidate for membership. The European Council agreed that the EU should have institutional reforms in place and be in a position to welcome new Member States from the end of 2002. The UK fully supports these developments.
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects Poland and Hungary to become full members of the European Union; and what assessment he has made of the implications for the Common Agricultural Policy. [104202]
Mr. Vaz:
The Helsinki European Council in December agreed that the EU will make every effort to be able to receive new members from 2002. Poland and Hungary, like other applicant countries, have been making good progress in their preparations for enlargement. We want these countries to join the European Union as soon as they are able to meet the obligations of membership. It is too early to say when this will be.
Poland and Hungary both have significant agricultural sectors. Their membership will strengthen the case for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, which the UK supports.
Dr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, when he last met his colleagues from other member states of the European Union, they discussed matters relating to the enlargement of the EU and the timetable for the acceptance of the applicant states. [104207]
Mr. Vaz:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State discussed enlargement of the EU with his colleagues at the Helsinki European Council in December. The European Council agreed that the EU will make every effort to be able to receive new members from 2002. Applicant states have been making good progress in their preparations for enlargement. We want these countries to join the European Union as soon as they are able to meet the obligations of membership. It is too early to say when this will be.
18. Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States over recent developments in Africa. [104209]
Mr. Peter Hain:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Ms Ryan), column 678.
19. Mr. Peter Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the efforts to find a settlement for the situation in Cyprus. [104210]
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Mr. Vaz:
We warmly welcomed the launch of UN proximity talks in New York in December preparing for the negotiations of a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus.
We strongly endorse the UN Secretary-General's intention to continue these talks early this year and will give him every support in his efforts.
20. Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future status of the Falkland Islands. [104211]
Mr. Battle:
We have good relations with the Government of Argentina. Former President Menem's visit to Britain assisted in the process of reconciliation and paved the way for the agreement of last July resolving communications with the Falkland Islands and co-operation on fish stocks in the South Atlantic. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary invited the Foreign Minister of the new Government to visit Britain and hopes to meet him next week in the margins of an international conference.
21. Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made over the future territorial integrity of Indonesia. [104212]
Mr. Battle:
The statement by the EU Presidency on the situation in Aceh on 26 November 1999 makes it clear that we wish to see a peaceful resolution of separatist tensions in Indonesia. The EU supports in particular an inclusive dialogue between all concerned.
22. Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department has taken to combat the drugs trade, with particular reference to Latin America. [104213]
Mr. Battle:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given earlier today in the House to my hon. Friend the Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Mr. Roy), columns 474-75.
23. Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings he has held with elected representatives of the people of Chechnya. [104214]
Mr. Vaz:
I have not met Chechen representatives. FCO officials had a private meeting with two Chechen parliamentarians, Mr. Idigov and Mr. Magomedov, on 15 December to hear their views on the situation in Chechnya.
24. Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in co-operation with EU partners over matters of trade and finance in the past 12 months. [104215]
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Mr. Vaz:
We have been working closely with our EU partners to improve the functioning of the EU economy--work that will help to increase employment and prosperity throughout the 15 member states. That policy approach is outlined in the Presidency Conclusions from the Cologne and Helsinki European Councils.
25. Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation of Palestinian refugees in (a) Gaza, (b) the West Bank and (c) elsewhere in the Middle East, indicating the assistance Her Majesty's Government have given since 1969. [104216]
27. Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Palestinian refugees. [104218]
Mr. Hain:
At the end of 1998 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were caring for 790,000 refugees registered in the Gaza Strip, 560,000 in the West Bank and 2,220,000 elsewhere in the Middle East.
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