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Intergovernmental Conference
33. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for treaty changes he plans to place on the agenda at the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference. [104224]
Mr. Keith Vaz:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary earlier in the House today to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson), columns 668-69.
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35. Mrs. Roe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the expected contents of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. [104226]
Mr. Keith Vaz:
The Charter drafting body has only just started its work. The first meeting on 17 December 1999 was largely procedural. The next meeting on 1-2 February will be the first opportunity to discuss substance, though exchanges at this stage are likely to be fairly general. But the conclusions of the Cologne European council in June 1999 provide an indication of the ground that might be covered.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has received a copy of the report of the US Director of Central Intelligence made to the US Congress on 2 February 1999 on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions; and if he will make a statement on its contents. [104782]
Mr. Hain:
The Department of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is aware of the report referred to by my hon. Friend, but did not receive a copy.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to the Russian Government about the role Russian companies are playing in the construction of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran; and what assurances he has sought to ensure that the plant is purely for civilian use. [104785]
Mr. Vaz:
In March 1999 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed with Foreign Minister Ivanov the dangers of arms exports and technology assistance to countries of concern. Officials also raise these concerns, including the specific case of Bushehr, during regular meetings with the Russians on export control and strategic stability issues. The Russians assure us that their assistance for Bushehr is limited to civil nuclear applications and subject to IAEA safeguards. We are watching the situation closely.
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data his Department compiles on countries which sponsor terrorist organisations; and if he will publish it. [104770]
Mr. Battle:
This Government condemn state sponsorship of terrorism and monitor closely any evidence of such activities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes the responsible Governments aware of our concerns when they arise. The information the hon. Member asks to be published is, however, exempted from disclosure under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the
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Government are taking to encourage the Ethiopian administration to accept the technical arrangements for the implementation of the framework agreement to resolve the conflict with Eritrea. [104804]
Mr. Hain:
We have made it clear to Ethiopia and Eritrea that we and the international community want an early and negotiated settlement to this conflict. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and I underlined this message in meetings with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister on 9 December.
Since then, the Ethiopian Government has received from the Organisation of African Unity clarification of several queries about the Technical Arrangements. We now await a response from the Government.
Mr. Maples:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet representatives of the Government of France; and if he will make a statement. [105010]
Mr. Vaz:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary next plans to meet Foreign Minister M. Hubert Vedrine at the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 24 January. I met members of the French Government at the Franco--British colloque on 14 January.
Mr. Maples:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of the British Embassy in Paris in easing the plight of British hauliers in France. [105011]
Mr. Vaz:
During the recent road haulier's dispute in France, the British Embassy in Paris was in regular contact with the French authorities at both the national and local levels. Their aim was to encourage an early end to the dispute and to ensure the safety and well-being of British drivers. The Embassy also provided regular updates and advice on the situation in France to the Road Hauliers Association and the Freight Transport Association in the UK, to British drivers stranded in France, and to Government Ministries in Whitehall. The Freight Transport Association has thanked the Embassy for their advice and assistance.
Mr. Maples:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last spoke to a representative of the Government of France; and if he will make a statement. [105009]
Mr. Vaz:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with Foreign Minister M. Hubert Vedrine and maintains a dialogue with him on a wide range of issues of mutual interest. I also meet my counterpart, M. Pierre Moscovici, regularly.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was first informed of the discovery at Gatwick Airport of scud missile parts en route to Libya; and what considerations underlay the timing of the release of information on the matter to the media. [105080]
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Mr. Robin Cook:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) on 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 326W.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the constituencies visited by the "Your Britain, Your Europe" Roadshow; and how the destinations were chosen. [105693]
Mr. Vaz:
I visited Newcastle, Hull, Rotherham, Manchester, Bristol, Bath, Nuneaton, Birmingham and Leicester, each of which is a regional centre of population. This covered the constituencies of: Sedgefield; Tyne Bridge; Gateshead and Washington, East; Houghton and Washington, East; Hull, North; Rotherham; Manchester, Central; Wythenshawe and Sale, East; Bristol, South; Bath; Nuneaton; Birmingham Ladywood and Leicester, South. In each town or city we visited a variety of venues to meet a broad spectrum of society. This included calls on EU funded projects and visits to companies, schools and universities. All local Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament were informed of my visit and given the opportunity to participate.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the European Court of Justice has completed the review of its operations and procedures; and if he will place a copy of the review in the Library. [105720]
Mr. Vaz:
The Court of Justice submitted a paper to the Council of Ministers on 10 May putting forward ideas on the future of the European Union's judicial system. A copy of the paper has been placed in the Library.
The proposed reforms are designed to improve the workings of the Court, including greater flexibility in the application of the Court's Rules of procedure to facilitate the handling of complex or urgent cases. The proposals should therefore allow the Court to cope more quickly and efficiently with its ever increasing workload.
Some of the proposed reforms would require Treaty change. These might be considered by member states either as part of the IGC or in parallel process.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on establishing an International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement. [104198]
Mr. Hain:
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted on 17 July 1998. Since then 92 States, including the UK, have signed the Statute and six have ratified. The Court will be established once 60 States have ratified. A Preparatory Commission is making good progress on drafting important subsidiary documents to the Statute.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received
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about United Kingdom citizens experiencing difficulties in arranging for funds to be remitted from bank accounts in India to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [104901]
Mr. Hain
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: We are aware of the difficulties faced by UK citizens in remitting funds from India. High Commission staff in India are active in assisting UK citizens in this process. We recognise, however, that this can often be a lengthy process which is bound by the relevant Indian exchange regulations.
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