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SONAR 2087
Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the timetable for a decision on SONAR 2087. [109390]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 14 February 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from John F. Howe to Ms Rachel Squire, dated 15 February 2000:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the timetable for a decision on Sonar 2087. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
Two companies, Thomson Marconi Sonar Ltd and Babcock Defence Systems Ltd, are currently competing for the Full Development, Production and Support contract for Sonar 2087. We expect to make a decision around the turn of the year and to place a contract in spring 2001.
QARNNS
Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on plans to alter the current status of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service; and how this will affect personnel serving within QARNNS. [110522]
Mr. Spellar: Following a comprehensive review, the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS) will be incorporated into the Royal Navy (RN) from 1 April 2000 as the Service's specialised nursing branch. QARNNS is currently a separate Service within the Naval Service.
This will bring the status of QARNNS into line with that of the Army and RAF. It will also mean that QARNNS personnel commissioned or engaged into the RN from 1 April 2000 will be available for reserve service once they leave the RN. QARNNS ratings currently have no liability for reserve service.
The terms and conditions of service of existing QARNNS personnel will be unaffected by this change.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those previously planned meetings, and their subject, between his Department and its Austrian counterpart which have been cancelled since the formation of the new Austrian Government. [109901]
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Mr. Hoon:
There have been no cancellations of previously planned meetings between officials of the Ministry of Defence and its Austrian counterpart since the formation of the new Austrian government.
17. Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Nigeria to discuss consular relations. [108547]
Mr. Hain:
I visited Nigeria from 9-12 January and raised the case of my hon. Friend's constituent, Mr. Mark Davey, with the Nigerian Foreign Minister.
18. Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy at the next intergovernmental conference to resist any extension of qualified majority voting and new EU competences. [108548]
Mr. Vaz:
The Government have made it clear that they will adopt a pragmatic approach to the extension of qualified majority voting. Where it is in Britain's interests to support QMV, we shall do so. But where key national interests are at stake, we shall insist on retaining unanimity. As for competencies, The Helsinki European Council agreed that the ICG would concentrate on reforming the institutions, not giving them new tasks to perform.
19. Mr. Andy King:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for the enlargement of the European Union. [108549]
32. Mr. McCabe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for the enlargement of the European Union. [108562]
37. Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the prospects for the enlargement of the European Union. [108568]
Mr. Vaz:
Today, the EU is launching accession negotiations with six applicant countries. They will join six countries already in negotiation. We want applicant countries to accede to the European Union as soon as they are able to meet the obligations of membership. But the EU must prepare for enlargement too. This is why, yesterday, the member states of the European Union convened an intergovernmental conference to make the institutional changes necessary for enlargement.
20. Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status of the middle east peace process. [108550]
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Mr. Hain:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave earlier in the House today to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge).
21. Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to visit Nepal to discuss strengthening relations with the UK; and if he will make a statement. [108551]
Mr. Hain:
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been invited to visit Nepal and this is currently under active consideration.
22. Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards restoring a democratic Government in Pakistan. [108552]
Mr. Hain:
We continue to press General Musharraf for progress towards the restoration of democracy and in January, General Sir Charles Guthrie, Chief of the Defence Staff, took a strong message seeking a route-map to achieve this.
23. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other European Governments about additional funds for the reconstruction of Kosovo. [108553]
Mr. Vaz:
The UK is in frequent contact with European partners on Kosovo reconstruction. The EU pledged 137 million euros for Kosovo reconstruction in 1999, and has agreed to provide 310 million euros this year.
Therefore, we welcomed the decision of yesterday's General Affairs Council to provide urgently 35 million euros in emergency support for the budget of the UN Mission in Kosovo.
Reconstruction is not just about economics. Kosovo's institutions need our help. The FCO is to give an additional £150,000 this month, via the OSCE Mission and the Council of Europe in Pristina, in particular to provide practical support to Kosovo's judiciary.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Kosovska Mitrovica. [109714]
Mr. Vaz
[holding answer 11 February 2000]: Violence erupted last week in Mitrovica, following an attack on a UNHCR bus in which two ethnic Serbs died. Reprisals led to deaths and injuries among Serbs and Albanians in the local population and injuries to troops in the NATO-led Kosovo force (KFOR). Following action by KFOR and the leaders of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), including the imposition of a curfew, the situation appears to have been brought under control.
Mitrovica is a particularly acute example of the continuing tensions between the communities in Kosovo. It underlines the importance of international efforts to
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 486W
promote reconciliation and to condemn and act against violence and intimidation. It also emphasises the importance of both Serbs and Albanians working with UNMIK in the new joint administrative structures. The Kosovo Albanians are already participating. We hope the Kosovo Serbs will soon join them.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in (a) Kosovo, (b) Serbia, (c) Montenegro and (d) Vojvodina. [109712]
Mr. Vaz
[holding answer 11 February 2000]: The political and security situation in Serbia clearly is desperate. The ruling coalition continues to intensify its repression of the independent media and of the democratic political parties through administrative and judicial harassment. The recent murders of Zeljko Raznatovic ("Arkan") and Federal Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic--just the latest in a string of assassinations of high-ranking politicians, officials and businesspeople--show that violence has become endemic in public life.
Vojvodina, as part of Serbia, is suffering from the same degradation of democratic freedoms and public security.
In Montenegro, the government of President Djukanovic has made real efforts to introduce democratic reforms and promote the ethnic and social cohesion of Montenegro. However, Milosevic is undermining the economy and therefore the stability of Montenegro by blocking trade and financial transactions between Montenegro and Serbia. He and his supporters are also attempting to intimidate the legitimate government of Montenegro through the formation and deployment of special military units loyal to Belgrade.
In Kosovo, the security situation has improved since the arrival of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in June 1999. The number of crimes is decreasing. However, the recent upsurge in ethnic violence in the divided city of Mitrovica underlines the fragility of the security situation. KFOR and the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) are taking measures to tackle extremist behaviour by Kosovo Albanians and Serbs and to maintain peace and security in Mitrovica.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Human Rights Watch report on civilian casualties in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [109719]
Mr. Vaz
[holding answer 11 February 2000]: We welcome the acknowledgement in the Human Rights Watch Report of "gross violations of international humanitarian law" by the forces of the Milosevic regime. This puts into proper perspective its comments on the consequences of NATO action. NATO intervened, when all other options had been exhausted, to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. The great lengths to which NATO went to minimise civilian casualties are in stark contrast to the carefully planned and brutally executed terror perpetrated by FRY and Serbian forces in Kosovo.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the economic impact of the Kosovo crisis on (a) Albania, (b) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (c) Bulgaria, (d) Croatia, (e) FYR Macedonia and (f) Romania. [109716]
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Mr. Vaz
[holding answer 11 February 2000]: The international community is committed to helping the countries of south-eastern Europe raise their level of economic prosperity, to bring them into the European mainstream. The International Monetary Fund estimate the Kosovo crisis might have reduced regional GDP by up to 2 per cent. in 1999. However, provided governments of the region push ahead with key economic reforms, the medium-term prospects are bright.
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