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Ex-ASTRA Civil Servants

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many ex-ASTRA civil servants have been re-employed in the Civil Service under the reinstatement initiative; of those reinstated what were their grades (a) before privatisation and (b) on reinstatement; and how many have subsequently left the Civil Service and on what terms. [112152]

Mr. Wicks [holding answer 1 March 2000]: The information sought is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, reinstatement is the return to work of former established civil servants in the same permanent grade as when they left the Civil Service. All former established staff have the right to apply for reinstatement.

School Terms

Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to review the pattern of school terms and school holidays; and if he will make a statement. [112691]

Ms Estelle Morris: Decisions about the number, length and dates of school terms and holidays are taken locally, not by central Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to change these arrangements.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chevening Scholarship Programme

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the Chevening scholarship programme for (a) young Chinese officials and (b) others. [112012]

Mr. Hain: The FCO's Chevening Scholarships programme in China is the largest in the world, with more than 100 Scholars in 1999-2000. The Scholars (future "leaders, decision makers and opinion formers") come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including government, business and NGOs. Our survey of departing students shows that 97 per cent. of Chinese Scholars in 1999 rated their academic experience in the UK as "excellent" or "good", and 97 per cent. rated the experience of their stay in the UK as "excellent" or "good". Chevening Scholars coming to the UK from China acquire new knowledge and skills, and learn more

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about our way of life and values. In future, as their careers progress, we hope they will tend to look to the UK for ideas, technology, trade and investment. China has been designated as one of the target countries for the Prime Minister's initiative to attract more international students to the UK. As a result, we plan to expand the Chevening programme in China in the coming academic year, by at least 15 scholars.

Abkhazia

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the joint OSCE/UN fact finding mission will visit the Gali region of Georgia; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's efforts to resolve the issue of Abkhazia. [112128]

Mr. Vaz: No date has yet been fixed for the OSCE fact-finding mission to Gali. Her Majesty's Government are working actively within the Friends of the Secretary-General group to help find a solution to the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia. The Secretary of State discussed the situation in Abkhazia with President Shevardnadze and others during his visit to Georgia on 23-24 February.

Mrs. Layla Zana

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what views he has expressed to the Turkish Government regarding its refusal to allow members of the European Parliament to visit Mrs. Layla Zana in prison; and if he will make a statement. [111986]

Mr. Vaz: We regret that the Chairman of the EU/Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Daniel Cohn Bendit, was refused access to Layla Zana in late February, and have raised this in discussions with the Turkish authorities. We remain hopeful that a meeting may be possible at a later date.

As referred to in my parliamentary answer of 1 December 1999, Official Report, column 262W, the British Embassy in Ankara closely monitors the case of Mrs. Zana.

Kosovo

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the support given by the Kosovo Liberation Army to Albanian protesters in Mitrovica on 21 February. [112111]

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Mr. Vaz: The Kosovo Liberation Army was demilitarised in September 1999, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. We are aware of press reports of Kosovo Albanian extremists being involved in disturbances in Mitrovica.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the progress that the European Union has made in its economic and infrastructure efforts in Kosovo; [112094]

(2) what recent assessment he has made of the progress that has been achieved in the civil implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in Kosovo; [112091]

(3) what assessment he has made of the progress made in establishing and overseeing the development of the first stage of provisional democratic self-governing institutions in Kosovo. [112092]

Mr. Vaz: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 133W.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in (a) Prizren, (b) Pec and (c) Gnjilane; and if he will make a statement. [112112]

Mr. Vaz: Although we keep the security situation across the province under review, we have not made specific assessments of the situation in Prizren, Pec or Gnjilane, which are respectively in the German, Italian and US-led KFOR sectors. We understand, however, that the situation in Gnjilane is currently tense, with isolated incidents of violence.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning recent Serbian protests in Kosovska Mitrovica at KFOR troop activity. [112102]

Mr. Vaz: We condemn any attacks on KFOR, whose mission is to provide security for all people in Kosovo.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the policing requirement for (a) Pristina, (b) Kosovska Mitrovica and (c) Kosovo. [112109]

Mr. Hain: The UN Secretary-General has estimated the international policing requirement for Kosovo as 4,718 officers. We accept this. We have agreed to double our own contribution as part of the international effort to meet this requirement.

Within Kosovo, UNMIK are best placed to decide on the day-to-day operational requirements for the various regions, including Pristina and Mitrovica. These requirements are kept under continuous review, and adjustments made as necessary. For example additional police officers, as well as KFOR troops, were sent recently to Mitrovica.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British troops were involved in activity in Kosovska Mitrovica between 15 and 22 February. [112106]

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Mr. Vaz: Two hundred and thirty troops from the Royal Green Jackets were involved in security operations in Kosovska Mitrovica between 15 and 22 February.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the support given by the Government of President Milosevic to Serbian protesters in Kosovska Mitrovica. [112110]

Mr. Vaz: We have no evidence of any direct support given by the Government of President Milosovic to stirring up trouble in Mitrovica.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department was informed of the mass protests by ethnic Kosovo Albanians which began on 21 February in Kosovska Mitrovica. [112105]

Mr. Vaz: My Department was informed of the news when it broke on 21 February.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress made in the re-establishment of an independent, impartial and multi-ethnic judiciary in Kosovo. [112096]

Mr. Vaz: I am satisfied with the progress being made on the re-establishment of an independent, impartial, multi-ethnic and effective judiciary in Kosovo and that it is being given a very high priority. The UN Mission in Kosovo has changed the basis of applicable law to that which applied in 1989, before Milosevic removed Kosovo's autonomy, as the Kosovo Albanians and others were reluctant to accept the discriminatory Yugoslav and Serbian laws. This helps recruit local multi-ethnic judges and prosecutors and 130 were appointed in January alone. Council of Europe legal experts are reviewing Kosovo's laws to establish whether they are in conformity with internationally recognised standards. The OSCE's Judicial Training Unit is providing intensive training to local judicial personnel.

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of progress made by UNMIK in setting up the administration of social services, utilities and the consolidation of the rule of law in Kosovo; [112058]

(2) what assessment he has made of progress made by UNMIK in the establishment and consolidation of its authority and the creation of interim UNMIK-managed structures in Kosovo. [112061]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 28 February 2000]: UNMIK inherited a massive challenge in June 1999: nothing less than the rebuilding of society in Kosovo. The UK has made a substantial contribution, including to emergency repair of utilities. We gave US$1 million to pay the salaries of utilities workers for the UN Mission last summer.

The Kosovo Albanians and Serbs have now both agreed to join the UN Mission in the new Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS). This will involve joint departments, each headed jointly by a member of UNMIK and by a Kosovar. One of these, which is already being

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established, deals with Health and Social Welfare. UNMIK have recently recruited more than 300 judges and prosecutors to put in place an effective legal system.

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