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Information and Intelligence Sharing
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from US authorities concerning information and intelligence sharing between the United States and Britain. [116353]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 28 March 2000]: Any correspondence of this nature is covered by Exemption 1c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. It is long-standing practice of successive Governments that such information is not released.
Tartan Day Reception
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if invitations have
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been sent to representatives of the Scottish National Party to attend the Tartan Day Reception at the British Ambassador's residence in Washington; who was responsible for drawing up the guest list; and what role the British ambassador had in monitoring and approving the guest list; [116576]
(3) if he will order a report from the British Ambassador in Washington on the preparations for Tartan Day in the USA and his discussions with the organising committee regarding the inclusion of Scottish National Party representatives in the organised events; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [116583]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 28 March 2000]: The Ambassador and the Embassy have made clear from the outset that invitations will be sent to all visiting Members of the Scottish Parliament. They have been working with the Tartan Day Committee in the US to organise the reception and to draw up the guest list, which was seen and cleared by the Ambassador. The Ambassador has been in touch with the First Minister, Donald Dewar, and with the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir David Steel.
The Embassy has been told that George Reid MSP and Patricia Fergusson MSP, two Deputy Presiding Officers, will be coming to Washington to represent the Scottish Parliament, and that John Swinney MSP and Fiona McLeod MSP will also be attending. All these were immediately sent invitations to the reception. If other Members of the Scottish Parliament are visiting Washington for Tartan Day they might like to get in touch with the Embassy, either direct, through the office of the Presiding Officer, or through the Tartan Day Committee. The Embassy will be delighted to include them in the reception.
In view of the above, a report will not be requested from the Ambassador in Washington on the preparations for Tartan Day.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 March 2000, Official Report, column 288W, on British overseas territories, when his Department expects to finish the review of whether to impose an order in council to ensure that the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos islands change their existing legislation on homosexual acts. [116556]
Mr. Battle:
There is no set date for the completion of the review. Discussions are currently in progress with the relevant territory governments. We are pursuing these with all due expedition.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Indonesian Government concerning the situation in West Papua. [116549]
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Mr. Battle:
We have made no recent representations on Irian Jaya. However, we closely monitor developments in West Papua. Our Ambassador to Indonesia and a visiting member of our South East Asia Department are visiting West Papua this week, where they will hold meetings with a wide range of contacts, including NGO representatives.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Zimbabwe concerning the situation of white farmers. [116551]
Mr. Hain:
I spoke to the Zimbabwean Vice President on 6 March and wrote to the Foreign Minister on 7 March. My right hon. Friend the International Development Secretary wrote to the Vice-President on 15 March. The High Commission at Harare is in close touch with the Commercial Farmers' Union. The Government of Zimbabwe are in no doubt of our concern at the farm invasions.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for the establishment of a United Nations rapid reaction force the Government will put forward at the Millennium Assembly and Summit in September. [116553]
Mr. Hain:
We are keen to improve the UN's rapid reaction capability to enable it to respond more effectively to emerging crises. We are encouraging the UN Secretary-General to address this issue in his report on UN Peace Operations, due for publication this summer. We hope that rapid reaction will also be a subject for high-level discussion at the Millennium Summit, in the context of a wider discussion of peace, security and disarmament issues.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will appoint a member of a non-Governmental organisation as the Atomic Energy Counsellor at the British Embassy in Tokyo. [116274]
Mr. Hain:
There are no plans to make such an appointment at this time.
Sir Peter Tapsell:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 29 March. [116300]
The Prime Minister:
This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I will have further such meetings later today.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received calling for an independent
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judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Mrs. Rosemary Nelson on 15 March 1999; and if he will make a statement. [115280]
The Prime Minister
[holding answer 21 March 2000]: Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have received a number of representations, including some from Mr. Paul Nelson and the Magee family and a number of Human Rights organisations.
The Government have not ruled out an independent judicial inquiry. However we have made it clear that we will not consider an inquiry while the criminal investigation is ongoing and there remains the possibility of bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions his Department has held with (a) farming organisations and (b) environmental organisations over the impact on (i) historic hedges and (ii) wildlife of the implementation of the two metre rule. [115543]
Ms Quin:
This Department has held discussions with all the principal farming organisations and statutory environmental bodies on the issues mentioned by the hon. Member as well as with the European Commission.
Last week my right hon. Friend the Minister reached agreement with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, that the United Kingdom should, for this year, apply the same criteria as were used in 1999 and earlier years for determining the acceptability of hedges and other field margins included in claims based on whole Ordnance Survey field areas under the Integrated Administration and Control System. For 2001 and subsequent years, MAFF will work with the Commission in order to clarify what types of margins are acceptable for inclusion in aid claims and identify ways of safeguarding environmentally valuable hedges so that we can reach a permanent resolution of this issue.
Mr. Randall:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many companies offering (a) rendering followed by incineration and (b) direct incineration, that were awarded a contract under the over-30-months scheme have not had contracts renewed; and if he will make a statement. [114826]
Ms Quin:
The Intervention board (IB) has let a large number of contracts for services connected with the operation of the OTMS. In line with good procurement practice, IB has a rolling programme for reviewing and, if necessary, re-tendering these contracts which may involve changes to the service required or its delivery. IB reserves the right to terminate contracts if contractors fail to meet their obligations.
Since 1996, when the scheme began, 13 companies have been contracted to render OTMS material. Five of these companies are currently contracted for this service, contracts having been let following a competitive tender
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in 1997. Each of the five companies is burning OTMS tallow produced on-site to fuel their rendering process. One of the contracts also covers the incineration of the OTMS meat and bone meal (MBM) in an incinerator that is under construction and due to start operation in late summer 2000.
(2) if he will list the hon. Members and Members of the Scottish Parliament who have been invited to attend the Tartan Day Reception at the British Ambassador's residence in Washington; on what date each invitation was sent out; and if he will make a statement; [116584]
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