---

Green Transport

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the key buildings for which his Department (a) submitted and (b) did not submit green transport plans by March. [122606]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 18 May 2000]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport submitted a green transport plan (or more properly transport plan) for all its key buildings in June 1999. The buildings, all in London, are: 2-4 Cockspur Street; Grove House; 7 St. James' Square; Oceanic House; 179a Tottenham Court Road: Also included were Haymarket House and Novello House, but these have since been vacated by DCMS. The Royal Parks Agency did not submit a formal transport plan, but have published measures for promoting green transport initiatives in their Green Housekeeping Policy.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Schuman Declaration

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) publications and (b) events funded by the European Union to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Schuman declaration. [121512]

Mr. Vaz: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the office of the European Commission in London.

"Your Britain, Your Europe"

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the "Your Britain, Your Europe" campaign includes visits to schools; and what legal advice he took prior to such visits taking place. [121500]

Mr. Vaz: I have visited several schools during the cross-party "Your Britain, Your Europe" campaign to exchange views with students about Europe and to meet staff and pupils involved in European projects. We saw no need to take legal advice prior to such visits.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the parliamentary constituencies to be visited in the future by the "Your Britain, Your Europe" roadshow. [123092]

Mr. Vaz: We have not yet finalised the itinerary for all my various forthcoming city visits. But I will invite MPs and MEPs of all parties to participate in events which take place within their constituencies.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition of the term eurosceptic was used by the Minister for Europe in speeches made during the "Your Britain, Your Europe" roadshow. [123094]

22 May 2000 : Column: 329W

Mr. Vaz: In various speeches, I have employed the term "eurosceptic" as the widely used description for certain sections of the media, NGOs and political parties which are opposed to the UK engaging constructively with EU partners or making a positive contribution to EU discussions.

Overseas Defence Sales

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people his Department employs (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad to facilitate overseas defence sales. [122247]

Mr. Hain [holding answer 16 May 2000]: Government support for defence equipment exports is co-ordinated by the Defence Export Services Organisation of the Ministry of Defence. Overseas, this work is normally carried out by Defence Attaches and Defence Sales Sections. Although FCO staff contribute towards this work in a number of ways there are no staff directly employed to facilitate overseas Defence Sales.

The role of FCO departments in London is to provide advice to the Department of Trade and Industry on applications for export licences for defence equipment sales overseas.

Open Government

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for information he received under the Open Government: Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the last parliamentary Session; and how many were granted. [121856]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 18 May 2000]: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 18 May 2000, Official Report, columns 216-17W.

Green Transport

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the key buildings for which his Department (a) submitted and (b) did not submit green transport plans by March. [122563]

Mr. Hain [holding answer 18 May 2000]: The FCO submitted green transport plans for all key buildings in the UK including Old Admiralty Building, Old Public Offices and Hanslope Park.

Europe Day

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of hosting the Europe Day Open Day at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 9 May. [123088]

Mr. Vaz: The Foreign and Commonwealth Open Day on 9 May, "Europe Day", was the first of a series of 12 open days the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is holding between May and July this year as part of the London String of Pearls Millennium Festival. The costs of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's participation

22 May 2000 : Column: 330W

in the Festival will be spread over the 12 open days and it is therefore not possible to calculate the cost of individual open days.

The Diplomatic Missions in London of almost all the EU member states and all the applicants participated in the event and met their own costs.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the non-parliamentarians invited to participate in Europe Day events; for what reason they were invited; and if he will make a statement. [123089]

Mr. Vaz: We invited several celebrities to join Europe Day events, including Tony Robinson and Frank Bruno. We also invited several MEPs drawn from each of the main parties to join our celebration of Europe's cultural diversity.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) nature and (b) substance of the European Debate which took place during the Europe Day Open Day at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 9 May. [123091]

Mr. Vaz: The schools debate held at the FCO's "Europe Day" was a parliamentary-style debate. Six students, each from a different school, spoke for or against the motion: "This House believes there will never be a United States of Europe".

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria were used in the selection of schools invited to participate in the Europe Day Open Day at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 9 May. [123090]

Mr. Vaz: In deciding which schools to invite to our Open Europe Day at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office we took a number of practical considerations into account, such as ease of travel and distance from the FCO. On that basis we contacted all secondary schools in Greater London and the Home Counties.

Serbia and Iraq

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on holding seminars for hon. Members; and if he will hold policy seminars on (a) Serbia and (b) Iraq. [123066]

Mr. Vaz: We are happy to hold policy seminars for hon. Members where there is clearly a strong wish on the part of sufficient Members that we should do so. If my right hon. Friend would care to write to me with details of what he proposes we will give it due consideration.

I and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister of State frequently debate Iraq and Serbia in this House. My hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) also has regular contacts with bodies with an interest in Iraq, including the UN, NGOs, members of the Iraqi opposition and religious bodies. As Minister for Europe, I am in regular contact with similar organisations with an interest in Serbia.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a

22 May 2000 : Column: 331W

statement on the outcome of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference held at the United Nations in New York. [122839]

Mr. Hain: We are delighted with the very positive outcome. It reaffirms the importance of the NPT as the cornerstone of global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

The key elements from the final document are:

(a) The nuclear-weapon States have given "an unequivocal undertaking . . . to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament to which all States parties are committed under Article VI."
(b) The nuclear-weapon States will take the following steps "leading to nuclear disarmament in a way that promotes international stability, and based on the principle of undiminished security for all:
Further efforts by the nuclear-weapon States to reduce their nuclear arsenals unilaterally.
Increased transparency by the nuclear-weapon States with regard to their nuclear weapons capabilities and the implementation of agreements pursuant to Article VI and as a voluntary confidence-building measure to support further progress on nuclear disarmament.
The further reduction of non-strategic nuclear weapons, based on unilateral initiatives and as an integral part of the nuclear arms reduction and disarmament process.
Concrete agreed measures to further reduce the operational status of nuclear weapon systems.
A diminishing role for nuclear weapons in security policies to minimize the risk that these weapons ever be used and to facilitate the process of their total elimination.
The engagement as soon as appropriate of all the nuclear-weapon States in the process leading to the total elimination of their nuclear weapons."

The UK delegation played an active and pivotal role throughout the Conference. We worked hard to bridge the gaps between the Nuclear Weapon States and influential Non-Nuclear Weapon States, in particular those belonging to the New Agenda Coalition. Our constructive role has been widely recognised and welcomed. We have clearly demonstrated our commitment to further international progress on non-proliferation and disarmament.

Many people feared that this Conference would not be able to reach agreement, but the constructive attitude all sides have shown has demonstrated the continuing importance the international community attaches to non-proliferation and disarmament.

We now look forward to translating this agreement into concrete international progress.

I will arrange for the final documents from the Review Conference to be put in the Library of the House when they are available.

---