| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Ethiopia
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Organisation for African Unity and (b) the United Nations, about the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and if he will make a statement. [124500]
14 Jun 2000 : Column: 622W
Mr. Hain [holding answer 5 June 2000]: Our Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York is in frequent contact with the United Nations Secretary-General and the Algerian OAU Presidency to discuss the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Our Ambassadors in Algeria and Addis Ababa also hold frequent talks with the Algerian OAU Presidency. And our Ambassador in Addis Ababa is in contact with the OAU Secretariat.
Croatia
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to support Croatia's proposed accession to the (a) European Union and (b) World Trade Organisation; and if he will make a statement. [125377]
Mr. Vaz: Her Majesty's Government fully support the EU's Stabilisation and Association process, designed to build stability and prosperity in South East Europe. The 1999 Cologne European Council confirmed that Stabilisation and Association Agreements will offer
a prospect of European Union membership on the basis of the Amsterdam Treaty and fulfilment of the criteria defined at the Copenhagen European Council.
We welcome the Commission's effort to reach agreement on the terms of Croatia's WTO accession. Following recent developments, we understand that the key outstanding issues surrounding a market access package have been resolved. We hope that this should open the way to Croatia's accession to the WTO in the near future.
OECD
Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total amount paid by Her Majesty's Government to the OECD in respect of membership fees in each of the last three financial years. [125532]
Mr. Hain: The total amount paid by Her Majesty's Government over the last three financial years is £14,151,086.69. The OECD membership fees per year for the last three years are: 1997--£4,845,082.79, 1998--£4,586,554.69, 1999--£4,719,449.21.
We believe that this represents good value for money. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development provides expert analysis and facilitates policy discussion on a wide range of subjects, including macroeconomic policy, labour market reform, harmful taxation competition, E-commerce, and food safety.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries with which he has discussed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in the last 12 months. [125768]
14 Jun 2000 : Column: 623W
Mr. Hain: We have discussed the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons with a range of interlocutors as part of our normal bilateral dialogues. It has also been discussed at European Union and G8 summits and at meetings of the United Nations Security Council. The review conference of the treaty in May 2000 offered the opportunity for further bilateral and multilateral discussions. The conference was attended by 155 states parties.
In all appropriate forums, both bilateral and multilateral, we have made clear our commitment to the treaty and our determination that all those states which are not party to it should proceed towards accession as soon as possible.
Chechnya
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European and NATO colleagues concerning the protection of inhabitants of the Caucasus against Chechnyan forces. [125894]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 13 June 2000]: We have had regular discussions with international colleagues about the Chechnya conflict, including in the EU, NATO, the OSCE and other international fora. Such discussions have regularly included discussion of the impact of the crisis on regional stability.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chechnyan rebel leaders concerning the jihad in the Caucasus. [125893]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 13 June 2000]: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have had meetings with Chechen warlords. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have from time to time met Chechen representatives. In such contacts we have condemned terrorism and made clear our concern about the level of violence and reported human rights abuses on both sides in the Chechen conflict.
European Social Charter
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will ratify the 1996 revised European Social Charter of the Council of Europe signed on 7 November 1997. [125795]
Mr. Vaz [holding answer 13 June 2000]: We are continuing to review ratification of the Revised European Social Charter and consultations will continue on the provisions that we might accept upon ratification.
UNMOVIC
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to ensure that there is adequate Arab representation within the UNMOVIC inspection teams. [125142]
Mr. Hain: This is a matter for UNMOVIC's Executive Chairman, Dr. Hans Blix. The UK is in favour of UNMOVIC staff being drawn from the broadest possible geographical base, as called for under United Nations
14 Jun 2000 : Column: 624W
Security Council resolution 1284. We urge all UN members to respond positively to Dr. Blix's requests for staff.
Russian Federation
Mr. Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to refer breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights by the Russian Federation in Chechnya to the European Court of Human Rights under Article 33 of the Convention; and if he will make a statement. [125990]
Mr. Vaz: We have considered with our EU partners the possibility of bringing an interstate action against Russia under Article 33 of the European Convention on Human Rights. We and other EU states have pursued other means of ensuring accountability for alleged human rights abuses in Chechnya, notably at the 56th Session of the Commission of Human Rights. An EU-drafted Resolution was passed, registering major concerns, including the need for an independent Commission of Inquiry meeting international standards. With EU partners, we have agreed that this type of international pressure, rather than an interstate complaint, was the clearest way of indicating our concern over the situation in Chechnya.
Mr. Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the Government's policy to support the proposed suspension of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe in accordance with Recommendation 1456 (2000) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. [125991]
Mr. Vaz: We share the concerns expressed in Recommendation 1456 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE) and have taken every opportunity, bilaterally and in company with our EU partners, to impress on Russia the need to comply with its human rights obligations. However, we share the EU position that it is preferable to continue to bring pressure to bear through engagement within the CoE rather than to isolate Russia by suspension.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Queen's Counsels
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what restrictions on the use of QCs have been introduced (a) by Government Departments and (b) through legal aid funding, indicating in each case what savings to public funds he estimates will be made as a result; and if he will make a statement. [125533]
The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.
Dealing first with (a), whenever a Government Department in England and Wales wishes to brief a QC to appear in court on a civil matter, a legal adviser of a designated level of seniority must seek a nomination from the Law Officers of a particular Queen's Counsel with the appropriate expertise. Each such nomination has to be approved personally by the Attorney General or by me before instructions can be sent. This procedure has been
14 Jun 2000 : Column: 625W
in operation for some years. It means that QCs are the exception, not the rule. The two First Treasury Counsel are both junior counsel and they will advise and represent the Government without Queen's Counsel in many of its important civil cases. In addition there are four panels of junior Counsel whom Departments are expected to use for the majority of the Government's civil litigation.
With regard to legal aid funding, in civil matters, Queen's Counsel should not be instructed by a solicitor acting for a publicly funded party unless prior authority has been given by the Legal Services Commission either in the certificate or subsequently by the Area Director. The Legal Services Commission issues Guidance on the use of Queen's Counsel and on making an application for prior authority.
In criminal matters before the higher courts, judges have powers to allow a Queen's Counsel for the defence in the following cases: (a) on a charge of murder; (b) where it appears to the court making the order that the case is one of exceptional difficulty, gravity or complexity and that a Queen's Counsel is required in the interests of justice; or (c) where the prosecution is being brought by the Serious Fraud Office. The Lord Chancellor has been consulting on changes to this rule to control the use of QCs more strictly. The consultation is substantially concluded and he will shortly be laying regulations which will have the effect of restricting the use of QCs to cases where the prosecution have instructed a QC or Senior Treasury Counsel or the defence case is exceptional when judged against other offences of the same type and the defence case for that defendant involves substantial, novel or complex issues of law or fact which in the opinion of the court could properly be handled by a QC. Judges will be asked to endorse a written application stating how the criteria are met. This will allow the effect of the change to be monitored.
It is impossible to predict how many Government cases in the future will justify the appointment of a QC or, consequently, what cost savings are made by the operation of these procedures.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |