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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

European Regulations and Directives

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations and directives were printed in the Official Journal of the European Communities, having effect for (a) 1970 to 1972, (b) 1973 to 1982, (c) 1983 to 1992 and (d) 1993 to 1999; and how many pages of the Journal were devoted to such publication in each of these periods. [125253]

Mr. Vaz: All regulations and directives are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Statistics on legislative instruments for a given year are available on the Celex database.

Sierra Leone

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US Administration in respect of their claim against the UN for the cost of their airlift operation in Sierra Leone. [125436]

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Mr. Hain: We have been informed by the United Nations Secretariat that they have not received a claim from the United States for the cost of their airlift operation in Sierra Leone.

Turkey

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of human rights abuses against the Christian population in Turkey. [125760]

Mr. Vaz: We have received reports of alleged human rights abuses against Christians in Turkey. In December 1999, we received reports of police raids on Christian churches in Istanbul and Izmir, and, recently, of two Turkish Christians arrested in Izmir for distributing Christian literature. Officials from the British Embassy in Ankara have raised both these cases with the Turkish authorities. The trial of the two Christians arrested in Izmir was attended by a representative from our Consulate in Izmir and we were pleased to see both were acquitted in May and permission granted for the return of their material.

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations (a) he and (b) his European counterparts have made to the Turkish authorities concerning the harassment of Christians in Turkey. [125740]

Mr. Vaz: We have a long standing concern about the position of the Greek and Syrian Orthodox communities in Turkey. We continue to monitor closely the situation of minorities in Turkey and, where appropriate, to raise with Turkish authorities cases of human rights abuses against minorities. In December 1999, we received reports of police raids on Christian churches in Istanbul and Izmir, and, recently, of two Turkish Christians arrested in Izmir for distributing Christian literature. The trial of the two Christians arrested was attended by a representative from our Consulate in Izmir and we were pleased to see that both were acquitted in May.

We know that other EU partners are also concerned about these issues and we understand that they, too, have raised their concerns with the Turkish authorities.

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to assist in the training of the Turkish police in human rights matters. [125761]

Mr. Vaz: There is currently a comprehensive police training project under way in Turkey. We have allocated £107,000 to this project which builds on police training workshops held last year. The objective is to increase dialogue on issues of interest to both the British and Turkish police by holding seminars on public order, anti-terrorism, custody and detention. The project focuses on policing methods that protect human rights and are in line with international human rights law. As part of this project, a group of Turkish policemen visited Britain in May to study British policing methods. Further training projects are planned with the Turkish police which are likely to focus on transparency and accountability.

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Study Visas

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make it easier for foreign students to obtain visas to study in the UK. [125963]

Mr. Vaz: All our entry clearance posts abroad have been fully briefed on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's initiative to attract more overseas students to the United Kingdom, and reminded of the importance of ensuring that the entry clearance process is as straightforward and user-friendly as possible. With this in mind, we and the British Council have updated our guidance material for students. We are also working with the British Council in a number of key markets to help students who are qualified to come here to submit properly completed and fully documented visa applications. This makes processing their applications easier and in many cases does away with the need for the applicant to be interviewed.

Interahamwe

Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received regarding the identity of those responsible for training Interahamwe troops. [125961]

Mr. Hain: We have seen various reports alleging that the DRC government, and others in the region, have been training the Interahamwe. We have raised this issue with the countries concerned.

International Criminal Court

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he proposes to introduce legislation to ratify the Treaty signed in Rome on the International Criminal Court. [126220]

Mr. Hain: I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 3 May 2000, Official Report, column 122W.

Mercenaries

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is regarding private military companies operating from the United Kingdom and dependent territories which are involved in the supply of mercenaries and related military services. [125280]

Mr. Hain: We condemn the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries. We are committed to issuing a Green Paper on mercenary activity by November 2000. This will be a consultative document which will look at the options for further Government action in this area.

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is regarding the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries; and if he will make a statement. [125310]

Mr. Hain: Her Majesty's Government have no plans to sign the 1989 International Convention on Mercenaries. We do not consider that it would be enforceable in the

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UK courts. Although the Convention was adopted more than ten years ago, it has not yet attracted sufficient ratifications to enter into force.

Sri Lanka

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Commonwealth counterparts concerning a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka. [125814]

Mr. Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have spoken to our Indian counterparts about the need for a political settlement in Sri Lanka. We told them that we recognised the importance of India's role in the search for peace. We have not yet held discussions with other Commonwealth partners.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts and (b) his UN counterparts concerning the implementation of an arms embargo on Sri Lanka. [125815]

Mr. Hain: None.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts concerning the sending of a human rights monitor to Sri Lanka. [125816]

Mr. Hain: The human rights situation in Sri Lanka was discussed at this year's UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. We monitor the situation carefully and maintain close and regular contact with international partners, including the UN and NGOs.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the issue of access by non-governmental organisations to facilitate aid distribution with the Government of Sri Lanka. [125817]

Mr. Hain: Our High Commission in Colombo last discussed these concerns, and the humanitarian situation in the Jaffna peninsula as a whole, on 30 May.

United Nations

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterparts concerning the payment of dues owed to the UN; and if he will make a statement. [125818]

Mr. Hain: There have been no discussions recently but, at ministerial level, the UK has long pressed for a resolution to the problem of US arrears to the UN. Though we have welcomed US agreement under the Helms-Biden legislation to pay a substantial portion of their arrears, the US will need to convince the UN membership of the case for accepting the conditions attached to the legislation. At the EU General Affairs Council on 20 March, Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to securing a comprehensive reform of UN finances to put them on a sound, sustainable and equitable basis, and emphasised that the EU could only consider a reordering of UN contributions which protected EU member states' financial interests.

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Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts concerning the establishment of a constitutional conference to discuss reform of the UN. [125819]

Mr. Hain: There have been no recent ministerial discussions on the question of a conference to discuss reform of the United Nations. However, the Government are committed to supporting the UN Secretary-General's efforts to modernise the UN, based on his 1997 package of reform recommendations. We look forward to a discussion on strengthening the UN at the Millennium Summit in September.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the UK Government have to discuss UN reform at the UN Millennium Summit. [125820]

Mr. Hain: We look forward to a wide-ranging discussion of the role of the United Nations in the 21st century at the Millennium Summit in September. We agree with comments made by the UN Secretary-General in his Millennium Report that, among other things, the Summit should consider the need to make the organisation more effective, efficient and accessible to the world's peoples.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts regarding (a) the World Bank, (b) the IMF and (c) the WTO and their relationship with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. [125821]

Mr. Hain: Although this had not been discussed at ministerial level, the Government consider good relations between the United Nations, the international financial institutions and the WTO to be a high priority. We encourage and support the efforts of the Economic and Social Council and the World Bank and the IMF to strengthen their ties. The WTO is also involved in the UN's Financing for Development process in which the UK is playing an active role with our EU partners.

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