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Nuclear Fuel

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to publish information on the civil plutonium inventory. [129968]

Mrs. Liddell: Figures for the United Kingdom's civil plutonium holdings are published by my Department each year and are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The most recent were published on 13 June 2000 covering holdings at 31 December 1999.

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment (a) his Department, (b) consultants to his Department and (c) non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department have made of electrometallurgical techniques to process spent nuclear fuel as developed in the (i) United States and (ii) Russia. [129966]

Mrs. Liddell: DTI has made no assessment of electrometallurgical techniques to process spent nuclear fuels, nor have we commissioned consultants to do so. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, a non- departmental body reporting to DTI, recently considered pyrometallurgical processing (developed in the United States) as a potential technology for the future management of nuclear fuels at its Dounreay site. It concluded that the technology was not a practicable option for dealing with the non-metallic fuels at Dounreay, and that the waste products might not be acceptable in the UK without further treatment.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Moluccas

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received concerning the destruction of the Christian University in the Moluccas. [129457]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 July 2000, Official Report, column 390W. We are disturbed by press reports that State Pattimura University in Ambon has been attacked. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

11 Jul 2000 : Column: 476W

Kashmir

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about physical attacks on the Chairman of the Hurriyat conference in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [129946]

Mr. Hain: We are aware of media reports of an incident involving the Chairman of the all-party Hurriyat conference, Syed Ali Shah Gilani, on 30 June in Kashmir. We condemn all acts of violence and abuses of human rights which bring suffering to the people of Kashmir.

Greece

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government's assessment of UK threat levels to, and protective measures for, UK diplomatic staff in Greece has changed since the date of its submission on this subject to the Foreign Affairs Committee. [129758]

Mr. Battle [holding answer 7 July 2000]: We increased the level of our threat assessment to British Diplomatic and Military interests throughout mainland Greece in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Brigadier Saunders. No further change has been made since then. Measures to increase security are being implemented following the visit of a specialist security adviser.

Community Forums

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Community Forums held by his Department to encourage wider ethnic diversity in the Diplomatic Service. [129929]

Mr. Hain: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for hosting the successful Community Forum which the Department recently organised in Glasgow. Community Forums enable the Department to reach out to communities that might otherwise not have considered the Foreign Office as a career for their young people. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) hosted a Forum in Leeds yesterday. I am delighted that the Forums, together with other initiatives taken by the Department and which we continue to pursue, have led to a significant increase in the number of applications from members of minority ethnic communities.

Feira Presidency

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit in the Library the paper referred to in section II. A. 1 of the first annexe of the Feira Presidency conclusions. [129811]

Mr. Vaz: Yes.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason, in Annexe 1 of the Feira Presidency conclusions, DSACEUR rather than SACEUR will be consulted on the headline goal; and if he will make a statement on the proposed involvement of the United States Government. [129919]

11 Jul 2000 : Column: 477W

Mr. Vaz: DSACEUR operates under the overall command of SACEUR. NATO has made DSACEUR the focal point within the Alliance for issues relating to ESDI. Given DSACEUR's European responsibilities, he can make an important contribution to NATO input to the elaboration of the EU's Headline Goal.

The decisions taken at the Feira European Council will ensure effective transparency and dialogue between NATO and the EU, particular EU/NATO Working Groups on security, capability goals, EU access to NATO assets and permanent EU/NATO structures. The United States Government will be fully involved in this process. President Clinton has welcomed the Feira Conclusions.

European Treaties

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European documents have been designated as treaties by statutory instrument under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1973 in the periods (a) 1973 to 1982, (b) 1983 to 1993 and (c) 1994 to 1999. [130073]

Mr. Vaz: Between 1973 and 1982, 31 European Documents were designated as treaties under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. From 1983 to 1993 this number was 10, and from 1994 to 1999, 31.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the export of a truck to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [130365]

Mr. Hain: Following consultations with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry issued an export licence for an ex-military Bedford 4x4 truck for use by the Catholic Relief Service in Kinshasa. This will provide the Catholic Relief Service with the means to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance. We are satisfied that the truck will not be used for military purposes. This decision is consistent with and does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU Common Position on arms exports to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the export of two military rated trucks to the United Methodist Committee for Relief in Bosnia- Herzegovina. [130368]

Mr. Vaz: The Government have approved the export of two 4x4 wheel drive all purpose vehicles to the United Methodist Committee for Relief in Sarajevo. These goods are of ex-army stock and are rated on the Military List. The Committee needs the trucks to distribute relief to remote villages in the region. The Committee has substantially modified the trucks to curtail their military applications and has undertaken that the vehicles will be for their sole use.

This decision does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU Common Position on arms exports to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

11 Jul 2000 : Column: 478W

David Chell

Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Malaysia about the case of Mr. David Chell. [130085]

Mr. Hain: We have not yet made any representations about the case of David Chell in Malaysia. However, if the death sentence is upheld once the appeals process is exhausted we will make strong representations to the Malaysian Government to grant clemency and have the sentence commuted. We would also consider making representations if, after all legal remedies have been exhausted, Mr. Chell and his lawyer have prima facie evidence of a miscarriage or denial of justice.

Departmental Payments

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by his Department in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i) goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130032]

Mr. Hain: In 1998-99 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid 97.7 per cent. of such bills. In 1999 this figures rose to 97.9 per cent. Calculations are in accordance with HM Treasury's approved method.

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