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12 Jul 2000 : Column: 539W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 12 July 2000

WALES

Appointments (Women)

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of the (a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129851]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The information requested as follows:



On 1 July 1999, responsibility for most appointments to non-departmental public bodies in Wales transferred to the National Assembly for Wales. I have made no appointments since that date.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Overseas Territories Bill

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 12 May 2000, Official Report, column 496W, and 5 May 2000, Official Report, column 240W, if he will publish the Overseas Territories Bill in draft. [129261]

Mr. Battle: Our priority is to introduce the Bill into the House as soon as Parliamentary time becomes available. We will consider options for publication within that context.

Mexico

Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the conduct of the recent elections in Mexico. [129930]

Mr. Battle: The Government welcome the outcome of the Mexican Presidential elections and congratulate Vicente Fox on his historic victory. We will work to establish the same excellent relations with him and his administration which we have enjoyed under his predecessor, Ernesto Zedillo.

We are particularly pleased that the elections passed off so smoothly and that there have been no allegations of serious irregularities.

Yemen

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Yemeni Government on the death penalty passed by the Aden Tawaki Court on the Somali

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national Mohammed Omer Haji for converting to Christianity unless he recants and returns to Islam and on Yemen's apostasy laws. [130075]

Mr. Hain: Our Ambassador in Sana'a raised the case of Mohamed Omer Haji with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah al-Sayedi on 9 July and made clear our concerns. We understand that Mohamed Omer Haji has not yet been sentenced. His case resumes on 12 July. We stand ready to raise the matter again with the Yemeni government.

Appointments (Women)

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of the (a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129847]

Mr. Hain: Since 1 May 1997, Ministers in the Department have made



The Department is committed to increasing the representation of women in public life. To that end, it has drawn up an action plan for increasing the number of women holding public appointments to 35 per cent. by 2000 and to 50 per cent. by 2003. The Department's latest plans, together with the Government's overall plan, were published on 24 May 2000 in "Quangos: Opening up Public Appointments 2000--2003", copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

Colombia

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States concerning possible repercussions for the environment of the use of GM fungicide on coca crops in Colombia. [130018]

Mr. Battle: We are not aware of the use of GM fungicides on coca crops in Colombia. No representations have been made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the US Government on this issue.

The US Government are providing funding to the United Nations Drug Control Programme as part of its research into the possible use of Fusarium Oxysporum, a naturally-occurring fungus, in coca eradication programmes. Field trials on Fusarium Oxysporum have not yet been conducted in Colombia. Before these take place further research would need to be carried out inter alia to confirm that it is specific to coca and would not harm agricultural crops and other plant species. Field testing and any subsequent eradication campaign would also have to be approved by the Colombian Government.

Ballistic Missile Threat

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat of attack on the UK by missiles launched from (a) Iran, (b) Iraq, (c) North Korea and (d) other states. [130019]

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Mr. Vaz: Our current assessment is that there is no significant ballistic missile threat to the UK at present.

We continue to monitor developments in this area closely.

European Convention on Human Rights

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the protocols for the European Convention on Human Rights, indicating the rights in each protocol and the members of the Council of Europe which have not ratified these protocols in each case. [129732]

Mr. Hain: The information requested is publicly available. Full details of the Protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights, and which Council of Europe member states have signed and ratified in each case, can be found on the website of the European Court of Human Rights (http://www.echr.coe.int).

Zimbabwe

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the election process in Zimbabwe. [130431]

Mr. Hain: We welcome the detailed EU and Commonwealth Observer Mission reports. Both made clear that the election campaign was marred by violence and intimidation. Despite this, about half of the electorate turned out to vote in polls which were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner. For the first time Zimbabwe has a sizeable opposition in Parliament, and the result demonstrates a clear desire for change on the part of the people of Zimbabwe. The Movement for Democratic Change is proposing to mount legal challenges in 26 constituencies.

The EU report has been placed in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Appointments (Women)

Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of the (a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129850]

Mr. Mandelson: Responsibility for this subject has been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and is therefore no longer a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

New Millennium Experience Company

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the revised business plan and budget of the New Millennium Experience Company. [125026]

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Janet Anderson [holding answer 8 June 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) current business plan is based on 6 million revenue-generating visitors. Should visitor numbers fall below this level the business plan will need to be reviewed. Details of the business plan are commercially confidential. NMEC's most recent budget, contained within the business plan, is as follows:



Total budget is £758 million plus an additional £3 million granted by the Millennium Commission to enhance marketing of the Millennium Experience.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will answer the question from the hon. Member for East Surrey (ref. 125026) tabled on 5 June, concerning the publication of the revised Budget and Business Plan of the New Millennium Experience Company. [128005]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 27 June 2000]: I have answered the hon. Member's question today, Official Report, column 544W.

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