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Middle East

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations calling for financial assistance following the prospective peace settlement in the Middle East, have been made to Her Majesty's Government by (i) Israel, (ii) the Palestinian Authorities and (iii) Jordan; and if he will make a statement. [132171]

Mr. Hain: The Palestinian Authority, Israel and Jordan are naturally keen that any peace settlement in the Middle East should be supported by the international community. The G8, in its conclusions from Okinawa, invited the international community to participate in the efforts to help the parties implement a peace agreement when it is reached. We support that call.

Merchant Navy Day

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that the Red Ensign is flown from departmental buildings on Merchant Navy Day, 3 September. [132957]

Mr. Robin Cook: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department today, Official Report, column 895W.

Ministerial Holidays

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the dates of holidays which are to be taken by him and the other Ministers in his Department. [132939]

Mr. Robin Cook: It is not normal practice to disclose Ministers' holiday plans, as this is personal information.

Official Trips

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the destinations and the purposes of the official trips which are to be undertaken by him and the Ministers in his Department between 24 July and 23 October. [132940]

Mr. Robin Cook: I visited Hungary and the Czech Republic on 24-26 July for meetings with my opposite numbers. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), is currently visiting Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras in connection with his responsibilities for Central and Latin America.

I shall be accompanying Her Majesty The Queen during the State Visit to Italy in October. As plans are finalised bilateral visits will be announced in the usual way. In addition to regular EU commitments, a number of multilateral events are being arranged for the period in question, including attendance at the UN General Assembly and ASEM.

27 Jul 2000 : Column: 827W

Molluccan Islands

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from (a) the Indonesian Government and (b) representatives of the Christian community in Indonesia concerning the conflict in the Molluccan islands; and what response he has given. [133147]

Mr. Battle: The information is as follows:

(a) I discussed the situation in Maluku with the Indonesian Ambassador on 3 July. The Indonesian Foreign Minister also briefed our Ambassador in Jakarta on developments on 10 July. The Head of the Diplomatic Service and our Ambassador in Jakarta have also discussed very recently the situation with President Wahid.

(b) A delegation of Christian clergy from Maluku called on officials of the South East Asia Department on 18 July. They gave a first hand account of the situation there.

We continue to keep up diplomatic pressure on the Indonesian Government to take effective action against extremists in Maluku and to guarantee safe access for humanitarian agencies.

Duty Rosters

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the daily ministerial Duty Roster for his Department during the summer adjournment. [133072]

Mr. Robin Cook: It is not the normal practice of Government to publish the daily ministerial Duty Roster. This Department will ensure that it has enough cover through the summer recess in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.

Zambia

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he has urged the Zambian Government to take to maintain the existing state of bilateral relations. [132825]

Mr. Hain: Our relations with Zambia are very good. I visited Lusaka from 10-11 May. I discussed governance, economic reform and corruption issues with a wide range of Zambians, including President Chiluba and the Ministers of Finance and Legal Affairs.

St. Helena

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will define the Government of St. Helena and list its members and by whom they are appointed. [132826]

Mr. Battle: The Executive Council of St. Helena is the Government of St. Helena, as established by Section 5 of the St. Helena Constitution Order 1988. The Executive Council consists of:

(a) three Ex-Officio Members,

(i) the Chief Secretary, Mr. John Styles

(ii) the Financial Secretary, Mr. Robert Dolan

(iii) the Attorney-General, Mr. Kurt Delano DeFreitas OBE

all appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The Attorney- General is a non-voting member of Council.

27 Jul 2000 : Column: 828W

(b) Five Members of the Legislative Council who are Chairmen of Council Committees,

(i) the Hon. Terrence F. Richards, Chairman, Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee

(ii) the Hon. Robert M. Robertson, Chairman, Education Committee

(iii) the Hon. William E. Drabble, Chairman, Employment and Social Security Committee

(iv) the Hon. Eric W. George MBE, Chairman, Public Health and Social Services Committee

(v) the Hon. Stedson R. George, Chairman, Public Works and Services Committee

all elected as Council Chairmen by Legislative Council and appointed by the Governor.

At present two Councillors, the Hon. William E. Drabble and the Hon. Eric W. George, are overseas. The Hon. Mervyn R. Yon, the Acting Chairman of the Public Health and Social Services Committee, and the Hon. Clive R. Duncan, the Acting Chairman of the Employment and Social Security Committee were appointed as Temporary Members of Executive Council by the Governor under section 5(2)(a) of the Constitution.

As provided for by the Constitution the Governor presides at Meetings of the Executive Council. The President Governor Mr. David J. Hollamby was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen with effect from 24 June 1999.

Airline Safety

Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what advice officials in his Department have offered to the travelling public about the safety of specific airlines within India; [133054]

(2) what advice officials in his Department have offered to British civil servants and diplomats regarding the safety of specific airlines in India; [133056]

(3) about which airlines officials in his Department have conveyed safety concerns to British diplomats and civil servants in each of the last 10 years. [133055]

Mr. Hain: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letters in the Libraries of the House.

Pakistan

Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the explanatory statement in respect of Riffat Begum, Islamabad, reference 15B/GO290, will be forwarded to the Independent Appellate Authority. [133133]

Mr. Vaz: The explanatory statement in respect of Riffat Begum, Islamabad reference G0290, was despatched to the Independent Appellate Authority on 7 December 1999.

Opium

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the UN Drugs Control Programme research into pleospora papaveracea to control the cultivation of illicitly grown opium poppies to be completed. [132852]

Mr. Battle: The project is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2001.

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Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what financial support his Department has provided to Long Ashton Research Station of the Institute of Arable Crops Research since 1997; and what this financial assistance is intended for; [132856]

(2) pursuant to his answers of 13 July 2000, Official Report, column 653W, on drugs control, what steps he has taken to ensure that United Kingdom funding of UNDCP research into pleospora papaveracea to control the cultivation of illicit opium poppies is not used for research (a) into other fungi or (b) the control of other illicit crops. [132830]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Long Ashton Research Station of the Institute of Arable Crops Research provides the UN Drugs Control Programme in respect of research into pleospora papaveracea. [132853]

Mr. Battle: Two scientists from the Institute of Genetics in Tashkent, who are working on UNDCP sponsored research into pleospora papaveracea, visited the Long Ashton Research Centre in April 1999 to study methods used in the formulation and application of microbial herbicides. A scientist from Long Ashton has been acting as an adviser to the research programme since its inception.

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