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Handcuffs

Mr. Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the export controls on pairs of handcuffs and their individual component cuffs. [133858]

Mr. Hain: The Government have decided to introduce a control on individual "bracelet" cuffs having an internal perimeter when fully locked in excess of 165mm and shackles (i.e. including handcuffs) made therewith. This will be made by an amendment to the Export of Goods (Control) Order. Companies wishing to export such equipment will need to apply to the Department of Trade for an export licence. Such applications will be judged on a case by case basis against the national criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct.

The control remains on shackles having a maximum locked dimension exceeding 240mm overall (i.e. including cuffs and connecting chain).

Ministers' Spouses (Hospitality)

Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 20 July 2000, Official Report, column 269W, if he will give the same information on stays by unaccompanied spouses of Ministers at the Lisbon Embassy as for the Residence; and if he will make a statement. [133935]

Mr. Vaz: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 July 2000, Official Report, column 269W. Guests do not stay at the Embassy; they stay at the Residence.

General Pinochet

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of legal processes in Chile against General Pinochet is being undertaken by the British embassy; and if he will make a statement. [133955]

Mr. Battle: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Kosovo

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Ministry of Defence police and (b) police from the Royal Ulster Constabulary are serving in Kosovo. [133584]

Mr. Hain: There are currently 56 Ministry of Defence police officers and 58 Royal Ulster Constabulary officers serving with the United Nations International Police in Kosovo.

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of

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the extra costs arising from transit time across the Kosovo-Macedonia border. [133583]

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

Moluccas

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in the Moluccas. [133720]

Mr. Battle: We receive regular reports from our embassy, NGOs and others. As the situation is fast developing, I will write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department gives to United Kingdom citizens intending to visit the Moluccas. [133722]

Mr. Hain: The FCO Travel Advice for Indonesia contains the following advice for the Moluccas.

We advise against travel to Maluku Province. The Indonesian Government has declared a state of civil emergency, including a ban on all travel to North Maluku and Maluku Provinces. Intercommunal violence between Christians and Moslems in Ambon has spread to other parts of the Moluccas. The situation is unstable and dangerous.

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Moluccas. [133721]

Mr. Battle: We receive regular reports from our embassy, NGOs and others. As the situation is fast developing, I will write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Fiji

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to promote an early return to democratic Government in Fiji; and if he will make a statement. [133242]

Mr. Battle: Following the release of the hostages on 13 July and the armed overthrow of Fiji's democratically elected government we recalled our High Commissioner in Fiji for consultations. We also summoned the Fijian High Commissioner in London to make clear our disappointment that the new Fijian administration included individuals associated with Speight that the 1997 Constitution had been abrogated and to insist that Speight and his gang be brought to justice. We and EU partners made similar representations locally.

On 21 July we announced a number of targeted measures against Fiji,

urging EU partners to open consultations under Article 366a of the Lome Convention to establish a timetable for return to democracy; all new EU aid to Fiji is currently on hold;

pressing our EU partners to impose restrictions on travel by Speight and his associates;

cancelling all FCO-funded assistance to Fiji's government;

cancelling of naval visits and joint military exercises. All defence cooperation with Fiji will remain under review.

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no licenses for any arms or security equipment for export to Fiji where there is a clear risk that it will be used for internal repression.

We are consulting Commonwealth and EU partners on the next steps and on ways to promote an early return to constitutional and democratic government in Fiji. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, of which the UK is a member, meets in New York on 14 September to review its decision on 16 June to suspend Fiji from its councils, and to monitor Fiji's progress in drawing up a roadmap back to democracy.

War Crimes (Srebrenica)

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the International War Crimes Tribunal for Yugoslavia will publish the forensic evidence on Srebrenica. [133448]

Mr. Hain: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) gathers forensic evidence for use in the prosecution of suspected war criminals. ICTY have produced significant amounts of evidence from Srebrenica in open court, for example in the ongoing trial of General Krstic. Records of trials are available to the public on ICTY's website (www.un.org/icty).

Western Sahara

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are giving to the UN Peace Plan in respect of the Saharawi people's right to self- determination. [133449]

Mr. Hain: We have supported the UN Settlement Plan for the western Sahara since its inception, and all UN efforts to bring about a just, durable and agreed resolution to this dispute. The UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, James Baker, have reported fundamental differences between the two parties to the dispute--Morocco and the Polisario Front--on the provisions of the UN Settlement Plan. They are working to resolve these differences, including the possibility of the parties agreeing to a mutually acceptable political solution. We support these efforts. And we continue to believe that a just solution depends on the people of the western Sahara having the right to express their will at the ballot box.

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money has been allocated by Her Majesty's Government towards the UN proposals for a referendum on the western Sahara. [133450]

Mr. Hain: In financial year 1999, the UK contributed £1.014 million in assessed contributions towards the running costs for MINURSO, the UN mission in the western Sahara.

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Due to lack of time before the end of the parliamentary session, we have not been able to collate the figures for previous years. I will write to my hon. Friend shortly with these figures and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Indonesia

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EC counterparts on the reimposition of restrictive measures against Indonesia following the repetition of violence in East Timor. [133428]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge), on 26 July 2000, Official Report, columns 641-42W. We deplore the death of Private Manning of the New Zealand Army on 24 July during an incursion by rogue militia. This is the first peacekeeper to be killed in combat in the territory since August 1999. Efforts are currently under way in the UN to put pressure on Indonesia to ensure full implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tactical Co-ordination in the Border Area signed on 11 April this year.

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for a unilateral arms embargo on Indonesia. [133431]

Mr. Battle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 26 July 2000, Official Report, columns 461-62W.

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