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External Consultants
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been spent by the Lord Chancellor's Department on external consultants and advisers since May 1997 funded from (i) his Department's programme provision and (ii) the Lord Chancellor's Department's running costs. [99487]
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Mr. Lock:
Expenditure for the Department for the financial years April 1997 to March 1999 is as follows, inclusive of current spend:
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available (a) in what percentage of cases where a grandparent was given leave to apply for a contact order in relation to a grandchild a contact order has been granted by the courts and (b) in what percentage of such cases the grandparent's application was opposed by the child's parent. [98479]
Jane Kennedy:
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what period his committee on appointments of General Commissioners of Taxation in the London area has been without a chairman. [98615]
Mr. Lock:
There are 16 Advisory Committees on appointments of General Commissioners of Income Tax in the Greater London area. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is currently considering the most appropriate structure for Advisory Committees in Greater London area, given that there are few appointments made every year. Three committees are currently without Chairmen. The Acton and Kensington Advisory Committee has been without a chairman since 1997; the Westminster and Southwark Committee since December 1998; and Inner Temple since February 1999.
To the end of October 1999: £9,579,287.
£129,974 of this has been provided from programmed provision and the remainder from running costs.
Indonesia
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to seek to extend the EU arms embargo and suspension of military assistance to Indonesia beyond January 2000. [99499]
Mr. Battle: The EU embargo will remain in force until 17 January 2000. It would then require unanimous EU Member State agreement to be extended. We are maintaining a close watch on the situation in Indonesia and East Timor so that a judgment can be made on whether any further action would be appropriate.
East Timor
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violation in East Timor to begin its work. [99500]
Mr. Battle:
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations endorsed the setting up of the UN Commission of Inquiry into violations of international
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humanitarian and human rights law in East Timor on 15 November. The Commission began work shortly after that date.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government concerning the return of East Timorese, at present in West Timor, to their own country. [99498]
Mr. Battle:
We have consistently pressed the Indonesian Government on the importance of assisting in the swift passage of displaced East Timorese back to their homes. Our Ambassador in Indonesia visited West Timor from 1-4 November and pressed senior local political leaders to act more decisively to enable refugee returns. We understand that the TNI and INTERFET are no co-operating more closely. To date, over 92,000 refugees have returned from West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from (a) the Secretary General of the UN and (b) states which have signed the Ottawa Convention, in relation to the alleged sales of anti-personnel mines at the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition in Chertsey, Surrey. [99508]
Mr. Hain:
I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given on 3 November 1999, Official Report, columns 213-14, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Rwandan Government concerning Lt. Colonel Tharcissi Muvunyi. [99496]
Mr. Hain:
President Bizimungu raised Muvunyi with the then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd), during his visit to Rwanda in February. Muvunyi was raised again this month by the Rwandan Ambassador during a meeting with FCO officials. We encouraged the Rwandans to pass any information they had on Muvynyi, and other genocide suspects, to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda so that they may judge whether or not there are grounds for prosecution.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to investigate the case of Lt. Colonel Tharcissi Muvunyi. [99497]
Mr. Hain:
It is the responsibility of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to investigate the allegations of genocide which have been made against Lt. Colonel Muvunyi. We are working closely with the Tribunal on this.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of 6 ML1 SIELS and 1 ML1 OIEL exported to Bahrain this year. [99505]
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Mr. Hain:
All export licence applications for Bahrain for ML1 equipment this year have been for private/ recreational use by the ruling family or for national defence by the Bahrain Defence Force who are not involved in internal security.
All export licences for Bahrain are considered against the established criteria, including whether there is a clearly identifiable risk of the equipment being used for external aggression or internal repression, in which case it will be refused.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning a British company's involvement in the supply of equipment and training to the Sudanese for the extraction of oil in southern Sudan. [99501]
Mr. Hain:
Officials in British Trade International and the FCO keep in regular touch on the Sudan. British companies, along with many others from other European and other countries, have supplied equipment to the oil industry.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Trade and Industry concerning export licences to Sudan. [99504]
Mr. Hain:
Any export licence applications received by the DTI concerning the Sudan are circulated to the FCO for advice. A full scope EU arms embargo is in force and is likely to remain as long as the civil war continues.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made recently to (a) the EU and (b) the UN concerning the effect of the oil fields in southern Sudan on the continuing civil war there; [99502]
Mr. Hain:
We keep in regular contact with the EU, the UN, and other colleagues on the situation in the Sudan; including on the impact of oil which has recently started to be exported. We are making the case strongly, including in Khartoum, that revenues should be used for development projects and that there should be transparency in accounting for the expenditure. We note that certain public assurances have been given to that effect, and look to the Government to implement them.
We expect the EU arms embargo to remain as long as war in the Sudan continues.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many targets have been agreed between his Department and (i) local authorities and (ii) other bodies apart from his own agencies and non-departmental bodies since May 1997. [99479]
Mr. Hain:
The Department has not agreed any targets with either local authorities or other bodies apart from the Department's own agencies and non-departmental bodies since May 1997.
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Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been spent by his Department on external consultants and advisers since May 1997 funded from (i) his Department's programme provision and (ii) his Department's running costs. [99489]
Mr. Hain:
During the period 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent £46.1 million on external consultancy and advice, relating principally to technical expertise for major capital projects, in particular major information technology and estates development at home and overseas. Identifying expenditure on consultancy and advice funded from programme provision which is not held centrally could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
(2) what discussions he has had with the EU and IGAD concerning the role of oil in the war in the Sudan. [99503]
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