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Yugoslavia
Mr. Woolas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the changes to the EU oil embargo against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [99984]
Mr. Hain: On 15 November, the Council of the European Union adopted EC Regulation 2421/1999 which amends EC Regulation 2111/1999 prohibiting the sale and supply of petroleum and petroleum products to certain parts of the FRY.
The Regulation provides for member states to authorise the sale, supply or export of such goods provided that they take place within the framework of the Energy for Democracy initiative to provide certain Serbian municipalities with energy and that conclusive evidence has been presented to member states' authorities that the end-users or final destinations are the municipalities listed in an annex to the Regulation.
The Regulation entered into force on 16 November 1999 and is directly applicable in the UK. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Supply, Sale and Export of Petroleum and Petroleum Products) (Penalties and Licences) (No. 3) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/2821) came into force on 14 October 1999 and provides for licensing and enforcement, including penalties.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 15 September from the hon. and learned Member for Orkney and Shetland to the Home Secretary and transferred to his Department on 22 September for the visa application for Amra Jabeen. [99229]
Mr. Vaz:
Our High Commission in Islamabad has provided a report and I will be replying shortly to the hon. and learned Member's letter. I apologise for the delay in responding.
Mr. Wallace:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of correspondence addressed to the Migration and Visa Correspondence Unit is responded to within the 20 working days target set by the Department. [99230]
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Mr. Vaz:
From 1 January to 31 October 1999, 64 per cent. of correspondence handled by the Visa Correspondence Unit was responded to within 20 working days.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for entry clearance to enter the UK under the terms of the EC Association Agreements were made at British embassies in (a) Bratislava, (b) Bucharest, (c) Prague, (d) Sofia and (e) Warsaw, in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999; and how many were issued and how many refused in each of these years. [99286]
Mr. Vaz:
The following visa applications were submitted under the terms of the EC Association Agreements to British Embassies in Bratislava, Bucharest, Prague, Sofia and Warsaw between 1997-99:
| Post | Received | Issued | Refused |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bratislava | |||
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999(12) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Bucharest | |||
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1998 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1999(12) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prague (13) | |||
| 1997 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999(12) | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Sofia (13) | |||
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1998 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 1999(12) | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| Warsaw | |||
| 1997 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 1999(12) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
(12) To 20 November
(13) Separate statistics not held; represents best estimate
Sierra Leone
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 Sierra Leone. [98742]
Mr. Hain: The overall security situation in Sierra Leone remains volatile. We remain concerned over the violations of the Lome Peace Agreement and the ceasefire, and the consequent humanitarian impact on the people of Sierra Leone.
We call on all parties to implement the Lome Peace Agreement immediately and in full. The parties must now live up to their commitment to lay down their arms and
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enter the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration camps. This is vital if all people in Sierra Leone are at last to live in peace and security.
We are working closely with the United Nations to ensure the early deployment of a robust United Nations peacekeeping operation. This will help create a climate of confidence for the parties to implement the Lome Peace Agreement.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to expel the chief UNITA representative in the United Kingdom to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1127 (1997); [99160]
Mrs. Roche:
I have been asked to reply.
Mr. Kandeya was instructed to leave the United Kingdom following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1127. His application for leave to remain in the United Kingdom was refused on 13 October 1998. On the same day my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department also informed Mr. Kandeya of his decision to make a deportation order against him. Mr. Kandeya's appeals against both decisions remain outstanding. We have recently had unconfirmed reports that Mr. Kandeya has left the United Kingdom. Should these be confirmed his application for leave to remain will lapse and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will write to the independent appellate authorities to seek a ruling that his appeal to them has been abandoned.
(2) if he will make a statement on the current whereabouts of the chief UNITA representative in the United Kingdom. [99161]
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps in his next Budget to reduce the VAT rate payable on energy-saving materials; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on this. [99545]
Dawn Primarolo: This Government have already reduced to 5 per cent.--the lowest level allowed under EC law--the VAT rate applicable to grant-funded installation of energy saving materials in the homes of the less well off. EC VAT law does not allow the UK to apply a reduced VAT rate to sales of energy saving materials for DIY installation.
Stamp Duty Revenue
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecasts his Department has made of stamp duty revenue from securities in the years ending (a) April 2000, (b) April 2001 and (c) April 2002. [R] [99182]
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Miss Melanie Johnson
[holding answer 22 November 1999]: The information is as follows.
| £ billion | |
|---|---|
| 1999-2000 (Estimate) | 3.0 |
| 2000-01 (Projection) | 3.0 |
Pensions
Mr. Ian Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend the survivor benefits under public service pensions schemes to persons other than widows, widowers or children. [99390]
Mr. Andrew Smith: As set out in December 1998 in the Green Paper "A New Contract for Welfare: Partnership in Pensions" (Cm 4179), the Government are prepared to consider how practicable arrangements could be devised for a statutory pension scheme to extend survivor pensions to unmarried partners of scheme members, if the general membership of the scheme sought that change and if scheme members were prepared to meet the costs of it. There is no central policy on whether such a change should be made by any public service scheme. It is a matter for the Department responsible for each public service pension scheme, in the light of the wishes of the membership of each scheme.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the administrators of the Management Systems Development Limited pension scheme applied to his Department for the calculation of the guaranteed minimum pensions of the members of the scheme; in respect of how many members of the scheme the calculations have been completed; how many calculations are not yet completed; and by what date he expects the task to be completed. [99457]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Finalised guaranteed minimum pension calculations for all former members of the Management Systems Development Limited pension scheme were completed by August 1997. The scheme's case was finally concluded in August 1999.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for the calculation of guaranteed minimum pensions are awaiting decision by his Department; how many of these have been outstanding for more than (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years and (d) over four years; and if he will make a statement. [99459]
Miss Melanie Johnson: None of the 7,615 applications for Guaranteed Minimum Pension calculations presently awaiting decision are over one year old.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of pension schemes in administration have had their guaranteed minimum pensions calculated by his Department in the last six months; and in respect of how many such members calculations have not yet been made. [99458]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
74,591 Guaranteed Minimum Pension calculations have been processed in the last six months and 7,615 are presently awaiting formal action.
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