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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Qualified Majority Voting
Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances QMV applies to the Common Foreign and Security Policy, specifying the treaty base; from which treaty the power was derived; on what decisions it has been used; and in respect of which matters. [141431]
Mr. Vaz: Article 23 of the Treaty on European Union states that
- the Council shall act by qualified majority--when adopting joint actions, common positions or taking any other decision on the basis of a common strategy;--when adopting any decision implementing a joint action or a common position.
- The Council, when adopting a joint action, shall define those matters on which decisions will be taken by qualified majority.
Article 23 of the TEU goes on to state that
- If a member of the Council declares that, for important and stated reasons of national policy, it intends to oppose the adoption of a decision to be taken by qualified majority, a vote shall not be taken. The Council may, acting by a qualified majority, request that the matter be referred to the European Council for decision by unanimity. The votes of the members of the Council shall be weighted in accordance with Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community. For their adoption, decisions shall require at least 62 votes in favour, cast by at least 10 members. This paragraph shall not apply to decisions having military or defence implications.
Lord Levy
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Lord Levy's visit to Latin America was made on behalf of the Prime Minister as his personal envoy. [142076]
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) the visits made by Lord Levy as a member of Panel 2000 and (b) the objectives and outcomes of these visits since 1 April 1998; and if he will make a statement. [142071]
Mr. Battle: Lord Levy's work for Panel 2000 has not included any visits.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of the expenses that Lord Levy has claimed from Panel 2000 since 1 April 1998. [142070]
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Mr. Battle: Membership of Panel 2000 is unpaid. Lord Levy has claimed no expenses.
Family Visit Visas
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many appeals against a refusal of a visa to visit a family member in the UK have (a) been lodged at posts abroad and (b) been received by the Immigration Appellate Authority since (i) 2 October, (ii) 1 November and (iii) 1 December. [142087]
Mr. Vaz: Our latest information from the 100 largest entry clearance posts, which submit monthly statistical data, is that 18 family visit appeals had been lodged by the end of October. The Immigration Appellate Authority, which covers all 164 entry clearance posts, has received appeals as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 2 October to 31 October | 1 |
| 1 November to 30 November | 57 |
| 1 December to 8 December | 23 |
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many refusals of a family visit visa application have been overturned by entry clearance managers after submission of an appeal since 2 October. [142089]
Mr. Vaz: According to the statistics received so far, two refusals (Islamabad and Lagos) have been overturned by entry clearance managers after submission of an appeal since 2 October.
Former Yugoslavia
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from his Yugoslav counterpart that the new administration in Belgrade will co-operate with the International War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. [141396]
Mr. Hain: The Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are in no doubt about their international obligation to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Contacts between ICTY and the Government in Belgrade are ongoing. In particular, the FRY Government have now agreed to the re-opening of the ICTY Liaison office in Belgrade.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Presevo Valley. [141399]
Mr. Vaz: The activities of armed ethnic Albanian extremists in the Presevo Valley area of southern Serbia continue to be a matter of concern to the international community, as well as to the Serbian and Yugoslav authorities. We welcome the constructive dialogue between the Yugoslav authorities and KFOR/NATO on this issue, and are pleased that this has helped to lower tensions. A lasting resolution to the current situation can only be found through dialogue involving the local communities, not through confrontation or violence.
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Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the results of the Bosnia-Herzegovina general elections. [141398]
Mr. Vaz: Bosnia and Herzegovina held general elections under OSCE supervision on 11 November. Voters chose between 44 political parties and 6,000 candidates for six levels of Government. The OSCE released final verified results on 27 November. In the State-level Parliamentary Assembly and the Federation House of Representatives, moderate parties won a slim majority of seats. In Republika Srpska, candidates for the nationalist Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) won the Presidency and the Vice-presidency and emerged as the largest single party in the Republika Srpska National Assembly, with 31 of the 82 seats.
Although it will take several months for coalition Governments to emerge in the Federation, Republika Srpska or in the State-level Parliamentary Assembly, both the war-time nationalist and moderate parties are claiming victory. Nationalists point to the increased SDS vote and the relative success of the HDZ and the SDA. In fact, the results confirmed the progressive trend (seen in every election since Dayton) way from the nationalist parties. Thus for the first time since Dayton, the nationalist parties failed to secure a majority at either Entity or State level.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Yugoslav counterpart on securing the release of the Kosovo Albanian prisoners detained in Serbia. [141397]
Mr. Vaz: We have repeatedly made clear the importance we attach to the rapid resolution of this issue. In a statement on 1 November, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the release of Dr. Flora Brovina, who had been illegally detained by the Milosevic regime, and urged President Kostunica to release the other Kosovo Albanian prisoners detained in similar circumstances. We have re-emphasised this point in discussions through our Embassy in Belgrade.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Yugoslav Government's demands that the Kumanavo agreement be renegotiated; and if he will make a statement. [141400]
Mr. Vaz: President Kostunica confirmed publicly on 3 December that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will respect both the Kumanavo Military Technical Agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. We welcome the ongoing dialogue between KFOR/NATO and Yugoslav authorities on developments in the Presevo valley. A lasting solution in this area can be found only through dialogue.
European Security and Defence Policy
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the WEU and the EU have agreed on how they are to co-operate during the transitional period until the EU's crisis-management structures become fully operational. [141336]
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Mr. Vaz: Under the authority of WEU Secretary- General/CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana, there is close co-ordination between the WEU and the EU on the transfer of certain functions from the WEU to the EU.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements the EU has made for non-EU NATO members to contribute to EU decisions on defence crisis management. [141332]
Mr. Vaz: The Nice European Council agreed extensive arrangements to involve non-EU European members of NATO in EU military crisis management. Those countries have the right to take part in any EU-led operation involving NATO assets and capabilities. Nice also made initial proposals regarding the involvement of Canada in ESDP.
In any operation in which non-member states take part they will have the same rights and obligations in the day-to-day conduct of that operation as participating member states.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the rights of non-EU European NATO members and other accession candidates (a) within the new ESDP structures and (b) their status in WEU as associate members and associate partners. [141338]
Mr. Vaz: The Nice European Council took decisions on arrangements for the involvement in ESDP of non-EU European members of NATO and other accession candidates. These provide for the fullest possible association of such countries in EU-led military operations in times of crisis. These countries' status as WEU associate members and associate partners is unaffected by developments in the EU.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what progress has been made in settling means of parliamentary scrutiny over the CESDP; and if he will make a statement; [141334]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the proposals by the European Parliament to offer representatives of national Parliaments a limited opportunity for involvement in parliamentary scrutiny over CESDP. [141335]
Mr. Vaz: Decisions on the deployment of United Kingdom forces on EU-led military crisis management operations are decisions for the Government of the United Kingdom. They will be taken by the Prime Minister, in the same way that decisions to deploy United Kingdom forces on the operations of any international organisation, including NATO or the United Nations, are taken. The Government will be accountable to Parliament for those decisions.
European Union documents relating to common European security and defence policy will come within the scope of procedures for parliamentary scrutiny of all EU common foreign and security policy decisions.
The European Parliament will continue to exercise scrutiny over all aspects of common foreign and security policy in accordance with the provisions of Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union.
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The Prime Minister has proposed the creation of a second chamber of the European Parliament, to be composed of representatives from the national Parliaments of EU member states. Such a chamber could provide a forum for the consideration of CESDP matters in the future.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the basis and structure of consultation between the EU and non-EU NATO countries will be established. [141337]
Mr. Vaz: The Nice European Council agreed arrangements for consultation with non-EU European NATO countries and made initial proposals regarding consultation with Canada.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in developing permanent consultation bodies for co-operation between the EU and NATO. [141333]
Mr. Vaz: The Nice European Council made proposals for permanent arrangements to provide for co-operation, consultation and transparency between the EU and NATO. This followed detailed discussion in EU/NATO working groups over the last few months. We want to see EU/NATO permanent arrangements finalised as soon as possible.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the impact of the ESDP on NATO's primary rights to first resort for (a) collective defence and (b) crisis management. [141331]
Mr. Vaz: NATO remains the foundation of the collective defence of its members and retains an important role in crisis management. The EU will act in military crisis management only where NATO as a whole is not engaged. This was agreed by EU Heads of State and Government at the European Council in Helsinki in December 1999. Nothing in the evolution of ESDP has changed that position.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on how NATO members are to be consulted on when and where the EU may act in an emergency crisis. [141339]
Mr. Vaz: The Nice European Council endorsed proposals to provide full consultation, co-operation and transparency between the EU and NATO. These EU proposals are now for negotiation with NATO.
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