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Southern Serbia
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding an international military presence in Presevo Valley. [153113]
Mr. Vaz: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in southern Serbia with his EU and NATO counterparts at ministerial meetings on 26 and 27 February. He remains in close touch with them.
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Middle East Peace Process
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will meet the new Israeli administration to discuss the Middle East peace process. [153025]
Mr. Wilson: The Prime Minister spoke to the new Israeli Prime Minister on 7 February. The Foreign Secretary sent a message of congratulation to the new Israeli Foreign Minister on 7 March. We are in frequent contact with both Israeli and Palestinian representatives, and with other regional Governments.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposals by Bosnian Croat nationalists to announce the creation of a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement. [153103]
Mr. Vaz: The declaration on 3 March by the self-styled Croat National Congress of Bosnia and Herzegovina made clear their intention to place themselves outside the provisions of the Dayton/Paris accords. This is utterly unacceptable. The Bosnia Croat people's future lies in the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina; their legitimate interests can be pursued only through full participation in the State and Federation structures.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many refugees, including internally displaced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are still without permanent secure access to their pre-war homes. [153108]
Mr. Vaz: According to the UNHCR, a total of 781,900 people are currently without access to their pre-war homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This includes 263,500 refugees and 518,400 internally displaced persons.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made in reconstructing Bosnia and Herzegovina's infrastructure and the institution building process. [153099]
Mr. Vaz: It will take some time to collate the information requested by the right hon. Member. I will write to him when it is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [153105]
Mr. Vaz: I refer to my answer to the right hon. Gentleman's question today, Official Report, column 395W.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been allocated by the European Union for refugee returns in Bosnia and Herzegovina for each year since the Dayton Peace accords was signed; and how much has been delivered. [153107]
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Mr. Vaz: It will take some time to collate all the information requested by the right hon. Member. I will write to him once it is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his EU counterparts regarding the Bosnian Croat plans to create a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. [153104]
Mr. Vaz: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with his EU colleagues about Bosnia Croat plans to create a separate Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, EU Foreign Ministers will be meeting on 19-20 March for the next General Affairs Council in Brussels, and High Representative Wolfgang Petrisch will be present. It is expected that this issue will be addressed.
The Swedish Presidency issued a statement on behalf of the EU on 7 March, which condemned moves to create a separate Croat entity and reaffirmed the EU's support for the High Representative's actions, including the removal of President Ante Jelavic and three Bosnian Croat officials.
Balkans
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Montenegro, (c) southern Serbia and (d) Kosovo. [153110]
Mr. Vaz: In Bosnia and Herzegovina the security situation remains calm. We have no specific concerns about the security situation in Montenegro.
The violent activities of Albanian extremists in southern Serbia are of serious concern to the Yugoslav and Serbian Governments, and to the international community. We welcome the restraint shown by the Yugoslav/Serbian authorities and the proposals they have presented to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. We are working with our partners and Allies to support this process.
The security situation in Kosovo is much improved since 1999 when UNMIK and KFOR were established. Nevertheless, criminally, ethnically and politically motivated violence remains a serious problem. Efforts to counter this is a key priority for UNMIK and KFOR.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of continued support by the newly elected Belgrade administration to nationalist elements in Bosnia's entity Republika Srpska. [153101]
Mr. Vaz: The FRY and Serbian Government in Belgrade have publicly expressed their support for the Dayton/Paris accords, and their intention to work within the framework established at Dayton.
On 5 March, an agreement was signed establishing a special parallel relationship between FRY and Republika Srpska. Such agreements are allowed under the Dayton/Paris accords, and the agreement was approved in advance by the High Representative. We hope that this will formalise relations between the democratically
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elected Governments in both the FRY and Republika Srpska, increase transparency, and enhance regional stability.
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions are attached to (a) Government's, (b) the EU's and (c) the Stability Pact's aid for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [153109]
Mr. Vaz: HMG provides technical assistance to support the commitment by the FRY authorities to pluralist democracy and a market economy. We also assist civil society on the understanding that it contributes to service delivery and democracy.
Following the fall of Milosevic, the EU provided 200m euro in emergency humanitarian aid to the FRY for fuel, emergency food supplies and medicine and a further 240m euro distributed via the European Reconstruction Agency. No specific conditionality was attached to this aid. The swift EU response was in support of the new democratic Government of President Kostunica. FRY will also be eligible for EU aid under the new regional programme CARDS, subject to it meeting the following conditions: respect for democracy, the rule of law, human and minority rights, fundamental freedoms and principles of international law.
The Stability Pact co-ordinates aid with a regional dimension in south-east Europe. Broadly, such aid should contribute to the stability of the region, but it is for the donor states and funding institutions to decide whether to attach any conditions to disbursement, including to the FRY. Stability Pact funding via CARDS will therefore be subject to the same EU criteria as outlined.
TREASURY
Contributions Agency Staff
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Contributions Agency staff have been (a) disciplined, (b) prosecuted and (c) dismissed for misusing National Insurance numbers in each year since 1992. [152409]
Dawn Primarolo: Since 1992, there have been no incidents of Contributions Agency, or latterly Inland Revenue, National Insurance Contribution Office, staff being either disciplined, prosecuted or dismissed for misusing National Insurance numbers.
Pensions
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change to income tax receipts resulting from the basic state pension being uprated in line with earnings after 2002-03. [151795]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The full year income tax effect of uprating basic state retirement pensions by average earnings instead of retail prices in 2003-04 is estimated to be £65 million.
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The estimate is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and is consistent with the November 2000 pre-Budget report.
Mothers (London)
Ms Harman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of mothers in London returned to employment when their youngest child was aged (a) under six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) one to three years and (d) over three years in each of the last five years. [152205]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 8 March 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell to Ms Harriet Harman, dated 9 March 2001:
- The National Statistician, has been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about the percentage of mothers in London who returned to employment when their youngest child was in various age groups (152205). I am replying in his absence.
- The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the main source of labour market data on individuals used by National Statistics. The attached table shows information for mothers in employment with a child aged under one year. The other information requested is not available.
| In employment | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 38 |
| 1997 | 40 |
| 1998 | 44 |
| 1999 | 42 |
| 2000 | 48 |
(18) Percentages are based on those in employment as a percentage of all mothers with youngest child under one year.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
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