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Macedonia
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British soldiers will be involved in NATO peacekeeping duties in Macedonia. [155016]
Mr. Vaz: NATO has no mandate for peacekeeping operations in Macedonia. Some 31 British troops are based in Macedonia as a National Support element in KFOR (Rear).
Parliamentary Questions
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average response time for answering parliamentary written questions in his Department is; and how many responses have taken more than 24 working days in the last 12 months. [155135]
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Mr. Robin Cook: My Department aims to answer all ordinary written parliamentary questions within five working days and as many named day written parliamentary questions as possible on the day named. The information required to provide the average response time for all written questions could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the last 12 months, the FCO took more than 24 days to respond to only three questions out of a total of more than 1,300 written questions answered.
Middle East Peace Process
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet representatives of the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority to discuss the United Kingdom's role in assisting the peace process. [155448]
Mr. Wilson: The Government are in frequent contact with Israeli and Palestinian representatives to discuss the situation in the middle east, as well as bilateral issues. I met Nabil Sha'ath, Palestinian Minister for Planning and International Co-operation, in London on 20 March. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Minister on 21 March. We continue to urge both parties to take steps to resume contacts, rebuild confidence and restart negotiations. We will remain in frequent contact at all levels, acting on our commitment to do all we can to bring about a just comprehensive and lasting peace in the middle east.
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority regarding the threat posed to the peace process by Hamas. [155450]
Mr. Wilson: The Government condemn all acts of violence in the middle east and call on both parties to take immediate parallel steps to address the current crisis. We are in regular contact with the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel, and urge them to resume security co-operation and to do all in their power to end violence, restrain extremism and minimise incitement and provocations.
Morocco
Mr. Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to alter his policy on arms exports to Morocco; and if he will make a statement. [155732]
Mr. Wilson: All applications to export, to Morocco, goods on the Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 (as amended) are assessed against the consolidated European Union and national arms export licensing criteria, as are such applications for any country. All such applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of all available information at the time.
Iran
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iran regarding the eligibility of members of the Christian, Bahai and Jewish faiths holding senior national positions in that country. [155760]
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Mr. Wilson: We and our EU partners regularly raise concerns over human rights issues in Iran, particularly those affecting religious minorities. The Iranian authorities are fully aware that we and our EU partners consider discrimination on religious grounds to be intolerable. Christians and Jews (but not Bahais) have their own representatives in the Majles.
European Councils
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and the major European Union events for the period between 30 April and September. [156543]
Mr. Vaz: To date we have received the detailed agendas for the following Council meetings in April:
- 4-5: Transport and Telecommunications Council--Luxembourg
- 1. Adoption of the provisional agenda.
- 2. Approbation of the list of "A" items.
- Telecommunications
- 3. Proposal for a Directive on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services--political agreement.
- 4. Proposal for a Directive on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities--political agreement.
- 5. Proposal for a Directive on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services--political agreement.
- 6. Proposal for a Directive on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services--progress report.
- 7. Proposal for a Regulation on the implementation of Internet Top Level Domain ".EU"--common orientation.
- 8. Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to further opening to competition of Community postal services--information from the Presidency.
- 9. Commission Communication on the introduction of third generation mobile communication (3G) in the European Union: state of play and the way forward--presentation by the Commission.
- 10. eEurope Action Plan 2002.
- (a) Report--information from the Commission.
- (b) Network security--information from the Presidency/ Commission.
- Horizontal transport issues
- 11. (poss.) Commission communication on a revised strategy for the common transport policy ("White Paper")--presentation by the Commission.
- 12. (poss.) Proposal for amending the decision 1692/96/EC on guidelines for Trans-European Networks for transport (general revision)--presentation by the Commission.
- 13. Strategy for integrating environment and sustainable mobility into the transport policy (Cardiff/Helsinki follow-up)--Council resolution.
- 14. Galileo--Council resolution.
- Air transport
- 15. Aviation and environment: ICAO regulations for gaseous and noise emissions--common approach for the ICAO Assembly.
- 16. Aviation safety: Proposal for a Regulation establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation safety and setting up of a European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA)--progress report and policy debate.
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- 17. Montreal Convention on Air carrier liability:
- --decision for conclusion of this Convention by the Community.
- --Council conclusions on the ratification process of the Convention.
- --progress report on the draft regulation (amendment of Reg. 2027/97).
- Land transport
- 18. Proposal for a Regulation on action by member states concerning public service requirements and the award of public service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway--progress report and policy debate.
- 19. Proposal for a Regulation on certain rules concerning the control of drivers engaged by road transport operators established in the EU when carrying out with Community vehicles intra-Community transport operations (third country drivers)--common orientation.
- 20. Proposal for a Directive on a transport system of harmonised rules for driving restriction on heavy goods vehicles involved on international transport on designated roads (weekend bans)--common orientation.
- 21. Proposal for amending Directive 91/671/EEC on compulsory use of safety belts, including compulsory use of type-approved child restraint systems--common orientation.
- 22. Commission Recommendation on the maximum permitted blood alcohol level for vehicle drivers--Council conclusions.
- 23. Proposal for amending directive 96/53/EC on weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles--15 meter buses--common position.
- Shipping
- 24. Maritime safety--second package:
- --Directive on the establishment of a Community system for the monitoring and control of and information on maritime traffic.
- --Regulation concerning the creation of a fund for compensation in the case of oil pollution in European waters and the adoption of related measures.
- Regulation setting up a European agency for maritime safety.
- --Policy debate.
- Other business
- 8-10: Brussels--General Affairs Council
- 8-10: Ostersund--Agriculture Council (Informal)
- 20-22: Malmo--ECOFIN
- 24-25: Brussels--Agriculture Council
- 25-26: Brussels--Fisheries Council
- 26-28: Lund--Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council (Informal).
No agendas for the above are available at present.
The following are the principal events in the EU between 1 May and September 2001 (certain relevant events are also included: the table is based on the information available at the date of issue).
(20) There are no Councils scheduled for August
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