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Plane-spotters
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Dutch Government concerning co-operation regarding the British and Dutch plane-spotters in Greece. [54147]
Mr. Straw: I have had no direct discussions with the Dutch Government concerning this case. However since the arrest of the aviation enthusiasts, on 10 November 2001 until their release on 14 December 2001, our embassy in Athens were in almost daily contact with the Dutch embassy at consul, consul-general and ambassadorial levels. On 9 December, our ambassador along with the Dutch ambassador visited the defendants while in prison. On 19 April this year both the British and
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Dutch consuls in Athens met with the group's defence lawyers, and sat together during the trial between 24–26 April.
Greece
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next meet his Greek counterpart on a bilateral basis. [54148]
Mr. Straw: I have no plans for a bilateral meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, although I hope to see him at the Brussels GAC on 13 May.
Gibraltar
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer of 30 April 2002 to the hon. Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble), Official Report, column 651W, if he will make a statement on the meeting between the Minister for Europe and his Spanish counterpart on 2 May. [54915]
Peter Hain: As I informed the House on 30 April 2002, Official Report, column 651W, I met my Spanish counterpart in London on 2 May. We had a friendly and constructive meeting. We made further progress. Substantial difficulties remain. We remain committed to reaching an agreement if possible.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what requests his Department has made since 10 December 2001 for information concerning smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain; [54182]
- (2) what assessment his Department has made of information it has received prior to 10 December 2001 concerning smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain; [54184]
(3) when his Department last received information from the Spanish authorities concerning smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain; [54183]
(4) what assessment his Department has made of information it has received since 10 December 2001 concerning smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain. [54181]
Mr. Straw: As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe said in his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart) on 10 December 2001, Official Report, column 633W, we have asked the Spanish Government to make available to us any current evidence that they have of significant cross-border smuggling. We will continue to do so whenever complaints are made, and would, with the Government of Gibraltar, investigate any evidence received. We have not seen any recent evidence of large-scale smuggling.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his visit to Gibraltar on 3 May. [54329]
Peter Hain: The Foreign Secretary visited Gibraltar on 3 May. He met the Chief Minister, opposition leaders Mr. Joe Bossano and Mr. Joe Garcia; and other leading Gibraltarians during meetings with a range of representative organisations. He took part in a phone-in
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organised by the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. He also saw for himself the recent changes at the border. He met the commander, British forces.
The Foreign Secretary explained our objective is a settled, secure and prosperous future for Gibraltar. He underlined that no agreement would be better than a bad agreement and that the people of Gibraltar would have the final say in a referendum.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has asked Spain to relinquish its claim to full sovereignty of Gibraltar as part of the talks under the terms of the Brussels process on the future status of Gibraltar. [54354]
Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Dorset (Mr. Walter) on 16 April 2002, Official Report, column 451, and to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) on 24 April 2002, Official Report, columns 294–95W.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government of Gibraltar was advised of his intention to visit Gibraltar in May. [54328]
Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has stated his intention to visit Gibraltar on a number of occasions. The Foreign Secretary told the Chief Minister on 30 April of his intention to visit on 3 May.
Olympic Games
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice his Department is preparing for UK citizens who will visit Greece (a) this summer and (b) for the Athens 2004 Olympic games with regard to activities which are legal in the United Kingdom but illegal and imprisonable in Greece; and if he will make a statement. [54139]
Mr. Straw: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel advice is kept under constant review, and is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/travel. The travel advice for Greece includes guidance on local laws and customs. Specific travel advice for the 2004 Olympic games will be prepared nearer the time. Currently the advice for Greece headed Local Laws and Customs reads:
- Visitors should not become involved with drugs of any kind. Possession of even small quantities can lead to long terms of imprisonment.
Driving any vehicle whilst over the legal drinking limit is heavily penalised and can result in stiff fines and/or imprisonment.
Visitors seeking employment in bars or night clubs should be aware that they are required to have a Health certificate/licence issued by the local authorities to work in such establishments. Failure to have such a certificate is punishable by a fine and or imprisonment.
Do not take photographs or make notes near military or official installations. Seek permission before photographing individuals.
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Saudi Arabia
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department was first informed of the arrest of the Britons related to bombing incidents in Saudi Arabia; and when he and officials in his Department made representations to the Saudi Government on behalf of the accused. [53916]
Mr. Straw: The five British nationals accused of involvement in bombings in Saudi Arabia were arrested on separate occasions between 17 December 2000 and 8 June 2001. FCO officials learned of each arrest shortly after it had happened.
Ministers and FCO officials have made repeated representations on these cases from the outset. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made representations on numerous occasions directly with the Saudis. We will continue to do all we can for the detainees.
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department was informed of the sentences passed on the Britons accused of the bombing campaign in Saudi Arabia; and what sentences were passed against each of the accused. [53917]
Mr. Straw: The Saudi authorities have not informed us that sentences have been passed on the five British nationals accused of involvement in the bombings. We cannot release details of individual consular cases and the men have a right to confidentiality.
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Zimbabwe
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will widen the scope of the UK/EU travel ban against Zimbabwean officials to include businessmen. [54146]
Mr. Straw: Any possible further measures against Zimbabwe will depend on the outcome of the current inter-party dialogue between ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change.
Iraq
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with European colleagues regarding military action against Iraq; and which European countries have made a commitment to supplying troops for military action against Iraq. [53939]
Mr. Bradshaw: We stay in close touch with European and other Governments about the situation in Iraq. Since no decision has been made on military action against Iraq, no Government, including the UK, have made troop commitments.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at which meetings of the UN Security Council Professor Hans Koechler's report on the appeal proceedings at the Scottish Court in the Netherlands was (a) on the agenda and (b) discussed. [53542]