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Zimbabwe Embargo

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when EC 310/2002, on the

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prohibition of export to Zimbabwe of items which could be used in internal repression, was first (a) tabled and (b) discussed in permanent Council committees. [57870]

Mr. MacShane: Discussions of EC Regulation 310/2002 began following the decision of 28 January 2002 by the General Affairs Council (GAC) of the European Union to implement targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe if the Government of Zimbabwe failed to act on specific EU concerns about Zimbabwe, such as political violence, election observers, and free internal media access.

The regulation imposing the embargo on the sale or supply of items which might be used in internal repression was submitted to the parliamentary scrutiny committees in draft on 12 February 2002.

The General Affairs Council agreed the regulation at its meeting of 18 February.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the nature of restraints permitted for export to Zimbabwe following EU sanctions agreement. [57874]

Mr. MacShane: EC Regulation 310/2002 of 18 February 2002 places inter alia an embargo on the sale or supply to Zimbabwe of equipment which might be used for internal repression. Annexe II of the regulation establishes a list of such goods to be subject to the embargo. These goods include "leg-irons, gang-chains, shackles and electric shock belts, specially designed for restraining human beings; except handcuffs for which the maximum overall dimension including chain does not exceed 240 mm when locked".

This embargo is in addition to the full scope arms embargo imposed by the Council Common Position (2002/145/CFSP).

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Annex II of EC 310/2002 of 18 February 2002 permits exports of bombs and grenades not other than those specially designed for military use; and if he will make a statement. [57871]

Mr. MacShane: EC Regulation 310/2002 of 18 February 2002 places inter alia an embargo on sale or supply to Zimbabwe of equipment which might be used for internal repression. Annex II of the Regulation establishes a list of such goods to be subject to the embargo. These goods include "bombs and grenades, other than those specially designed for military use, and especially designed components".

Export of bombs and grenades specially designed for military use are subject to the full scope arms embargo imposed against Zimbabwe by the Council Common Position (2002/145/CFSP).

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on paragraph I of Annexe II of EC 310/2002 in the context of Article 7. [57872]

Mr. MacShane: Article 7 of Regulation 310/2002 imposes an embargo on the sale or supply to Zimbabwe of equipment which might be used for internal repression as set out in Annexe II of that Regulation.

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This embargo is in addition to the full scope arms embargo imposed by the Council Common Position (2002/145/CFSP). In the UK this is implemented by prohibiting the export of goods and technology on the Military List which forms Part III of Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended.

Meetings With Embassy Staff

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the criteria are for meeting a British ambassador or commercial secretary by business people seeking endorsements in relation to commercial contracts. [37726]

Mr. Straw: It is part of every ambassador and commercial secretary's job to promote UK commercial interests. In determining whether to meet business figures seeking endorsements in relation to commercial contracts, diplomatic staff are expected to consider the benefit to the UK, including the effect on British commercial, economic and foreign policy interests.

Majority Voting

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times a decision has been taken by majority voting in the European Council this year. [57165]

Peter Hain: The European Council does not at present take decisions qualified majority voting (QMV), but agrees its conclusions by consensus.

Overseas Hotels

Mr. Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the criteria are for booking overseas hotel accommodation for (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers when on publicly funded visits. [57833]

Mr. MacShane [holding answer 20 May 2002]: Generally Ministers, officials and special advisers will be accommodated in a hotel identified by our diplomatic mission, often in consultation with the host country, as being a non-luxury, business hotel located relatively close to the mission and suitable for representational officers. In some countries, a second class of hotel is used for officials with no representational duties. During conferences the host nation may well limit delegations to particular hotels for security, protocol and logistical purposes.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Cuban authorities concerning the case of the imprisoned human rights campaigner, Juan Carlos Gonzales Leiva. [57812]

Mr. MacShane: We are aware of parliamentary and public interest in the case of Juan Carlos Leiva. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Cuban Government and we have raised this case with the Cuban MFA.

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Lebanon

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives from the Lebanon; when a minister next plans to visit that country; and if he will make a statement. [57851]

Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will meet the Lebanese Ambassador, His Excellency Jihad Mortada, at a lunch they are attending on 22 May hosted by the Council of Arab Ambassadors. The Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri's planned visit to the UK was postponed because of The Queen Mother's funeral. We hope that the visit will be reinstated soon.

I visited Lebanon on 24 July 2001 and had a number of meetings, including with the Prime Minister, the President (Emile Lahoud) and the Speaker of Parliament (Nabi Berri). I also met the Lebanese Minister responsible for Public Works and Transport (Muhammad Najib Miqati) in London on 5 April.

There are no current plans for Ministers to visit Lebanon.

Kashmir

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Pakistan and India concerning recent attacks on Indian army personnel in Kashmir. [57641]

Mr. Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs telephoned his Indian counterpart, Jaswant Singh, shortly after he heard news of the 14 May attack in Jammu. The Secretary of State also issued a statement on 14 May condemning the attach and expressing his condolences to the relatives of those killed and to those injured. In the statement, he called on all countries in the region to condemn the attack.

Europe Day

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget was for Europe Day events signposted on the dedicated website; and if he will make a statement on the maintenance of political neutrality thereon. [57912]

Peter Hain: The total cost of the Europe Day event held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 9 May is anticipated to be less than £23,000. All other events listed on the Europe Day website were self-funded.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Public Service Agreement commits the Government to promote increased support for and better understanding of the merits of European Union membership. The Europe Day event was a part of the Government's EU information campaign to raise awareness of our membership of the EU, the countries of the EU and the countries that will be joining.

Trans-EU Political Parties

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a

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statement on the state of developments for the funding of trans-EU political parties; and what his position is thereon. [57860]

Peter Hain: The Government strongly support the Commission's proposal for a statute to regulate the funding of European political parties, to make it more transparent. The conclusions of the Nice European Council in December ensured that in the future no money going to European political parties would be transferred, either directly or indirectly, to national political parties.

Information Moneys

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the European Commission spending of information moneys in applicant states, with respect to impartiality. [57901]

Peter Hain: In the candidate countries for accession to the European Union, information activities are carried out by the European Commission's delegations. The overall strategy has been endorsed by the council and implementation on the ground takes place in full consultation with the national Government concerned as well as with the embassies of the member states in the relevant capital.

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