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6 Feb 2003 : Column 385W—continued
Zimbabwe
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions were held with his EU counterparts at the EU General Affairs Council meeting of 27 to 28 January concerning EU sanctions against Mr. Robert Mugabe and his Government; and if he will make a statement; [94721]
- (2) which EU member states (a) objected and (b) agreed to the extension of sanctions against Zimbabwe at the EU General Affairs Council of 27 to 28 January; and if he will make a statement. [94730]
Mr. Rammell: EU Foreign Ministers discussed EU sanctions against the Mugabe regime at a General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 27–28 January. The meeting proved inconclusive, as did a subsequent discussion among Permanent Representatives in Brussels on 30 January. We have made our position clear; that we want to see a roll-over of the EU sanctions on Zimbabwe, including the travel ban, when they expire on 18 February. This will require consensus among all EU member states, and has not yet been achieved.
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORTA
Cricket (Zimbabwe)
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with members of the Commonwealth regarding the future of the forthcoming Cricket World Cup to be played in Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement. [94268]
Tessa Jowell: The Cricket World Cup is a matter for the cricket authorities, not for the Commonwealth. I refer my hon. Friend to the written answers given to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Michael Ancram) on 15 January 2003, Official Report, columns 640W and 631W, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the ECB since the announcement by England players that they do not want to play World Cup matches in Zimbabwe. [94863]
Tessa Jowell: I discussed the planned World Cup match in Zimbabwe with the England and Wales Cricket Board on 9 January. A DCMS official attended a meeting held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 23 January along with representatives of the Board and the Professional Cricketers' Association. The views of the England players on participation in the match were discussed at that meeting. Officials in both this Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have remained in close touch with the Board and the Association since then.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice was given to the English Cricket Board about the policy of Ministers on the English team playing matches in Zimbabwe at the meeting on 5th July. [95621]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 4 February 2003]: A copy of the minute of this meeting has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Ministers first informed the English Cricket Board of the Government's opposition to an England cricket team playing matches in Zimbabwe. [95622]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 4 February 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) by my rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 353W.
Regional Sports Boards
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has made to Sport England to ensure that the new regional sports boards will include input from the governing bodies of individual sports and from local authorities. [95956]
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Mr. Caborn: The constitutions of the new regional sports boards provide for representatives of both local government and the voluntary sector in sport to be appointed to the boards. Sport England is currently recruiting the board members.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Algeria
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what licences have been granted for export of controlled goods to Algeria in each month since September 2001; and if she will make a statement. [95207]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 3 February 2003]: The number of Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) issued to end users in Algeria, in each month since September 2001, is set out in the following table. Individual licences might cover a range of items with various ratings. Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
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There were no SIELs or OIELs issued to end users in Algeria in October 2002, December 2002 or January 2003.
All relevant export licence applications for Algeria are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria and other previously announced Government policies. Details of all export licences issued and refused are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House.
Armed Forces Reservists
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the full (a) contractual, (b) statutory and (c) common law employment rights of individuals in their main job are protected during periods of service as an armed forces reservist; and if she will make a statement. [93343]
Alan Johnson [holding answer 27 January 2003]: The Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment Act) 1985 provides protection to members of the reserve forces who are called out for permanent service. In general, it places an obligation on an employer to re-instate reservists who apply to them for this following a period of called-out service. The obligation is to reinstate in the occupation in which they were last employed before call out and on terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable had they not been called out. Where this is not reasonable and practicable, they must be taken into employment in the most favourable occupation and on the most favourable terms and conditions as are reasonable and practicable in the particular case.
In addition, section 217 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides that, where those individuals resume employment with their previous employer within six months of the end period of service with the armed forces of the Crown, the period of service does not break their continuity of employment as far as the statutory
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provisions of the 1996 Act are concerned. The Ministry of Defence also has powers to make payment to individuals and their employers to maintain membership of an employer's pension scheme while the individual is called out.
Together these provide robust and practicable safeguards for the employment rights of individuals who are reservists when they are called out.
Arms Export Licences
Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to make available for public inspection a register of applications for UK arms export licences. [95305]
Nigel Griffiths: The Government have made clear in the consultation document on the draft Export Control Bill that they propose to register information on all those applying for licences, both for exports and for arms trafficking and brokering activities, thus creating a database available to be used for licensing and enforcement purposes, including as appropriate on an international basis. There are no plans to publish a register of applications.
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