2 Apr 2003 : Column 742W—continued
Independent Monitor
Keith Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will announce the name of the new Independent Monitor. [105648]
Mr. Rammell:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be recruiting a new Independent Monitor through open competition. We aim to place advertisements for this position in the press in the week commencing 7 April.
Iraqi Ambassador
Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the Iraqi Ambassador to the United Kingdom was expelled. [105587]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Head of the Iraqi Interests Section in the Jordanian Embassy and his Administrative Attaché were given five working days to leave the UK on 24 March. Their presence is no longer appropriate in view of coalition military action in Iraq.
Middle East
Keith Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Governments of (a) Oman and (b) Bahrain since the start of the Iraq War. [105646]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We have regular discussions with these Governments.
Security Council Veto
Norman Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions since 1974 when one or more permanent Members used a veto in the UN Security Council, broken down by the proposition under consideration and the vetoing countries. [105435]
Mr. Rammell:
The following table includes the date of veto, country (or countries) vetoing, and the subject of the draft resolution that was vetoed:
| Date | Countries | Subject
|
|---|
| 31 July 1974 | USSR | Situation in Cyprus
|
| 30 October 1974 | France; UK; US | Relationship between UN and South Africa
|
| 6 June 1975 | France; UK; US | Situation in Namibia
|
| 11 August 1975 | US | Application for membership for Republic of South Vietnam
|
| 11 August 1975 | US | Application for membership for Democratic Republic of Vietnam
|
| 30 September 1975 | US | Application for membership for Republic of South Vietnam
|
| 30 September 1975 | US | Application for membership for Democratic Republic of Vietnam
|
| 8 December 1975 | US | Situation in the Middle East
|
| 26 January 1976 | US | Middle East, including Palestine question
|
| 6 February 1976 | France | Situation in the Comoros
|
| 25 March 1976 | US | Situation arising from recent developments in occupied Arab territories
|
| 23 June 1976 | US | Application for membership for Angola
|
| 29 June 1976 | US | Question of the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people
|
| 19 October 1976 | France; UK; US | Situation in Namibia
|
| 15 November 1976 | US | Application for membership for Socialist republic of Vietnam
|
| 31 October 1977 | France; UK; US | Question of South Africa
|
| 31 October 1977 | France; UK; US | Question of South Africa
|
| 31 October 1977 | France; UK; US | Question of South Africa
|
| 15 January 1979 | USSR | Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia
|
| 16 March 1979 | USSR | The situation in south-east Asia and its implications for international peace and security
|
| 7 January 1980 | USSR | Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
|
| 13 January 1980 | USSR | Call for sanctions against Iran because of the American hostages
|
| 30 April 1980 | US | Question of exercise by the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights
|
| 30 April 1981 | France; UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 30 April 1981 | France; UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 30 April 1981 | France; UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 30 April 1981 | France; UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 31 August 1981 | US | South African incursion in Angola
|
| 20 January 1982 | US | Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights
|
| 2 April 1982 | US | Nicaragua; US military exercises with Honduras
|
| 2 April 1982 | US | Situation in occupied Arab territories: Palestine
|
| 20 April 1982 | US | Situation in occupied Arab territories: Palestine
|
| 4 June 1982 | UK; US | Falklands Question
|
| 8 June 1982 | US | Israeli invasion of Lebanon
|
| 26 June 1982 | US | Israeli invasion of Lebanon
|
| 6 August 1982 | US | Israeli invasion of Lebanon
|
| 2 August 1983 | US | Situation in occupied Arab territories
|
| 12 September 1983 | USSR | The shooting down by the Soviet Union of a South Korean civil airliner
|
| 27 October 1983 | US | The US invasion of Grenada
|
| 29 February 1984 | USSR | United Nations role in Lebanon
|
| 4 April 1984 | US | The mining of Nicaraguan ports
|
| 6 September 1984 | US | Israeli occupation of Lebanon
|
| 12 March 1985 | US | Israeli occupation of Lebanon
|
| 10 May 1985 | US | Economic sanctions against Nicaragua
|
| 10 May 1985 | US | Economic sanctions against Nicaragua
|
| 10 May 1985 | US | Economic sanctions against Nicaragua
|
| 26 July 1985 | UK; US | The question of South Africa
|
| 13 September 1985 | US | Situation in occupies Arab territories: Palestine
|
| 15 November 1985 | UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 17 January 1986 | US | Israeli Occupation of Lebanon
|
| 30 January 1986 | US | Provocative acts in relation to Al Aqsa Mosque
|
| 6 February 1986 | US | Israeli interception and detention of Libyan civilian aircraft
|
| 21 April 1986 | France; UK; US | United States raid on Libya
|
| 23 May 1986 | UK; US | South African raids into Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
|
| 18 June 1986 | UK; US | South African attacks on Angola
|
| 31 July 1986 | US | Nicaragua and the ICJ Judgments
|
| 28 October 1986 | US | Nicaragua and ICJ Judgment
|
| 20 February 1987 | UK; US | South Africa
|
| 9 April 1987 | UK; US | Question of Namibia
|
| 18 January 1988 | US | Israeli occupation of Lebanon
|
| 1 February 1988 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 8 March 1988 | UK; US | Sanctions against South Africa
|
| 15 April 1988 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 10 May 1988 | US | Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon
|
| 14 December 1988 | US | Israeli raid on Lebanon
|
| 11 January 1989 | France; UK; US | Shooting down of Libyan aircraft
|
| 17 February 1989 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 9 June 1989 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 7 November 1989 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 23 December 1989 | US; UK; France | The invasion of Panama
|
| 17 January 1990 | US | Violation of diplomatic privileges and immunities of the Nicaraguan Ambassador's residence in Panama
|
| 31 May 1990 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 11 May 1993 | Russia | Situation in Cyprus
|
| 2 December 1994 | Russia | The situation in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
| 17 May 1995 | US | The situation in the occupied Arab territories
|
| 10 January 1997 | China | Central America: efforts towards peace
|
| 7 March 1997 | US | The situation in the occupied Arab territories
|
| 21 March 1997 | US | The situation in the occupied Arab territories
|
| 25 February 1999 | China | The situation in Macedonia
|
| 27 March 2001 | US | Establishment of UN observer force to protect Palestinian civilians
|
| 14 December 2001 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
| 30 June 2002 | US | UNMIBH and the ICC
|
| 20 December 2002 | US | Situation in the occupied territories: Palestine
|
2 Apr 2003 : Column 743W
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of whether (a) North Korea, (b) Iran and (c) Cuba possess weapons of mass destruction; and if he will make a statement. [105122]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
We have for some time had serious concerns about the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes of a number of countries. We are
2 Apr 2003 : Column 744W
particularly concerned by recent statements and actions by North Korea whom we believe to have ambitions to manufacture nuclear weapons.
We have also noted information which has recently become available on the nature and scale of Iran's nuclear programme. It is a matter of concern that Iran did not make the information available to the International Atomic Energy Agency earlier. We note that the IAEA Director-General has said that some nuclear safeguards issues remain to be clarified.
2 Apr 2003 : Column 745W
We have no clear evidence that Cuba is engaged in a programme to develop WMD, although we do have some concerns about the scale of their pharmaceutical production capacity. Cuba has recently signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a move which we have publicly welcomed.
We consistently call upon all states that have not yet done so to sign, ratify and abide by the obligations of all the International Treaties and Conventions covering the development of weapons of mass destruction and the means for their delivery.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency plans the High Commission in Harare is putting in place as a result of the recent increase in state-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement on the situation in Zimbabwe. [105836]
Mr. Straw:
The British High Commission in Harare keeps the political and security situation in Zimbabwe under close review. The High Commission's contingency plans are flexible and designed to cope with any likely eventualities in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Zimbabwe's suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth will be reviewed; and what discussions his Department has had with the South African Government concerning Zimbabwe's suspension. [105835]
Mr. Straw:
The Commonwealth Secretary General has stated that Zimbabwe's suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth will be reviewed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Abuja in December.
We have maintained regular contact with the South African Government on this issue. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Director for Africa addressed it with senior South African officials during a visit to Pretoria in the week of 17 March; and my noble Friend Baroness Amos, Minister for Africa, is in South Africa this week.
