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7 Apr 2003 : Column 62W—continued
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Convention on the Future of Europe
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from ministerial colleagues on areas of concern to their Departments in respect of the Convention on the Future of Europe. [105952]
Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is working closely with all his ministerial colleagues in co-ordinating the UK Government's approach on all aspects on the convention.
Departmental Running Costs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the running costs in 2002 were of (a) his Ministers private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff, and (b) his Department. [105991]
Mr. Straw: As of 27 March, the cost in cash terms of running the six ministerial private offices for the 2002–03 financial year, amounted to £3,132,178. This is made up of £2,189,178 in running cost, and £943,000 in salary.
The final total for this financial year will increase slightly once the data from all of our posts overseas have been entered on to our Financial Management System.
The figures for the FCO in total will be available in the Departmental Report, which will be issued later in the year.
European Working Groups
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress with achieving transparency in respect of the European working groups for which his Department is responsible. [105740]
Mr. MacShane: The Government have long been committed to greater openness in the EU institutions. This was a key theme of the UK Presidencies in 1992 and 1998. Making it easier to gain access to non-sensitive documents is crucial to this. The Government welcome Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. As a result, more documents are released to the public, while genuinely sensitive documents are given the protection they need.
Much of the council's work takes place in preparatory bodies, including working groups.
Accountability and transparency of council business to Parliament are ensured by the scrutiny process, to which the Government are also firmly committed.
We strongly supported the measures agreed at the Seville European Council to make the council more open when in legislating mode. We remain committed to increasing transparency. The Future of Europe Convention is also looking at ways to make the EU more open.
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Gibraltar
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions there have been between his Department and the Ministry of Defence regarding the commemoration of 300 years of British sovereignty in Gibraltar in 2004. [106026]
Mr. MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 291W.
Ivory Coast
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the recruitment by Northbridge Services Group of mercenaries to operate in the Ivory Coast; and if he will make a statement on the activities of this company in connection with the Ivory Coast. [107530]
Mr. Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on the Northbridge Services Group on 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 52WS.
Latin America
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Governments of Latin American countries about the problems experienced by street children; and what responses he has received. [105886]
Mr. Rammell: The rights of children worldwide are a central part of our human rights policy. The UK ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. We support its full implementation by all governments. We regularly raise our concerns about street children bilaterally and with our EU Partners. We are backing a number of practical projects in the region to improve respect for and protection of children's rights.
PFI Schemes
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement
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on the expected saving to public funds from the private finance initiative schemes due to become operational in 2003. [105726]
Mr. Rammell: The FCO has no private finance initiative schemes coming into operation in 2003.
Seal Population
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what progress has been made since representations by his Department in February 1999 to the Canadian Government in ensuring that the numbers of seals killed each year does not threaten the sustainability of the species; [107678]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the annual Canadian slaughter of seal pups on the wild population; whether he has raised this issue with the Canadian authorities; and if he will make a statement. [107681]
Mr. Rammell: No formal representations have been made since February 1999 but the FCO has been monitoring the situation and has made the Canadian Government aware of our concerns. Any seal cull should be sustainable and based on the precautionary approach. The Canadian Government has recently announced their Seal Management Plan for 2003–2005 where quotas have been increased compared to previous years. The plan will be available to the public and government officials will assess the data on which the new quotas are based. After such an assessment has been carried out the FCO will review the situation.
Security Council Resolutions
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Security Council resolutions (a) which have been vetoed by the United States in the last 30 years and (b) regarding Israel and the Occupied Territories which were supported by Her Majesty's Government but vetoed by the United States; and if he will make a statement. [103856]
Mr. Rammell: The information requested is as follows:
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| 2002 | |
| 20 December | Killing by Israeli forces of UN employees in Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1997 | |
| 21 March | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 7 March | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1995 | |
| 17 May | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1990 | |
| 31 May | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 7 November | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 9 June | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 17 February | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1988 | |
| 15 April | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1 February | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1986 | |
| 30 January | Provocative acts in relation to Al-Aqsa Mosque |
| 1983 | |
| 2 August | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1982 | |
| 20 April | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 2 April | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 25 March | Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| 1975 | |
| 8 December | Situation in the Middle East |
| 1973 | |
| 26 July | Middle East |
| 1972 | |
| 10 September | Middle East |
The Government believes that the veto should be used with restraint, and in a manner consistent with the principles of the UN Charter.
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