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Written Ministerial Statements
Thursday 23 October 2003
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Treasury Solicitor's Annual Report
The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman): The Treasury Solicitor's Annual Report and Accounts 2002–2003 have today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.HOME DEPARTMENT
Immigration Procedures (Work Permit Holders)
The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes): On 17 June I announced the introduction of UK residence permits and in parallel to this the introduction of an entry clearance requirement for all persons who want to stay in the UK for more than six months. The entry clearance requirement is being gradually phased in over a two year period. The first phase will require nationals of 10 specified countries to obtain entry clearance from 13 November. I have now decided to expand further the scope of the entry clearance requirement in order to streamline procedures for work permit holders. With effect from 13 November all work permit holders and training and work experience scheme (TWES) permit holders who wish to stay in the UK for more than six months should obtain entry clearance before travelling. This will enable these permit holders to be granted their full period of stay in the UK, as stated on their work permit, before they arrive here, saving them from needing to make a further application for stay shortly after arrival. There will be a grace period for work permit and TWES permit holders until 23.59 on 13 January 2004 to ensure that those who are not aware of these new arrangements are not unduly inconvenienced on arrival in the UK. During this grace period if a work permit holder arrives in the UK without entry clearance, and would qualify for entry except for the absence of the necessary entry clearance, they will be admitted for a period of six months. During that time they will be able to apply for an extension of stay for a period up to the length of their work permit. This application will not require an accompanying second work permit application to be made by a UK employer.DEFENCE
Suez Medal
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): Further to the written answer to the House by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 869W, I am
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pleased to announce that Her Majesty The Queen has graciously agreed to the institution of the naval general service medal 1915 to 1962 and the general service medal 1918 to 1962 with the new clasp "Canal Zone" for service in the Suez Canal Zone. Command Paper No. 5999 is laid before Parliament today detailing the criteria for this award. My Department's medal offices will now commence the award to eligible Suez veterans. Individuals who served in the Canal Zone during the early 1950s, or their next of kin, are invited to write to the appropriate medal office providing their name, date of birth and service number. The addresses of the medal offices are as follows: Royal Naval Medal Office, Room 1068, Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 9XA. Royal Marines Medal Office, Room 038, Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 9XA. Army Medal Office, Government Buildings, Worcester Road, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 8AU. Royal Air Force Medal Office, Room 6, Building 248A, RAF PMA, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3 1EZ. Civilian Honours Unit, Room 462, St Giles Court, 1–13 St Giles High Street, London WC2H 8LD. Royal Fleet Auxiliary Medal Office, SOS RFA CS1A, Room F11, Lancelot Building, PP29, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 3NH.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Iran
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): Together with my French and German colleagues I visited Tehran on 21 October for discussions on Iran's nuclear programme. We met President Khatami, Foreign Minister Kharrazi and the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Committee Hassan Rouhani. Our discussions were aimed at underlining to the Iranian authorities the concerns of the international community regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the necessity for Iran to comply fully with the requirements of the international atomic energy agency (IAEA) board of governors' resolution adopted on 12 September.
By the end of our visit, we were able to agree a joint statement, which committed Iran to comply with the three key elements of the IAEA board resolution:
- to engage in full co-operation with the IAEA to address and resolve, through full transparency, all requirements and outstanding issues of the agency, and clarify and correct any possible failures and deficiencies within the IAEA;
to sign the IAEA additional protocol, and commence ratification procedures. As a confirmation of its good intentions, the Iranian Government states that it would continue to co-operate with the Agency in accordance with the Protocol in advance of its ratification;
to suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities, as defined by the IAEA.
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This joint statement represents a good start to the process of resolving international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme and we welcomed it as such. But we also made clear to our Iranian interlocutors that the real test will be full and early implementation of the commitments they have offered. They know that the international community will be looking closely at the evidence in the next report of the IAEA director-general, which is due to be presented to the board of governors in early November.
The joint statement makes clear that, while implementation of the steps outlined should enable the IAEA board to resolve the immediate problem with
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Iran, there is also a longer-term issue. Britain, France and Germany remain ready to address that issue through dialogue with Iran on a basis for longer term co-operation, which would provide all parties with satisfactory assurances about Iran's nuclear power generation programme. We made clear that it is only once international concerns are fully resolved that Iran could expect easier access to modern technology and supplies.
The visit has demonstrated the value of a united approach between Britain, France and Germany, working to uphold the decisions of the IAEA and its board of governors, and consistent with the common approach to Iran agreed by several European Councils.