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10 Jan 2005 : Column 12W—continued

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of refurbishments in his Department was in each year since 1997; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [205678]

Mr. Rammell: The Department has spent the following sums on refurbishment since 1997:

	(£ million)
1997–98	3.2
1998–99	4.7
1999–2000	22.5
2000–01	31.2
2001–02	10.1
2002–03	8.9
2003–04	6.2
2004–05(5507180005)	5.7
2005–06(5507180006)	9.1

^(5507180005) expenditure to date
^(5507180006) planned expenditure

The figures shown cover refurbishment at home and overseas. The significantly higher costs incurred in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 include the refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building.

Estonian/Russian Border

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards disputed areas of the Estonian/Russian border. [207075]

 
10 Jan 2005 : Column 13W
 

Mr. MacShane: The UK, along with EU partners, looks forward to the early signature and ratification of the border agreement agreed between Russia and Estonia.

EU Intelligence Sharing and Co-ordination Service

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 1065, on the EU Intelligence Sharing and Co-ordination Service, what the highest classification of information supplied by the UK Government to the Situation Centre is; which departments have supplied such information; and if he will make a statement. [207139]

Mr. MacShane: UK information is released to the Situation Centre on a strict need-to-know basis at classifications up to and including SECRET. The Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre have all provided information.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1065W, on EU Intelligence Sharing and Co-ordination Services, what analyses and risk assessments the EU Situation Centre has produced; what the security classification is of each; who is responsible for making decisions about the work undertaken by the Centre; and if he will make a statement. [207283]

Mr. MacShane: The EU Situation Centre (SitCen) has produced a range of analyses on issues of interest identified within the European Security Strategy. This includes risk assessments for EU-led crisis management operations, strategic counter-terrorism analysis and assessments of WMD proliferation. The reporting is classified according to its content and the original classification of member states' inputs. This is in line with EU security regulations. The Situation Centre's scheduled work programme is approved by all member states through the rotating EU Presidency. Additionally, any member state is at liberty to request SitCen reporting on topics of common EU interest.

EU/Israel Association

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK will press the EU to take appropriate measures under Article 79 of the EU/Israel Association Agreement to enforce the human rights conditions of the Agreement. [205660]

Mr. MacShane: We do not plan to call for the EU to take appropriate measures under Article 79 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The Government believes that as a friend of Israel and the Palestinians we can best exert influence and encourage both sides to take the steps needed for progress through close engagement. We, and our EU partners, regularly call on both sides to meet their roadmap commitments (for the Palestinians this includes taking effective action against terrorism and for the Israelis a freeze on all settlement activity and the easing of restrictions on the movement of persons and
 
10 Jan 2005 : Column 14W
 
goods). We do not believe, however, that punitive measures would bring the parties any nearer to a peaceful resolution.

European Constitution

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to paragraph 15 of the Explanatory Memorandum on the EU Constitutional Treaty, when legal primacy of European law was accepted by the UK Parliament. [207260]

Mr. MacShane: 17 October 1972.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the articles in the draft European constitution in which the text differs from the equivalent articles that formed part of previous treaties. [207095]

Mr. MacShane: Following the commitment made to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1456W, the Government will shortly be publishing an analysis of the EU constitutional treaty, indicating which parts of the constitution correspond to provisions in the existing treaties and which parts are new.

European Convention

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the European Convention's Minority Report, submitted by the Convention President alongside the Convention draft; and whether Members of the UK delegation raised the issues contained therein with fellow representatives. [207099]

Mr. MacShane: HMG's views on the minority report were set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement to the House on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 707. The report will be referred to in official government publications referring to the activities of the Convention if that is appropriate in the circumstances.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what declarations made by UK representatives to the Convention on the future of Europe have been appended to the European Convention; and what legal status they will have should the Convention be ratified. [207280]

Mr. MacShane: The work of the Convention on the Future of Europe was the starting point for negotiations on a Constitutional Treaty between member states within the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC). The Final Act of the IGC, signed at the same time as the Constitutional Treaty, includes declarations made by participants in the IGC in relation to the Constitutional Treaty. Such declarations may be relevant to the interpretation and application of the Treaty. This does not apply to statements or declarations made by Members of the Convention. These are not included in the Final Act.
 
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European Union

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the activities to raise awareness of the EU that his Department is undertaking; and who the participants are. [204459]

Mr. MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1269–270W.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to detail the costs of EU membership in future publications on the benefits of such membership; and if he will make a statement. [207133]

Mr. MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does indeed detail the costs and obligations, as well as the benefits, of EU membership in its publications (for example, in the Guide to the European Union deposited in the Library of the House on 1 November. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to communicating accurately and objectively the facts about Britain's EU membership to the public.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will define his Department's interpretation of the term federal in relation to EU matters. [207118]

Mr. MacShane: "Federal" is not a word the Department uses in relation to EU matters. Nor is the word used in the EU constitutional treaty.

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