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EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EC-Albania) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215444]

Mr. MacShane: Albania-EC Joint Committee meetings, organised under the framework of the 1992 EC/Albania Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement, take place annually. The venue alternates between Brussels and Tirana. Recent meetings have been on 12 February 2003 in Tirana under the Greek Presidency of the EU and on 13 February 2004 in Brussels under the Irish Presidency of the EU. The EC is represented at these meetings by the Commission, although member states have the option of attending as observers.

On 31 January 2003, negotiations were opened between Albania and the EU for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The progress of these negotiations and the accompanying reforms are monitored by the EU-Albania Consultative Task Force, which generally meets about four times a year, usually in Tirana. The UK is regularly represented in observer capacity at these working-level meetings.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Estonia) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215928]

Mr. MacShane: The EU-Estonia Association Committee met once a year until Estonia joined the EU in May 2004. During the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch Presidencies (June 2003 to December 2004) it met once in June 2003, in Talinn. An official from UK Permanent Representation to the EU attended.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Latvia) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215929]

Mr. MacShane: The EU-Latvia Association Committee met once a year until Latvia joined the EU in May 2004. During the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch Presidencies (June 2003 to December 2004) it met once in June 2003, in Riga. An official from UK Permanent Representation to the EU attended.
 
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (EEC-Lithuania) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [215930]

Mr. MacShane: The EU-Lithuania Association Committee met once a year until Lithuania joined the EU in May 2004. During the period of the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies (June 2003 to December 2004) it met once in June 2003, in Vilnius. We do not have any record of UK officials attending.

European Constitution

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2005, Official Report, column 935W, on EU Constitutional Treaty, from which budget within his Department the cost of the Commentary on the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe was met. [215966]

Mr. MacShane: The cost of producing the Commentary on the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe was met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Europe Directorate.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff within his Department are working on publications relating to the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe; and from which units within his Department they are drawn. [215967]

Mr. MacShane: Preparation of publications relating to the EU Constitution is one of the tasks carried out by staff working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Europe Directorate. No FCO staff work solely on such publications.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, columns 1020–21W, on the European Constitution, if he will list the dates of meetings held with European Commission officials pertaining to the provision of information relating to the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe. [215968]

Mr. MacShane: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly meet with European Commission officials to discuss a wide range of European Union issues. We do not maintain a list of the occasions when information about the EU Constitutional Treaty was discussed at these meetings.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effect of Article III-305 of the European Constitution, concerning a common UK/EU position with Cyprus and Malta on Commonwealth meetings. [215197]

Mr. MacShane: The EU is not and cannot be a member of the Commonwealth. If the Constitutional Treaty comes into force, the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs could only present the position of the EU at a Commonwealth meeting if the EU had been invited to
 
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attend. In such circumstances he/she would speak for the EU. The UK would continue to represent itself as a Commonwealth member.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of Article III-296, subsection 2 and related articles, on the ceding by the United Kingdom of its chair at Commonwealth meetings in areas where the European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs expresses a mandate. [215198]

Mr. MacShane: The United Kingdom cannot cede its chair at Commonwealth meetings to the EU Minister for Foreign Affairs as the EU is not a member of the Commonwealth, nor can it become one. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of sovereign states. The United Kingdom, like two other EU members (Malta and Cyprus) is a member of the Commonwealth in its own right and as such participates in deliberations and meetings and will continue to do so. This situation will not change under the Constitutional Treaty.

Genocide (International Obligations)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what obligations there are under international agreements to act in confirmed cases of genocide; and if he will make a statement. [215415]

Mr. Rammell: Under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention 1951, the Parties undertake to prevent and punish the crime of genocide whether committed in time of peace or war. Under Article 5, they undertake to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide or genocide-related crimes, and Article 6 provides that persons charged with such acts shall be tried. In addition, in Article 7, the Parties 'pledge themselves ... to grant extradition' in cases of genocide or genocide-related crimes.

Gibraltar

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Gibraltarians are being held in Spanish prisons; in which prisons they are held; what visits have been made by councillors or Embassy officials to these individuals in the last five years; how and how regularly the BritishEmbassy in Madrid informs the Gibraltarian authorities of developments in these cases; and which trials councillors or Embassy officials have attended in the last five years. [214212]

Mr. Mullin: There are 12 British passport holders with connections to Gibraltar being held in Spanish prisons, two in the Madrid consular district, and 10 in the Malaga consular district. Of these, nine have been visited in accordance with Consular Prison visits Policy. The other three have declined consular assistance.

Consular staff in Spain aim to contact British Nationals within 24 hours of being informed of an arrest, and to make a visit within 48 hours. Unless prisoners have said that they do not wish to be visited, Consular staff at British posts should aim to visit all detainees whilst on remand at reasonable intervals as deemed necessary by the Consulate/Embassy.
 
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Thereafter, one visit is made after sentencing. Further visits are normally only made if a real need arises (family, health, social problems, etc).

Consular staff are not trained to give legal advice and do not routinely attend court hearings.

There is no requirement for consular staff to inform the Gibraltarian authorities about the arrest of British Nationals with connections to Gibraltar. However, Consular staff do normally inform the Gibraltarian authorities as a matter of courtesy. If the prisoner wishes, Consular staff will also keep family informed.

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