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10 May 2007 : Column 388W—continued
EC Justice and Home Affairs: Qualified Majority Voting
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s position is on the use of qualified majority voting for judicial co-operation in criminal matters and police and customs co-operation; and if she will make a statement. [134224]
Margaret Beckett: The proposed use of the Article 42 “passerelle”, which provides for the Council to decide, under unanimity, to transfer elements of the field of Justice and Home Affairs from the third pillar, Treaty on European Union, to the first pillar (Treaty on European Community, where qualified majority voting is the norm) was discussed during the Finnish presidency in the latter half of last year. However, discussions at the September, October and December 2006 Justice and Home Affairs Councils, and at the December 2006 European Council, showed that there was very limited support among member states for the proposal, and we consider the debate on the use of the “passerelle” to be over. I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan) on 18 December 2006, Official Report, columns 123-126WS.
Entry Clearances: Overseas Students
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the charge was for a student visa in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many student visas were granted in each of these years; and if she will make a statement. [135746]
Dr. Howells: The current fee for a student visa is £99. From 1 July 2005 to 31 March 2007 the fee for a student visa was £85. Between 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2005 the fee was £36. Prior to this, the fee was £33.
The number of student visas issued each financial year since 2001-02:
| Financial year | Student visas issued |
Comprehensive student visa statistics for the last five years are available on the UKvisas website at:
Ethiopia: Kidnapping
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Eritrean government concerning the eight Ethiopians captured with the group of five British embassy workers on 1 March 2007. [132732]
Margaret Beckett: I am delighted with the news that the Ethiopians that were abducted with our embassy officials and family members on 2 March in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia have now been released.
Following the release on 13 March of our embassy staff and family members, our ambassador in Asmara made representations to senior officials in the Eritrea Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also raised the abduction of the Ethiopians with the Eritrean ambassador and a senior official from the Eritrea Ministry of Foreign Affairs in London on 10 April.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the condition of the eight Ethiopians captured along with a group of five British embassy workers on 1 March 2007; and what steps the Government are taking to secure their release. [132733]
Margaret Beckett: I am delighted with the news that the Ethiopians that were abducted with our embassy officials and family members on 2 March in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia have now been released. We have not yet received any reports on the condition of the abducted Ethiopians.
Since the first release of five of the captives on 13 March, we continued to work for the release of the Ethiopians.
On 13 March, I issued a press statement and called for the release of the Ethiopians. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa did the same in his own press statement on 27 March. Throughout, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and our embassies in Asmara and Addis Ababa maintained active contact with the Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia over the continued abduction of the Ethiopians.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her French and Italian counterparts on the eight Ethiopians captured with the group of five British embassy workers on 1 March 2007; and if she will make a statement. [132764]
Margaret Beckett: I am delighted with the news that the Ethiopians that were abducted with our embassy officials and family members on 2 March in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia have now been released.
I had no direct contact on this with my French or Italian counterparts. However, our ambassador in Addis Ababa had discussions with the French and Italian ambassadors in Addis Ababa during the time when the Ethiopians were held captive. The French and Italian ambassadors joined our ambassador when he issued a press statement on Ethiopian television on 27 March calling for the release of the abducted Ethiopians.
Following the release on 13 March of our five embassy officials and family members from our embassy in Addis Ababa, senior officials in London and our embassies in Asmara and Addis Ababa maintained active contact with the Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia over the continued abduction of the Ethiopians.
European Constitution Treaty
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what criteria the Government will judge whether a new EU Treaty would merit a referendum; and if she will make a statement. [134223]
Margaret Beckett: There is at present no consensus among EU partners on the way forward regarding the Constitutional Treaty or any new Treaty. These issues will be discussed at the European Council in June. It is too early to speculate regarding the outcome of these discussions. The Government’s approach to these discussions was set out in my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe’s written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006, Official Report, columns 10-11WS.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which proposals contained in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe the Government have communicated to European partners that it would not support in any new EU Treaty with the aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009; and if she will make a statement. [134226]
Margaret Beckett: There is at present no consensus among EU partners on the way forward regarding the Constitutional Treaty or any new Treaty. These issues will be discussed at the European Council in June. It is too early to speculate regarding the outcome of these discussions. The Government’s approach was set out in my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe’s written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006, Official Report, columns 10-11WS.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what objectives the Government are seeking to achieve in any new EU Treaty with the aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009; and if she will make a statement. [134227]
Margaret Beckett: There is at present no consensus among EU partners on the way forward regarding the Constitutional Treaty or any new Treaty. These issues will be discussed at the European Council in June. It is too early to speculate regarding the outcome of these discussions. The Government’s approach to these discussions was set out in my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe’s written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006, Official Report, columns 10-11WS. Its six principles are: pursuing British interests, a modern and effective EU, consensus among 27 member states, emphasis on subsidiarity, making best use of existing Treaties, and openness to global change.
European Council
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent by the German presidency on bilateral consultations to be held between 23 April and 4 May in preparation for the report the presidency will submit to the June European Council. [134219]
Margaret Beckett: At the June European Council, the German presidency will present a report—based on extensive consultations with member states—assessing the state of discussions on the constitutional treaty and exploring possible future developments.
Discussions are currently under way. The Government do not release presidency papers relating to ongoing discussions.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s position is on the proposed permanent President of the European Council; and if she will make a statement. [134221]
Margaret Beckett:
There is at present no consensus among EU partners on the way forward regarding the constitutional treaty or any new treaty including a proposed permanent President of the European Council. These issues will be discussed at the European Council in June. It is too early to speculate regarding the outcome of these discussions. The Government’s approach to these discussions was set out in my right
hon. Friend the Minister for Europe’s written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006, Official Report, columns 10-11WS.
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