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18 July 2006 : Column WA171
Written Answers
Tuesday 18 July 2006
Bangladesh: United Kingdom High Commissioner
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have received from the Government of Bangladesh about the type of grenades used in the attempted assassination of the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh on 21 May 2004; and what conclusions they have reached about the source of those weapons and about how terrorists acquired them.[HL6594]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We understand from analysis carried out in 2004 that although the type of grenade could not be identified, it was considered likely to be an Arges or similar type of grenade which may have been used in the attack at Sylhet. There appears to be no conclusive evidence which verifies either the source or the method of acquisition of the grenade used.
Birds: Imports
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a United Kingdom ban on imports of wild-caught birds would be compatible with (a) World Trade Organisation law; (b) European Union law; and (c) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.[HL6523]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): An EU import ban on captive birds (including wild-caught birds) from third countries has been in place since October 2005 as a result of the worldwide avian influenza situation. It does not affect trade from other member states and there are limited exceptions for pet and zoo birds. On 4 July, the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), with the support of the UK, voted to extend the ban until 31 December 2006.
This takes account of the fact that the European Commission has requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to carry out a review of the animal health and welfare risks associated with the import of captive wild birds. We are awaiting this report with interest and the UK will play an active and constructive part in EU discussions.
Without clear scientific evidence, a long-term ban, whether a unilateral UK ban or an EU ban, is unlikely to be justifiable on the animal and public health permitted ground in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements, or on any another permitted ground. In order to comply with the WTO agreements, it is also necessary to ensure that any ban is not, in effect, a disguised restriction on trade or arbitrary discrimination between countries.
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With EU legislation already in place to address both conservation and animal health issues, any departure from an EU-wide position could be held to be in breach of trade rules under European Community law and result in infraction proceedings. In view of this, we believe that any decisions on a permanent ban should be addressed at EU level.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species does allow countries to impose stricter, unilateral measures regarding the trade in specific convention-listed species. However, as mentioned above, with the convention implemented at a Community level, any UK ban would need to be compatible with EC Regulation 338/97/EC and in accordance with Article 176 of the EC treaty. In view of this, it would be very difficult for the UK unilaterally to ban the trade in all wild birds.
Cyprus: Turkish Population
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the present condition of the citizens of Turkish Cyprus is compatible with the provisions of the 1960 treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus (Cmnd. 1252), the 1960 Cyprus: Treaty of Guarantee (Cmnd. 1253) and the Basic Articles of the Constitution of Cyprus guaranteed therein.[HL6855]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The 1960 treaties remain in force. But due to the political situation on the island, many of the provisions in the 1960 treaties relating to Turkish Cypriots do not currently apply in practice. Our policy is to bring the Turkish Cypriots closer to the EU and reduce disparities on the island in order to promote the reunification of Cyprus.
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they will make to the Government of Cyprus on the case for concessions to Turkish Cypriots to balance those concessions which have been pressed on Turkey by the incoming President of the European Union.[HL6856]
Lord Triesman: We continue to encourage Turkey to fulfil its obligations under the Ankara Agreement Protocol with regard to Cyprus. We believe that all obstacles to trade and travel in the region should be removed. Further to the determination of the EU to lift the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, we will continue to support the Commission and the presidency in finding a mechanism for them to trade directly with the EU. The history of the EU has shown that trade has great power to bring the peoples of Europe together in common purpose. We believe that trade in all directions will promote a settlement and the normalisation of relations in the region.
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Energy: Oil
Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of progress in prospecting for economically viable oil deposits in the North Falkland Basin, the Falkland Plateau Basin and the South Falkland Basin; and whether the current high price of crude oil makes extraction more likely.[HL6961]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Only exploratory drilling will make it possible to arrive at a dependable estimate on the size of oil deposits in Falkland Islands waters. Exploratory drilling is unlikely to restart before 2007. The relationship between the oil price and the costs of exploitation is likely to have an impact on the commercial case for exploitation, but that is a matter for the company or companies involved.
EU: Council of Ministers
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the reply by the Lord Triesman on 6 June (HL Deb, col. 1131) “that there has been a certain ebb and flow between decisions taken in the legal fora of Europe and those taken here”, which decisions now taken in the legal fora of the United Kingdom were formerly taken in the legal fora of the European Union.[HL6395]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): While there are no decisions now taken in the legal fora of the UK which were formerly taken in the legal fora of the EU, the principle of subsidiarity ensures that:
“In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action ... only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved by the Community”.
The principle of subsidiarity, now well recognised in Union law, was first enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty and elaborated in the interinstitutional agreement of 1993 and later in the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997. The Government believe that the institutions are actively applying the principle in practice as part of the policy-making and legislative process and in that context welcome the Commission's recent commitment to make all new proposals and consultation papers directly available to national parliaments so as to improve the process of policy formulation. The June 2006 European Council conclusions also ask the Commission duly to consider comments by national parliaments—in particular with regard to the subsidiarity and proportionality principles.
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EU: Regulation
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of the recent comments made by the Bavarian Environment Minister, Werner Schnappauf, about a fivefold increase in regulation in the German regions since the 1990s, they will make an assessment of whether there has been a similar increase in European Union regulations affecting the United Kingdom.[HL6832]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Government have no plans to make such an assessment. The Library of the House publishes research on the amount of legislation agreed by member states in Brussels and subsequently implemented in the UK. The UK has been at the forefront of regulatory reform in Europe, during our own and subsequent presidencies. We have encouraged the European Commission's continued commitment to the better regulation agenda, in particular its rolling programme of simplification of existing legislation and the withdrawal so far of around 70 pending proposals. The Government also welcome the European Council's invitation to the European Commission to make proposals by 2007 on how to reduce administrative burdens on business with an ambitious target of 25 per cent.
Freud Communications: Government Contracts
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
For each of the past three years, what contracts have been awarded and what payments have been made to Freud Communications by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.[HL6857]
Lord Davies of Oldham: DCMS has had no contracts or made any payments to Freud Communications in the past three years.
Israel and Palestine: Illegal Settlements
Baroness Tonge asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to ensure that produce imported from illegal Israeli settlements under the European Union-Israeli Association Agreement is labelled correctly for consumers in the United Kingdom.[HL6914]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): HM Revenue and Customs targets goods on the basis of risk and, in particular, on the basis of information which all member states have received from the
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Under a technical arrangement adopted by the EU-Israel Customs Co-operation Committee on 12 December 2004, all imports from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories and claiming Israeli preferential origin have been required since 1 February 2005 to indicate the place of production and accompanying zip code. The full rate of customs duty is payable on any consignment which is indicated as originating in a settlement.
Listed Buildings
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government recognise the importance of the Commonwealth Institute's work to support educational programmes to benefit young people in all 53 Commonwealth countries and that its former headquarters building in Kensington is no longer appropriate for that work. In the light of the unique position of the Commonwealth Institute and the importance that the Government attribute to its work, the Government are considering whether special measures are appropriate in relation to the building, but no final decisions have yet been taken.
Palestine
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of any link between the lack of a sovereign state for the Palestinians and the views of some Muslims towards the United States, the United Kingdom and other European states.[HL6896]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We understand that for some Muslims the state of the Middle East peace process remains a genuine source of anger and that it can distort the view of what the UK and other Governments stand for and believe in. We share the desire to see a peaceful solution. The international community is committed to progress towards a viable two-state solution. But to get to that objective, on which we all agree, there needs to be clear acceptance by Hamas that the two-state solution is the only one; a renunciation of all violence; and then a move back into the road map.
Sudan
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the appeal of 2 July to the United Nations Secretary General by Beja doctors and intellectuals in eastern Sudan.[HL6910]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): A group of doctors and intellectuals from the Beja tribe in Eastern Sudan wrote to the UN Secretary General on 2 July. They highlighted the poor humanitarian situation of the Beja and appealed to Kofi Annan and to the international community to exert pressure on the Government of Sudan to allow unrestricted access for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and humanitarian aid agencies.
We share the concerns highlighted by the Beja doctors and intellectuals on the humanitarian situation in eastern Sudan. Large numbers of people live in extreme poverty in eastern Sudan, and in some cases humanitarian indicators are worse than those of Darfur.
As identified in the letter, access restrictions imposed on humanitarian agencies by the Government of Sudan continue to hamper the ability of UN agencies and NGOs to provide essential services. We are pressing the Government of Sudan for unimpeded and safe access for all humanitarian agencies. We hope that a successful outcome of the peace talks due to begin in Asmara on 17 July will aid this process.
This year the UK, through the Department for International Development (DfID), has provided £49 million to the Common Humanitarian Fund for Sudan, some of which will be directed to the east. Additionally DfID is supporting bilateral humanitarian programmes in the east through Action Contre La Faim and Oxfam. This will go towards providing food aid and security, shelter, nutrition and health services in the region.
Vehicles: Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What standards apply as regards electromagnetic compatibility testing for all safety systems in (a) road vehicles; and (b) rail vehicles; and which agency is responsible for creating and enforcing them.[HL6869]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Road vehicles registered in the UK must comply with the relevant European Commission directive on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). For volume-produced passenger cars, this is directive 95/54/EC. Cars produced in low volumes, and petrol-engined trucks and large passenger vehicles, must comply with directive 72/245/EC. Motorcycles should comply with directive 97/24/EC. Diesel-powered trucks and large passenger vehicles are not currently subject to EMC requirements, pending the introduction of EC whole vehicle type approval for these vehicles.
These directives are created at European Community level with input from experts from all member states. In the UK, electromagnetic compatibility is checked by the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency.
A number of standards apply to electromagnetic compatibility testing on railways. For the national rail network, the standards are defined in Railway Group Standards and enforced by the HM Railway Inspectorate as part of its enforcement of operational safety cases.
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Railway equipment newly placed on the market is also certified to European harmonised standards under directive 2004/108/EC. Enforcement of such standards remains with HM Railway Inspectorate, now part of the Office of Rail Regulation.
Voluntary Organisations
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the reply by the Minister of Communities and Local Government, Mr David Miliband, on 22 June (HC Deb, col. 1452) stating that £12 million is being allocated to organisations such as the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the Scout Association, how much each organisation is receiving; and over what period of time the money will be allocated.[HL6692]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): In February 2005, funding of £12 million for the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 was announced for the Climate Change Communications Initiative, with £6 million of that being made available for Climate Challenge Fund projects. In June 2006, the Government announced that awards would be made to 53 projects under the fund (totalling £2.6 million in 2006-07 and £2.2 million in 2007-08).
Two of the organisations benefiting from this funding are the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the Scout Association, and they are receiving the following amounts.
| 2006-07 £ | 2007-08 £ | Totals | |
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