| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Tuesday, 12th November 1996.
Anglo-Israeli Arms Sales Discussions
Lord Mayhew asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What discussions have been held with the Israeli Government since the General Election in Israel regarding arms sales, and with what result.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey): There have been regular discussions between Israel and the United Kingdom on defence equipment since the lifting of the arms embargo in 1994. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we are unable to provide details of the companies involved or contracts awarded.
Mr. Sanar Yurdatapan
Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will investigate the case of Mr. Sanar Yurdatapan, arrested by the Turkish authorities, who is regarded by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience held in breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We are closely monitoring the case of Mr. Sanar Yurdatapan as part of our wider concern about freedom of expression in Turkey. Our Embassy in Ankara has raised Mr. Yurdatapan's case with the Turkish authorities. An official plans to attend the trial.
Overseas Aid Tying Policy
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why, if their review of overseas aid tying policy has demonstrated there would be marginal benefits of any degree to the United Kingdom economy from unilateral untying of aid (H.L. Deb., 31st October, WA 24) they are not immediately taking steps to untie it.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: Although we remain convinced that untied aid would be in the best interests of donors and developing countries, the review sets out the arguments in favour of maintaining current aid tying policies. Present policy and practice minimise the potential costs of tying by favouring British goods and services only where these offer value for money. Any move towards unilateral untying would yield few efficiency gains for the development programme and would bring the UK little commercial benefit.
We intend therefore to maintain our overall aid tying policies and procedures, while pursuing multilateral
untying and the opportunities for greater value for money identified in the study.Liberia: Child Soldiers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are aware of any evidence for the reported statement by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, that "more than 15,000 children are being deployed in combat by rival factions in the fighting in Liberia"; what numbers of children under 17, and of what ages, have so far been assisted by UNICEF's special reintegration programme for child soldiers; and what is the budget for this programme.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The Secretary General's estimate was based on information available to UNOMIL, UNICEF and other agencies working in Liberia. We have asked UNICEF for information on their reintegration programme for child soldiers.
Turkey: Foreign Minister's Statements
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any information on why the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mrs. Tansu Ciller, has been making statements about the abolition of the death penalty and reductions in the permissible length of incommunicado detention in Turkey, when these matters fall within the responsibility of other Ministers.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: No. But we welcome the intentions announced and hope they will be implemented as soon as possible.
UN Official Records: Internet Availability
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will obtain from the United Nations Secretary-General's office an explanation of the reasons why the reports of the Secretary-General have only been entered on the web page gopher.//gopher.undp.org/11/undocs/scd/sgrep as far as S/1996/164 of 4th March 1996, and whether they will obtain an indication of when this page will be brought up to date, and place the answers in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The United Nations is posting only some documents of general interest on the public access area of its Internet home page.
Since 1 November 1996, it has been possible, using a password, to access the complete official records of the United Nations through the Internet connection to the United Nations Optical Disk System. Although access to the service is still restricted to permanent missions and governments of member states, public access is expected to follow around spring 1997.
Arms Race in Outer Space: UN Resolution
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the United Kingdom and other West European governments abstained from the United Nations General Assembly vote in favour of the prevention of an arms race in space and whether this abstention indicates indifference to the militarisation of space in spite of the provisions of Article 1 of the Space Treaty.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The resolution tabled by Sri Lanka in 1995 reflected the view that an arms race in outer space presents an imminent danger and that existing international instruments are inadequate. We do not believe this to be the case and do not consider that the negotiation of a new agreement on this subject should be a priority for the international community. In common with EU partners, we therefore abstained in the vote on this resolution.
Outer Space Treaty
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the 1967 Space Treaty gives the right to individual states to conduct unlimited military espionage and target acquisition on other sovereign states and to develop triggering systems for weapons in or below "outer space"; and, if so, whether they will cite the passages in the treaty text which they believe allow such activities, in the light of Article 1 of this treaty, which states that "the exploration and use of outer space ... shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic and scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind".
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: I have nothing to add to the Answers which I gave on 2nd May (col. WA 157) and 17th April (col. WA 71).
European Security Declaration
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to set up the new European Security Architecture at the forthcoming Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe meeting in Lisbon.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We are working to secure adoption at Lisbon of a declaration on a Security Model for Europe for the 21st Century. Follow-up work on the declaration is likely to continue thereafter.
European Human Rights Convention
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their reasons for not ratifying Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The UK has signed but not ratified Protocol 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights. Her Majesty's Government believes that Article 3(2) of the Protocol could conflict with UK immigration and nationality legislation by giving British Dependent Territories Citizens, British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects and British Nationals (Overseas) a right of entry to the UK that they no longer possess.
The UK therefore has no plans to ratify Protocol 4 to the ECHR.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will list the States Parties to Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights and those member states which have not ratified Protocol No. 4.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The following countries are States Parties to Protocol 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights:
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Andorra
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Greece
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Moldova
- Russia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- FYR Macedonia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- What are their reasons for not ratifying Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The Government have not ratified Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights because they believe that the reintroduction of capital punishment for murder and its abolition for the offences for which it is still available is a matter for Parliament to decide.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page