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Written Answers
Thursday, 19th December 1996.
Rwandan Refugees: Assistance
Lord Ironside asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What contribution UK forces have made to the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region.
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Lord Henley): British Forces deployed to the region have made an extremely valuable contribution to the action taken by the international community. The Canberra PR9 has flown 24 sorties, playing a pivotal rule in determining the precise location and numbers of refugee groups in eastern Zaire. Our liaison personnel in Rwanda have provided unique information about the situation on the ground, and have assisted in the co-ordination of work in the area.
Substantial numbers of refugees have returned home to Rwanda, and aid agencies now enjoy greater ease of access to eastern Zaire. In the light of the dramatic change in the humanitarian situation, the steering group overseeing the multinational mission to the region has recommended to the UN Secretary-General that the multinational force be withdrawn by 31st December. The focus now must be on efforts to obtain wider access for the aid agencies on the ground and to enable them to assess the scale and nature of humanitarian needs and how these can best be met.
Our forces in the region will accordingly return to the UK this week. Our international partners are making similar plans for withdrawal of their own forces.
The UK will continue to lend full support to the humanitarian mission in the region and to regional efforts to find a lasting political solution. In that context we welcome the outcome of the Nairobi summit of 16th-17th December.
Economic and Monetary Union: Third Stage
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether (a) the paragraphs in the Treaty of Rome which reflect the UK's option not to join the proposed economic and monetary union only come into effect after the United Kingdom has notified the Council that it does not intend to take part in the third and final stage of EMU, and (b) whether they will list the articles, subsections and indents in the Treaty which would not then apply to the UK;
Given that they have not yet notified the Council of Ministers that they do not intend to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union (as per paragraph 2 of the Protocol on certain provisions relating to the United Kingdom (EMU) to the
- Treaty on European Union), over which proposals for convergence criteria, "necessary conditions", stability pacts and exchange rate and currency regulations the United Kingdom will have a veto, and for what period of time; and which similar proposals will be decided by qualified majority voting; and
Given that they have not yet notified the Council of Ministers that they do not intend to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union (as per Paragraph 2 of the Protocol on certain provisions relating to the United Kingdom (EMU) to the Treaty on European Union), over which articles in that treaty which deal with EMU the United Kingdom will have a veto, and for what period of time; and which articles will be decided by qualified majority voting.
The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish): Paragraphs 3-10 of Protocol No. 11 to the EC Treaty list the legal implications for the United Kingdom if it notifies the Council in accordance with Paragraph 3 of the protocol that it does not intend to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union (EMU).
On 16th October, the UK notified the Council pursuant to paragraph 2 of Protocol No. 11 and in the context of the assessment under Article 109j(2), that it did not intend to move to the third stage of economic and monetary union (EMU) in 1997; (Official Report, Commons, 16/10/96; Col. 917).
This has no implications for the Government's policy towards EMU or for the UK's option to decide whether or not to seek to participate in a third stage beginning on 1st January 1999. As a result of Protocol No. 11 and the EC(A) Act 1993, the UK would only be able to participate in the third stage of EMU, including the single currency, if both the Government and Parliament were to decide that it should do so. The Government would only seek to participate if it were to believe that it would be in the national interest, on the basis of a full assessment when the facts are clear of the implications for the United Kingdom.
House of Lords: Painting
Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:
- What publicity will be given to the painting of the House in session when it is completed; and whether such publicity will include information as to the basis of selection of Lords included.
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham: It will be for the Advisory Panel on Works of Art to consider what publicity to give to the picture when it is completed.
Environment Council, 9th December
Viscount Ullswater asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the Environment Council on 9th December 1996.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment represented the United Kingdom at the Environment Council on 9th December.
The Council reached political agreement on a common position on the decision on the review of the Fifth Environment Action Plan, and on the amendment of Directive 90/219 (on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms). An amendment to the waste shipments regulation was agreed, subject to a United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny reserve. The Council also discussed climate change issues at some length but Council conclusions put forward by the Presidency were not agreed.
The Council discussed the proposed framework agreement on leghold traps. The Council was concerned that the draft agreement which was on offer would allow some forms of leghold traps to continue to be used. The Council therefore requested the Commission to re-open negotiations with third countries with a view to achieving a more satisfactory agreement and, in parallel, to take steps to prepare for the introduction of an import ban by no later than 31st March 1997.
The Council also expressed its concern about the delay in the decision which is needed from the Commission on the application to market genetically modified maize in the Community. My right honourable
friend joined calls for this to be made as soon as possible.The Council agreed a resolution which sets the framework for the future Community waste strategy. The Council also agreed conclusions on the development of the European Union position for the special session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 1977, which will review progress since the Rio earth summit.
The Council took note of progress under the Irish Presidency of negotiations on the auto-oil programme; the revision of the Drinking Water Directive; the rules and procedures applying to shipments to certain non-OECD countries of certain types of waste; and proposals for the funding of environmental non-governmental organisations.
Manslaughter: Diminished Responsibility
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many members of the public have been: (a) killed, and (b) injured in the past five years by former mental patients released into the community; and how many were killed and injured respectively in the five years immediately preceding the implementation of the Care in the Community policy.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): Data is not available in the format requested. Convictions for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility under Section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957 for the 10 years from 1985 to 1995 are shown in the table. Offenders who enter a plea of diminished responsibility under Section 2 of the Homicide Act will not necessarily have previously been treated by specialist mental health services.
| 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
| Number of Section 2 convictions | 75 | 84 | 78 | 74 | 83 | 70 | 76 | 78 | 62 | 62 | 32 |
Source:
Table 4.7 from the Homicide Chapter of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1995" (note: figures relate to year that the offence was initially recorded, correct to 5th August 1996 but will be revised as further information comes to light there being 336 suspects awaiting trial at that date).