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Written Answers
Monday, 24th February 1997.
Mr. Mordechai Vanunu
Lord Jenkins of Putney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will raise the case of Mordechai Vanunu with President Weizman during his visit to this country.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey): We have no plans to do so.
Indonesia: Water Cannon
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the outcome of their investigation into whether the Indonesian Government have broken undertakings given to the United Kingdom by allowing British manufactured water cannon to be used to crush peaceful dissent.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: Water cannon do not fall into the category of equipment for which we have sought assurances from the Indonesian government. Nonetheless we have ensured that they are aware of our concern that UK-supplied water cannon should not be used to disperse peaceful demonstrations. We continue to investigate reports of an incident in Bandung in June 1996.
US Regional Airspace Initiative
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the United States Regional Airspace Initiative, which is intended to develop the sharing of both civil and military flight-plan and radar-tracking data in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Albania and Slovenia under a NATO inter-operable command, control and communications structure, has been discussed with the European Commission; and whether this initiative intrudes on the responsibilities of the European Union or has a bearing on European Union enlargement.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The US has previously discussed its Regional Airspace Initiative for airspace management modernisation with its NATO Allies. As far as we are aware there has been no contact with the European Commission. The initiative does not intrude on EU responsibilities. It does not have any effect on EU enlargement.
Human Rights Protection in Hong Kong and the UK
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why they consider that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights should continue to be directly secured in the domestic law of Hong Kong after the resumption of sovereignty by the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997, but that the International Covenant and the European Convention on Human Rights should not be directly secured in the law of the United Kingdom.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: Our policy that the ICCPR and the European Convention on Human Rights should not be incorporated into the domestic law of the United Kingdom arises from the particular nature of our constitutional arrangements, whereby Parliament determines public policy on the rights and freedoms of the individual.
Article 39 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong's future constitution, provides that the provisions of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as applied to Hong Kong shall remain in force and shall be implemented through the laws of the Region. Hong Kong's Bill of Rights Ordinance incorporates the provisions of the ICCPR into Hong Kong law.
Single Currency: Asset Pooling
Lord Swinfen asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the event of the United Kingdom joining the single European currency, British oil and gas reserves will be pooled and put on the asset side of the single currency's pan-European balance sheet; and, if not, which Article, Protocol or Declaration in the Treaty on European Union safeguards these assets.
The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish): The EC Treaty provides for the European Central Bank (ECB) to hold some foreign exchange reserves transferred from member states participating in the single currency, in order to allow the ECB to carry out some of the tasks currently performed by their national central banks. The treaty does not provide for the pooling of other assets such as gas and oil reserves. The treatment of the United Kingdom's oil and gas reserves in balance of payments data or other statistics has no implication for the ownership or control of those reserves.
Basking Shark: Norwegian Catches
Lord Moran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many basking sharks have been caught by Norwegian fishermen in British waters in each of the last four years.
Lord Lucas: None has been caught in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom because Norwegian fishermen do not have access within our 12-mile fishery limits.
Figures are not available for Norwegian catches of basking sharks in the 12- to 200-mile zone of the United Kingdom's fishery limits, but Norwegian fishermen took 5.8 tonnes of basking shark liver in the waters of EU member states in 1993. No catches were recorded in 1994 and 1995, and data for 1996 are awaited.
Lindane
Lord Moran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied that the continued use of lindane is consistent with protection of the environment.
Lord Lucas: A full review of the agricultural uses of lindane was completed by the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) in 1996. The Committee concluded that, when formulated and used properly, lindane poses no unacceptable risks to the environment. The Committee therefore recommended, and Ministers accepted, that approvals should continue.
Breast Feeding
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What amount is budgeted for 1997-98 for the promotion of breast feeding in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively, and how this compares with the actual for the year 1996-97.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): The Government remain committed to promoting breast feeding as the best way of feeding a baby. Allocations for centrally funded breast feeding promotion in 1997-98 are expected to be broadly comparable with those in 1996-97 in those United Kingdom health departments which identify this expenditure separately (some do not). But the precise figures have not yet been decided.
These budgets do not include the cost of any local activity (e.g., by health professionals in clinics and general practitioner surgeries) to promote breast feeding, or the costs of the time of National Health Service staff who support mothers to breast feed.
Ivermectin
Lord Moran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are licensing the use of the persistent and toxic pesticide Ivermectin in Scottish salmon farms to control sea lice and whether this will put at risk crustaceans, invertebrates and fish in those waters.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Lindsay): The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has indicated that it has adopted a policy under which it is prepared under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 to grant discharge consent under certain strict conditions in respect of Ivermectin use for the control of sea lice in farmed salmon. I understand that the agency considers it would on balance be of benefit to the environment to phase out the main existing treatment for sea lice--that is, the use of dichlorvos. I understand the purpose of this policy is to gather adequate information on the environmental effects of Ivermectin and accordingly such consents would only be granted under strict conditions on a two-year trial basis.
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State has received a number of requests to call in certain applications for such discharge consent for his own determination. This matter is being given careful consideration.
Prisons: Nomination of Visiting Ministers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the statutory authority for the appointment of a "nominating authority" for each of the religions which provide visiting ministers at prisons in England and Wales; by whom the nominating authority is appointed; and what consultations are undertaken when there is a request by any new body to be appointed as a nominating authority.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Avebury from the Director General of the Prison Service, Mr. Richard Tilt, dated 24 February 1997.
Lady Blatch has asked me to reply to your recent Question concerning nominating authorities of religions providing visiting ministers to prisons in England and Wales.
There is no statutory authority for the appointment of "a nominating authority" for each of the religions which provides visiting ministers at prisons in England and Wales.
The designation of the present "nominating authorities" has been made by the Chaplain General of Her Majesty's Prisons in response to the needs of prisoners, after consultation with a number of advisers in other faith matters, and in fulfilment of his responsibilities to facilitate the practice of other faiths in prison.
Consultations are taking place with the current nominating authorities, and advice is being sought from as wide a field as possible to ensure that any new designations will meet the needs of prisoners throughout England and Wales.
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