| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Monday, 10th March 1997.
CDC: External Finance Limit
The Earl of Munster asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What external finance limit has been set for the current financial year for the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey): The external finance limit for CDC for 1996-97 is being increased by £31,400,000 from minus £15,000,000 to plus £16,400,000. The change allows for the take up of an entitlement under end year flexibility arrangements and a temporary increase in borrowing by CDC. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Russia: Penal Amnesty Proposal
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will discuss with the Russian Federation the proposal for an amnesty for people of pensionable age, women with children and minors, currently imprisoned in that country.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We have no plans to discuss this matter with the Russian authorities. We have, however, raised prison conditions in general with the Russians and are looking at what we can do to help the Russian authorities undertake further penal reform.
Russia: Human Rights
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place on the agendas of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe the issues raised in the recent report of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Commission.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The points raised in the report will as a matter of course be addressed by the Council of Europe in such contexts as their Russia programmes, as part of their monitoring procedures, and during forthcoming visits to Russia. We have no plans to raise the report separately with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, given the Council of Europe's specific expertise in this area.
Liozidou v. Turkey
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What conclusions they draw from the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, given on
18 December 1996, in the case of Liozidou v. Turkey concerning the plaintiff's house in Kyrenia, Cyprus.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The UK was not party to the proceedings. It is not for us to interpret the judgement of the Court.
Jerusalem: Housing Stock
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What information they have about the numbers of dwellings built for Israelis and Palestinians respectively in the area administered by the Jerusalem municipality since 1967.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: According to latest figures (1995), about 40,000 public and private housing units have been built in east Jerusalem for Israelis since 1967. There was none before. No public housing units have been built for Palestinians, but Palestinians have themselves built about 10,000. These are in addition to the pre-existing Palestinian housing stock in east Jerusalem of about 13,000 dwellings. About 25,000 housing units have been built for Israelis in west Jerusalem since 1967. These are in addition to the pre-existing Israeli housing stock of 58,000 units. None has been built for Palestinians in west Jerusalem. The total housing stock for Israelis in Jerusalem as a whole is thus about 123,000, and for Palestinians about 23,000. These figures are extracted from statistics published by Jerusalem municipality.
EU and ACP Countries Relations
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their priorities for relationships between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and what inter-departmental arrangements they have put in place to prepare and pursue policy towards the next review of the Lome Convention.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We remain strongly committed to close relations between the EU and ACP countries. We are in the process of developing our approach to the future of the Lome Convention; one of our priorities will be more effective use of EC development assistance. Regular consultation takes place between Government Departments and with EU and ACP partners.
Albania and Bulgaria: EU Assistance
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they are pursuing in the international financial institutions and other multilateral organisations including the European Union, and what bilateral action they are taking, to help meet the economic and social crises facing the people of Albania and the people of Bulgaria.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: We have been following events in Albania and Bulgaria with deep concern. In Bulgaria, we are encouraging the Government to maintain its dialogue with the international financial institutions and to undertake fundamental economic reforms. We have a technical assistance programme, through the know-how fund, aimed at helping the process of reform. In response to the current humanitarian needs, the ODA has provided £131,000 in emergency aid, primarily for food, clothing and medicines for children's institutions. With our EU partners we are providing a 20 MECU (£16.8m) package of social assistance for vulnerable groups and are considering the further allocation of EU emergency funds.
In Albania, both the EU and OSCE are sending high level delegations to Tirana. An IMF/IBRD team will arrive on 9 March. We have a small technical assistance programme, through the know-how fund, and have reiterated our offer to provide advice on the regulation of the financial sector. We consider that international assistance to Albania should be conditional on the Government's respect for the rule of law and for fundamental democratic principles.
ICPD: Action Plans
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they estimate has been made towards fulfilling the commitments made by governments at the 1994 Population and Development conference in Cairo.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: Most developing country governments have now instituted national action plans to pursue the 1994 International Population and Development Conference (ICPD) commitments. The United Nations Commission on Population and Development will review global progress in 1999. The United Kingdom was one of few governments to make spending commitments at ICPD. The ODA's target of committing over £100 million over two years on at least 50 population and reproductive health projects was easily exceeded. Actual commitment over that period was £184 million on 112 new projects. All of Britain's health and population assistance, some 12 per cent. of the bilateral programme, contributes to efforts to meet the goals set out in the ICPD programme of action.
NATO Expansion
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What part of the proposed costs of the proposed expansion of NATO is being allocated to the United Kingdom.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: The present NATO cost-share keys are long established. We expect the accession of new members to result in a proportionate reduction in the UK share of the NATO budget. It is impossible to predict the details until it is known which countries will be invited at the Madrid Summit to begin accession negotiations.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, if it appears that the expansion of NATO eastwards will not "enhance security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area" (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, H.L. Deb, 10 February, WA 3), the proposal will be withdrawn.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: This question is hypothetical. We and our NATO Allies believe that enlargement of the Alliance will enhance security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the meaning of the statement by the Minister of State (Sir Nicholas Bonsor, HC Deb.,
26 February, col. 275) that the matter of the costs of any enlargement of NATO "is now in the hands of NATO".
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: This was a reference to the tasking placed on the NATO authorities by paragraph 28 of the communique issued by NATO Defence Ministers at their meeting on 17 and 18 December 1996, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What credence they give to the various figures for the costs of the proposed expansion of NATO aired in the United States which vary at the least between US 35 billion dollars and US 125 billion dollars.
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to his Question on 19 November 1996 (vol. 575, col. WA 130).
NATO and Russia
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the US Secretary of State Albright has been negotiating with the Russian Government on the "mandate agreed by the Alliance as a whole" or whether she is introducing proposals that have not been discussed and agreed (such as perhaps the Joint Brigade and the New Council).
Baroness Chalker of Wallasey: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to his Question on 5 March (vol. 578, col. WA 132).
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page