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Written Answers

Monday, 23rd February 1998.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Supplementary Estimate

Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld asked Her Majesty's Government:

What changes they propose to make in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cash limits and running cost limits for 1997-98.[HL659]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for Class II, Vote 2 (Other External Relations) will be increased by £17,945,000 from £229,815,000 to £247,760,000. The increase is required to cover UK contributions to certain OSCE, United Nations and WEU Missions of £26,429,000. This will be partly offset by recoveries of £5,000,000 from the United Nations. There is a reduction of £3,788,000 because of a negative Overseas Price Movement. This will be partly offset by transfers in of £304,000, a total of £204,000 from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class V, Vote 2 and Class VI, Vote 3), Department of Trade and Industry (Class IV, Vote 1) and the Ministry of Defence (Class I, Vote 1) in respect of their contributions to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea following UK accession, and a further £100,000 from the Ministry of Defence (Class I, Vote 1) in respect of their contribution to the grant-in-aid to the Atlantic Council of the UK.

The cash limit for Class II, Vote 1 (Overseas Representation) will be reduced by £16,850,000 from £628,876,000 to £612,026,000. This reduction takes account of negative Overseas Price Movements of £20,742,000 (£10,095,000 running costs, £10,417,000 other current and £230,000 capital) which has offset a £4,000,000 running cost claim to cover major international conferences. There have also been three transfers to other government departments: £10,000 to the Cabinet Office (Class XVIII, Vote 2) for information work; £137,000 to the Department for International Development (Class II, Vote 5) for Know How Fund staff and £4,000 to the Privy Council Office (Class XVIII, Vote 3) to help fund the new UK Anti Drugs Co-ordinator and his Deputy. These have been partially offset by two transfers in; £25,000 from the Ministry of Defence (Class I, Vote 1) and £18,000 from the Northern Ireland Office (Class XV, Vote 1) for the Whitehall District Heating System.

The gross running costs limit on Class II, Vote 1 will be reduced by £6,701,000 from £534,813,000 to £528,112,000. The Wilton Park section of the Vote has been increased by £498,000 gross running costs, £29,000 other current, £65,000 capital and £351,000 appropriations in aid. These increases have been fully

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offset by reductions in the Overseas Representation section of the Vote.

The net running cost limit for Wilton Park has been increased by £149,000 from £638,000 to £787,000.

The cash limit for Class II, Vote 4 (The British Council) will be reduced by £1,637,000 from £97,884,000 to £96,247,000 because of negative Overseas Price Movements of £1,637,000.

The net decrease to the Vote will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Nuclear Policy

Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they endorse the conclusions of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict with regard to nuclear weapons that "governments should eliminate the practice of alert procedures (e.g. relying on continuously available weapons) and set an immediate goal to remove all weapons from active deployment--that is, to dismantle them to the point that to use them would require reconstruction"; and what steps they are taking towards this objective.[HL578]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: In the Strategic Defence Review and elsewhere, the Government are examining all aspects of their nuclear policy. This examination includes measures advocated by the Carnegie Commission, such as de-alerting and related concepts.

Several of the Carnegie Commission's recommendations are already government policy. The Government hope to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty this year and have committed themselves to support for a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty.

Government Departments: Policy Co-ordination

Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:

What arrangements they have made to facilitate policy co-ordination between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development and to enable the respective Secretaries of State and other Ministers to meet regularly for this purpose; how many such meetings there have been since May 1997; and what arrangements have been made for wider co-ordination with other departments and Ministries, including Defence; Trade and Industry; Environment, Transport and the Regions; Health; Social Security; Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and the Treasury.[HL579]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Ministers and officials of the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have regular meetings to discuss a wide range of policy and operational matters. Likewise, co-ordination with other departments is conducted on a regular basis by Ministers and officials as necessary.

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Iraq: UNSCOM Costs

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

What has been the cost to the United Nations of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM)'s activity in Iraq so far; whether in their view, or to their knowledge in the view of the United States, it will ever be possible for UNSCOM to certify, without the continuing military occupation of that country, that Iraq retains no capability to recommence its weapons of mass destruction programmes; and in the absence of any such certainty, what are the implications for the raising of economic sanctions in Iraq.[HL586] [10 February]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: I refer to my Answers of 1 December regarding UNSCOM's operating costs. Iraq is not under military occupation. Security Council Resolution 687 makes it clear that, when the Security Council is satisfied that Iraq has fully complied with the requirement to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction and is co-operating fully with UNSCOM over Ongoing Monitoring and Verification, the restrictions on exports from Iraq will be lifted.

Middle East: UNSCOM's Remit

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 calls for ridding the entire Middle East of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs); and if so what steps are being taken to widen UNSCOM's remit to ensure the absence of WMDs in other Middle Eastern countries, and in particular those in Israel.[HL588] [10 February]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: UNSCOM's remit under Security Council Resolution 687 (SCR 687) is to oversee, in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the dismantling of Iraq's arsenal of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and to maintain a monitoring programme to ensure that it is never rebuilt. SCR 687 takes note that Iraqi compliance will represent a step towards the goal of establishing in the Middle East a zone free from weapons of mass destruction, a concept we have consistently supported.

UN Charter and Use of Force

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they accept the United States interpretation of international law which would allow it to attack Iraq in the absence of either an immediate threat to its security or a specific Security Council Resolution; and whether this indicates a change in the British Government's interpretation of the Charter of the United Nations.[HL590]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Government's interpretation of the Charter of the United Nations has not changed. Any use of force requires to

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be justified under international law, notably the United Nations Charter. It is well established that, under the Charter, force may be used in self-defence or under the authority of the Security Council.

British Indian Ocean Territory Citizens

Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Foreign Secretary's statement that he is exploring the possibility of granting British citizenship to all the citizens of the overseas territories includes the people of the British Indian Ocean Territory who were moved from Chagos Islands to Mauritius to make way for a United States military base.[HL604]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Foreign Secretary's statement applies to all British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs). In considering this matter further, the Government will take account of the unique circumstances of BDTCs from the British Indian Ocean Territory.

International Court of Justice: Judgments

Lord Monkswell asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which countries have judgments of the International Court of Justice against them; and for each country what are the relevant judgments.[HL606]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: There are about 63 judgments of the International Court of Justice. Copies of the UN Publication Summaries of Judgements, Advisory opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice: 1948-1991, and of the Court's Annual Reports to the General Assembly for the following years are held in the House of Commons Library.

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