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Written Answers
Thursday, 11th February 1999.
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
The Earl of Denbigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of their legislative proposals for the House of Lords, whether it is appropriate that four Lords members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should be hereditary peers.[HL833]
The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington): While hereditary peers are still members of the House of Lords, they are eligible to be members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
CEDAW Report
Baroness Serota asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the fourth report on the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has been completed.[HL1032]
Baroness Jay of Paddington: I am pleased to announce that the report has now been published and forwarded to the United Nations. It is largely a retrospective record of action taken since publication of the last report in 1995 both to eliminate discrimination and to improve the position of women. It covers the whole of the United Kingdom, although, where appropriate, the position in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is dealt with separately. It addresses in detail the Articles of the Convention and therefore covers a wide range of topics--for example, women in employment, women in education, women's health and women in public life. Preparation of this comprehensive report was co-ordinated by the Women's Unit with the support and collaboration of all relevant government departments and non-governmental organisations. It will be considered by the UN CEDAW Committee and the UK Government will be examined formally on its contents in June 1999.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Ray Choto and Mr. Mark Chavunduka
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have made representations to the Government of Zimbabwe about the recent torture of Mr. Ray Choto and Mr. Mark Chavunduka; and, if so, what was the response.[HL819]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The Government are shocked by the detention and apparent torture of Mr. Chavunduka and Mr. Choto by the military authorities in Zimbabwe, and applaud the prompt action by the judiciary in ordering Mr. Chavunduka's release. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has sought assurances from the Zimbabwe Government that it will take swift action to investigate these serious allegations; and, if proven to be true, to bring the perpetrators to justice. We have also made representations on these lines with our European Union partners in Harare.
We await a response from the Government of Zimbabwe.
Falkland Islands
The Earl of Denbigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the light of recent media comments from President Menem with respect to Argentina "freezing" its claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, they have any intention of changing United Kingdom policy on this issue.[HL834]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Our position of sovereignty is well-known and remains unchanged. We do not regard our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands as negotiable, and remain committed to the right of the islanders to determine their own future. There are no negotiations under way on sovereignty. There will be no change in the status of the islands unless that is the wish of the islanders themselves.
Treaty on European Union: Co-operation Provisions
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the provisions on closer co-operation as agreed in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997, which feature in the consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union as Articles 43, 44 and 45 of title VII and in Article 11 in the consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Communities, apply to all parts of both Treaties.[HL836]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Closer co-operation under the conditions set out in new Articles 43, 44 and 45 of the Treaty on European Union may be authorised under Pillar I in accordance with new article ll of the Treaty establishing the European Community, and under Pillar III in accordance with new Article 40 of the Treaty on European Union. There is no equivalent provision under Pillar II.
British Council Grants to Artists Scheme
The Earl of Clancarty asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In which year the British Council's Grants to Artists Scheme was last funded; and how much funding it received that year.[HL840]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The British Council's Grants to Artists Scheme was funded from April to October in the financial year 1998-99. Over that period the scheme received £67,565.
The Earl of Clancarty asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the British Council's Grants to Artists Scheme is to be reinstated; and what amount of funding is to be allotted to it.[HL841]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Arts Group of the British Council, in consultation with the Council's policy and country directors, is currently planning budgets for the next financial year across all its activities and is seeking to balance competing priorities against available funds. Although no decision has yet been taken on the funding or future of the Grants for Artists Scheme, the Council hopes that the scheme will be reinstated from 1999-2000. A decision is expected in March.
Burma: Refugees
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees now has a full mandate to operate on behalf of Karen, Karenni, Mon and other refugees from Burma seeking asylum in Thailand; and whether there are any limitations on the UNHCR mandate.[HL856]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees operates under a global mandate. Although Thailand has not ratified the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees, the Royal Thai Government has invited UNHCR to help deal with the refugee problem on the Burmese border. The Royal Thai Government published a set of working arrangements for UNHCR in 1998 which covered issues of admission, protection, registration, site relocations, assistance and eventual repatriation.
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they can provide recent figures for (1) the total number of registered refugees from Burma to Thailand (a) on 1 January 1998 and (b) 1 January 1999; (2) the estimated number of displaced persons currently along the border; and (3) the number of displaced persons who have been forcibly sent back by the Thai army.[HL857]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Thai Ministry of Interior had registered 102,381 persons in camps on Thai soil on 1 January 1998, and 100,157 on 1 January 1999 (refugees from Burma to Thailand are not fully registered, so current numbers are incomplete). The number of refugees receiving NGO assistance in sites on both sides of the Thai/Burma border on 1 January 1998 was 116,264 and on 1 January 1999 it was 111,813. Estimates of total numbers of displaced persons along the border vary from around 10,000 in Thailand in the immediate vicinity of camps, to hundreds of thousands displaced from their original homes, including those still in Burma. The Thai authorities assure us that no displaced persons have been forcibly sent back from camps in Thailand by the Thai army during the administration of the present government.
General Pinochet: Telephone Call
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 27 January (WA151) about the Chilean Ambassador's telephone call to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16 October, whether the Foreign Office has received any communication from the Chilean Embassy about the telephone call; and, if so, what was its content and purpose.[HL865]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Chilean Embassy has not contacted the Foreign Office about the telephone call on 16 October.
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 27 January (WA151) about the Chilean Ambassador's telephone call to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16 October, what was the name and position of the official to whom the Ambassador spoke.[HL866]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Chilean Ambassador spoke to the Head of Latin America and Caribbean Department, Mr Henry Hogger.
Luxembourg Compromise
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many times in the Council of Ministers and on what issues have the member states of the European Union made use of their non-Treaty veto, embodied in the Luxembourg Compromise of 1966; and when that veto was last exercised by the United Kingdom Government.[HL867]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: No formal records are kept by the Government or the Council Secretariat of the occasions when member states have invoked the Luxembourg Compromise.
The United Kingdom has invoked the Luxembourg Compromise twice, in July 1978 and May 1982.
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