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Written Answers
Tuesday, 20th March 2000.
UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights: Funding
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the funding of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by the United Nations' regular budget and by voluntary contributions respectively, in each of the years 1995 to 2000.[HL1005]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The allocation to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) from the United Nations regular budget is made on a biennial basis. The OHCHR have only recorded annual allocation figures since 1998. The following data have been supplied to us by the OHCHR.
The level of OHCHR funding from the UN regular budget since 1994 has been:
| US$ | |
| 1994-1995 | 42,195,900 |
| 1996-1997 | 46,354,300 |
| 1998 | 21,300,600 |
| 1999 | 22,076,400 |
| 2000 | 21,299,700 |
The level of voluntary contributions to the OHCHR since 1995 has been:
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
US$
1995 15,043,117
1996 24,971,066
1997 24,590,363
1998 34,441,516
1999 26,870,647
2000 43,829,835
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 February (WA 105)
20 Mar 2001 : Column WA142
(a) Whether the United Kingdom is free to disassociate itself from the "suggestion" contained in the Appendix to Annex VII of the French Presidency Report on the European Security and Defence Policy, and if so, whether it will do so; and
(b) Whether NATO and/or the United States will have a veto on proposed European Security and Defence Policy activities.[HL1058]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: (a) Her Majesty's Government support the suggestions in the Appendix to Annex VII of the Presidency report to Nice concerning the implementation of "Berlin Plus" arrangements. These suggestions are the EU's initial contribution to further work in NATO and the EU. We look forward to further discussions of these arrangements, in which the UK will play an active role.
(b) EU member states would decide to launch an EU-led operation. This would happen following consultation with NATO. The EU would act only where NATO as a whole is not engaged. In practice, this means that the EU will act only when NATO has decided not to.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: (a) "Berlin Plus" refers to the arrangements proposed by NATO at the 1999 Washington Summit for the EU to have access to the collective assets and capabilities of the Alliance for EU-led operations. These arrangements build on the similar arrangements for the WEU to use NATO assets and capabilities which were agreed in 1996 at NATO's Berlin Summit.
(b) NATO will take case-by-case decisions on which assets to make available to the EU.
(c) We hope to conclude the arrangements for implementing "Berlin Plus" in the course of this year. EU Council decisions concerning the EU/NATO agreements will be submitted for parliamentary scrutiny in the normal way.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The commitment of national resources to, and their withdrawal from, an EU-led operation is a sovereign decision for the nation concerned.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The EU proposals on EU-NATO permanent arrangements for consultation and co-operation (Annex VII to the Nice Presidency Report) together with the proposals in paragraph 31 of the NATO Foreign Ministers' communique in December 2000 constitute the elements of the permanent consultation arrangements. This was agreed in an exchange of letters between the NATO Secretary-General and the Chairman of the Council of the European Union. I have put a copy of this exchange in the Library of the House.
Lord Blaker asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The EU proposals on EU-NATO permanent arrangements for consultation and co-operation (Annex II to the Nice Presidency Report) together with the proposals in paragraph 31 of the NATO Foreign Ministers' communique in December 2000 constitute the elements of the permanent consultation arrangements. This was agreed in an exchange of letters between the NATO Secretary-General and the Chairman of the Council of the European Union. I have put a copy of this exchange in the Library of the House.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We raise the situation in West Timor with the Indonesian authorities and with UN officials at every appropriate opportunity.
We remain concerned about the situation in the camps in West Timor and urge the Government of Indonesia to comply fully with the UN Security Council Resolution 1319 to disarm and disband the militia and speed up the repatriation of those refugees
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Sergio Vieira de Mello, Head of the UN operation in East Timor (UNTAET), told Mr Battle on 6th March that the situation in West Timor has improved considerably since the appointment of General William da Costa as Regional Commander. Da Costa is determined to resolve the refugee situation and has instructed the TNI to take a tougher line with armed militia. UNTAET will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities to speed up the return of refugees in time for them to register to vote for the East Timor elections.
Lord Dubs asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Foreign Secretary signed the UK's Instrument of Ratification of Protocols I and II to the Treaty of Pelindaba on 27th February 2001. The Instrument has been sent to our Embassy in Addis Ababa for deposit with the Organisation of African Unity. I will arrange for a copy of the Instrument, together with the Declaration made on deposit of the Instrument to be placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Stone of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): We are today publishing Valuing People: A New Strategy For Learning Disability for the 21st Century, which sets out cross-government proposals for improving the life chances of people with learning disabilities. This is the first White Paper on learning disability for 30 years and sets out an ambitious and challenging programme of action for improving services for a particularly vulnerable and socially excluded group in our society. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Our proposals are based on four key principles: civil rights, independence, choice, and inclusion. Valuing People takes a life-long approach, beginning with an integrated approach to services for disabled children and their families and then providing new opportunities for a full and purposeful adult life. It has cross-government backing and its proposals are intended to result in improvements in education, social services, health, employment, housing, and support for people with learning disabilities and their families and carers.
We are establishing a new Learning Disability Development Fund of up to £50 million a year to support the proposals for adults in the White Paper. Up to £30 million a year of this will be revenue funding and £20 million capital. The fund will be introduced from April 2002 and will be targeted on the priorities set out in the White Paper. We are also setting up an Implementation Support Fund of £2.3 million a year for three years from April 2001 to provide central support for key aspects of the White Paper. Priorities for the Implementation Fund, which includes £300,000 a year from the Home Office Active Community budget, includes developing independent advocacy services and establishing a National Learning Disability Information Centre and Helpline in partnership with Mencap.
We will be setting up a Learning Disability Task Force to take forward the implementation of the White Paper and an Implementation Support Team to promote good practice and share practical experience.
We are also publishing an accessible version of the White Paper; Nothing About Us Without Us, a report from the Learning Disability Service Users Advisory Group: Learning Difficulties and Ethnicity, a report commissioned from the Centre for Research in Primary Care, University of Leeds; and Family Matters, Counting Families In, a report on the particular needs of family carers. Copies will be placed in the Library.
We should like to pay particular tribute to the people with learning disabilities who helped us develop Valuing People. This is the first occasion on which people with learning disabilities have taken part in developing government policy; their contribution has been invaluable and has helped us understand the problems they and their families face every day.
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 February (WA 105):
(a) What are the "Berlin Plus arrangements"; and
(b) Whether NATO agreed to make "lift" and intelligence available for European Security and Defence Policy activities at the European Union's request; and
(c) When they expect the "detailed arrangements" to be worked out by the European Union and NATO, and whether these will be submitted to Parliament for approval.[HL1059]
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 February (WA 105), whether the United Kingdom will be free of its own accord:
20 Mar 2001 : Column WA143
(a) To avoid participation in any European Union-led operation; and
(b) To withdraw from any operation once it is under way.[HL1060]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 February (WA 105), what are the "elements of the remanent consultation arrangements" which have now been agreed by the European Union and NATO.[HL1061]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 February (WA 105), whether they will set out the elements of the permanent consultation arrangements agreed by the European Union and NATO for the European Union-led operations within the arrangements agreed at the recent Nice Conference.[HL1074]
Whether they are discussing with the Government of Indonesia the return home of those of the 65,000 East Timorese still in camps in West Timor who wish to do so; and what progress has been made in securing their return.[HL1120]
Whether the United Nations Administration in East Timor has reported that attacks by armed militias based in West Timor are continuing; and, if so, what measures are being taken to prevent them.[HL1137]
When the United Kingdom intends to ratify its signature of Protocols 1 and 2 to the African Nuclear Weapon's Free Zone Treaty (the Treaty of Pelindaba).[HL1211]
What strategies they have in place to improve services for people with learning disabilities.[HL1293]
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