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Written Answers
Tuesday, 8th January 2002.
Zimbabwe
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether in Zimbabwe they think it essential that independent observers oversee the registration process before the presidential elections.[HL2051]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): Independent observers should ideally be present during the entire electoral process if they are to be fully effective.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What benefits have arisen from the Abuja agreement on Zimbabwe; what benefits they expect in the future; and whether, considering Zimbabwe's failure to honour commitments from it, it is now of any value.[HL2052]
Baroness Amos: The Abuja agreement set out a clear and objective framework for the Government of Zimbabwe to return to international respectability and to secure international support for just and sustainable land reform.
The UK Government and others went the extra mile at Abuja to reach agreement. The Abuja text sets out clear benchmarks on the rule of law, ending political violence and intimidation and promoting basic human rights. The Government of Zimbabwe's scant regard for their commitments have damaged Abuja's credibility. But the continued engagement of the UN development programme on land reform—a key element of Abuja—is important. We continue to support UNDP's efforts and to honour our Abuja commitments.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will recognise the result of the forthcoming presidential election in Zimbabwe if there are no international observers of the European Union's choice monitoring and evaluating the results.[HL2053]
Baroness Amos: We are currently discussing with EU partners and others what benchmarks we will use to judge the outcome of the forthcoming presidential election in Zimbabwe.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will acquiesce in President Mugabe's choosing the countries from which international observers for the presidential election in Zimbabwe will come.[HL2054]
Baroness Amos: As head of a sovereign state, President Mugabe is entitled to decide whom he invites to observe the election and when. But he will also be aware that international confidence in the process and outcome of the presidential election may depend on the early and effective deployment of a range of independent international election observers.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the standards on which they will judge the forthcoming presidential elections in Zimbabwe.[HL2055]
Baroness Amos: We are currently discussing with EU and other partners what benchmarks the international community will use to judge the forthcoming presidential election in Zimbabwe. It is important that in due course these are widely recognised.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the European Union will follow the United States' lead on providing legislation for sanctions against Zimbabwe.[HL2056]
Baroness Amos: The United States Congress has recently passed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act. This has not yet been signed into law by President Bush.
The European Union does not have an equivalent law-making body. Any similar measures by the EU would be a political decision for the Council of Ministers. The EU has already initiated formal consultations with Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement. If there is no progress on EU concerns, "appropriate measures" may be taken.
Stolen Tractors and Excavators
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will use Europol to tackle the increasing trade in stolen tractors and excavators; and how much these crimes are costing the European Union annually.[HL1628]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): Our National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) is considering the further sharing of intelligence on the trade in stolen tractors and excavators with Europol in the light of its continuing assessment of organised crime threats. Europol can support member states' competent authorities in preventing and combating the theft of agricultural vehicles and construction plant where there is an organised criminal structure involved.
We do not know how much these crimes are costing the European Union annually but we estimate that in the United Kingdom in 1999 the insurance costs of these crimes was some £115 million.
Protective and Preventive Security Group
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
- (a) how many times the Ministerial Group on Protective and Preventative Security chaired by the Home Secretary has met;
(b) how many of the 10 Ministers on the committee attended each meeting; and
(c) how often the group is expected to meet in the future.[HL1912]
Lord Rooker: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committee business is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Illegal Firearms
The Earl of Shrewsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many illegal firearms have been seized by the Metropolitan Police during Operation Trident; and[HL1942]
How many of the illegal firearms seized by the Metropolitan Police during Operation Trident were capable of lethal discharge at the time they were taken; and[HL1943]
What were the calibre, class or type, maker and model of the illegal firearms seized by the Metropolitan Police during Operation Trident; and[HL1944]
How many of the illegal firearms seized by the Metropolitan Police during Operation Trident were:
(a) imitation or replica firearms capable of discharging blank ammunition;
(b) imitation or replica firearms not capable of discharging blank ammunition;
(c) air weapons not subject to certificate control;
(d) non-functional de-activated firearms;
(e) de-activated firearms which have been re-activated;
(f) home made firearms;
(g) imitation or replica firearms converted to discharge live ammunition; or
(h) antique firearms.[HL1945]
Lord Rooker: I understand that 62 complete firearms (including three replicas) have been siezed so far by the Metropolitan Police in connection with Operation Trident. Details of the weapons concerned are not readily available in the form requested. The firearms seized comprised 53 handguns (including three replicas), five shotguns and four machine pistols, as well as a number of component parts.
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: The response to the key recommendations of the Cantle and Ritchie reports and our proposals on how to take these forward are given in the report of the interdepartmental Public Order and Community Cohesion Ministerial Group which was also published on 11 December. We have already given an undertaking to look at the remaining recommendations and to provide a timely response.
Lord Northbrook asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): At the close of the consultation period the responses will be analysed and in due course all responses (other than any where confidentiality was requested) will be published.
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): On 18 December we signed an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding to allow the A400M contract to be placed. The contract itself was signed on the same day by the Organisation for Joint Armaments Co-operation (OCCAR), on behalf of the partner nations, and by the contractor Airbus Military. It provides for the development and manufacture of 196 aircraft in a single launch order. The UK's share is 25 aircraft. OCCAR will manage the programme to standards agreed by the partner nations.
The A400M contract will enter into force once final Bundestag approval has been given to the German commitment. The agreement of other nations, including the UK, is subject to the German signature becoming effective. If this has not happened by the end of January 2002, these authorisations will lapse, providing a further opportunity to review the position.
We are content that the programme now agreed with Airbus Military satisfies the conditions that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in another place on 16 May 2000 for our participation in the A400M programme. Specifically:
How they will respond to the Cantle and Ritchie reports on the racial riots in Oldham, Burnley and Blackburn.[HL2049]
What considerations and criteria will govern the decision of the Lord Chancellor's Department whether or not to publish in due course all or any of the submissions made in response to the proposals in The House of Lords: Completing the Reform (Cm 5291) for which confidentiality has not been requested; and whether, in order to foster open public debate and the informed consideration of such proposals, they will publish all such responses on the Internet when they are received.[HL2113]
What are the present proposals for the production of the A400M military transport aircraft; and whether they have received any representations from the Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matiere d'Armement (OCCAR) on the United Kingdom approach.[HL1903]
Programme commitments now total 196, well above the notional level of viability of 180 aircraft.
The price negotiated with Airbus Military is affordable and represents value for money.
Achievement of contract signature on 18 December is consistent with the UK's in-service date. This is planned to be 2010.
The commercial terms and conditions of the contract are acceptable.
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