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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Diplomatic Corps (Non-payment of Rates)

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of the diplomatic missions and international organisations which have outstanding balances of over £10,000 as at 31 March in respect of national non-domestic rates. [99443]

Mr. Battle: Most missions and international organisations meet their obligations. However, at 31 March 1999, the following missions owed over £10,000 for national non-domestic rates:

Country	Amount outstanding up to 31 March 1999 (£)
Algeria	34,545.78
Bulgaria	149,468.19
Cameroon	22,323.83
Ghana	17,783.05
Iran	79,123.25
Jordan	27,601.50
Mozambique	28,554.63
Nigeria	314,714.57
Portugal	43,692.28
Senegal	10,927.33
Sierra Leone	49,576.00
Uganda	17,649.17
Yemen	27,561.83
Yugoslavia	43,734.21

Family Visit Appeals

Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to UK embassies and high commissions of the appeal system for family visits in each of the last five years. [99897]

Mr. Vaz: The Right of Appeal against the refusal of visas for visits was withdrawn in 1993. There has therefore been no extra cost to UK Embassies and High Commissions over the past five years in this respect. An appeal system for family visits is to be introduced within the next 12 months.

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Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made, in respect of each of the five posts overseas that deal with the greatest number of visitor applications, of the need for further entry clearance officers to deal with family visit appeals. [99898]

Mr. Vaz: All visa issuing posts have been asked to estimate the likely staffing implications arising from the new right of appeal for family visits, which is due to be introduced within the next twelve months. We are assessing the responses but no final decisions on additional staff will be taken until the implementation procedures are agreed.

Pakistan

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made about ensuring the safety of Ahmadiyya followers in Pakistan in the last two months. [99849]

Mr. Hain: We continue to raise our concerns about the position of Pakistan's Ahmadiyya community with the Pakistani authorities. We have noted General Musharraf's promise to Pakistan's minorities that their rights would be respected and that they would be treated as equal citizens. Our High Commissioner in Islamabad has underlined to General Musharraf and other members of his administration the need for the military authorities in Pakistan to maintain respect for human rights.

Falklands

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on opening negotiations with Argentina regarding the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. [R] [100017]

Mr. Battle: There is no doubt about British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, confirmed in international law. This is not negotiable. We are committed to defend the Islanders' right to determine their own future.

In consultation with the Falkland Islands Government, we continue to discuss with Argentina issues of common interest in the South Atlantic, for example the conservation of fish stocks, in order to improve the way we manage our differences with Argentina that arise from our respective positions on sovereignty. The British-Argentine Joint Statement of 14 July was a significant milestone in this process.

BBC World Television

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the contribution of BBC World Television to the promotion of British interests internationally; and if he will make a statement. [99997]

Mr. Hain: We have received no such representations. In July, a senior producer from BBC World wrote to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary about future funding of BBC World. In his reply, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear that, as BBC World was established as a commercial venture, he could see no possibility of Government taking on responsibility for its financing.

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Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to provide grant in aid from his Department's budget for BBC World Television; and if he will make a statement. [99996]

Mr. Hain: There are no plans to provide grant in aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's budget for BBC World. BBC World is a commercial operation funded by subscription and/or advertising. It is part of the BBC's commercial arm and is quite separate from the BBC World Service which is funded by parliamentary grant in aid.

Kosovo

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has obtained since the Kosovo campaign on the legality of the NATO intervention in Kosovo. [100089]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 26 November 1999]: Throughout the Kosovo crisis, the Government took legal advice in accordance with standing procedures. They continue to do so as necessary. During the NATO air campaign, a series of cases was brought by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia against the UK and other NATO Allies before the International Court of Justice. The UK's defence in these proceedings has been handled by the Attorney-General in person, assisted by a legal team composed of officials and outside counsel. If the FRY persists in its case against the UK, we shall contest it vigorously.

Danube

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from (a) Bulgaria, (b) Hungary and (c) Romania on the clearing of the Danube. [100088]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 26 November 1999]: We are aware of, and share, the concerns of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania about the blockages in the Danube caused by downed bridges at Novi Sad. The matter is currently under discussion within the Danube Commission at technical level, and within the EU. The last meeting of the General Affairs Council on 15 November confirmed the EU's willingness to provide the Danube states and the Danube Commission with active support in their efforts to devise and implement a solution, and that it was prepared to examine an EU contribution to the clearance on the Danube on the basis of proposals to be put forward by the Danube Commission.

The General Affairs Council also recalled however, that, under international law, the main responsibility for clearing the Danube lies with the FRY. It requested the Yugoslav authorities immediately and unconditionally to perform or allow the necessary clearance operations.

Stability Pact

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost of the UK contribution to the Stability Pact between its inception and 30 October. [100081]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 26 November 1999]: We anticipate that the UK's contribution to cover the costs of the inaugural Summit meeting of the Stability Pact, and

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the costs incurred in supporting the EU's Special Representative for the Stability Pact until 31 December 1999, will be approximately £225,000.

The Stability Pact is not intended to be a grant-giving organisation but we will continue to support the implementing agencies (EU, OSCE, IFIs etc.) through our regular contributions and on a case-by-case basis.

Iran

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the deaths of Iranian law enforcement personnel in a clash with drug traffickers on 3 November. [100337]

Mr. Battle: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary greatly regrets these tragic deaths and sent a message of condolence to the Iranian Foreign Minister. They are another very distressing reflection of the efforts and commitment that Iran has made to combat the narcotics trade.

Hon. Members will recall that, in March this year, the UK donated £300,000 to the United Nations International Drugs Control Programme to provide Iranian frontier personnel with 1,020 bullet proof vests. I should like to announce that, following discussions with the Iranian authorities in Tehran over the weekend, the Government are donating a further £1 million to UNDCP for projects in Iran and separately giving £150,000 of bilateral drugs assistance. The UNDCP programme covers training and equipment primarily to strengthen counter-narcotics work at Iran's borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our proposed bilateral assistance covers training and equipment for the border with Turkey and airport controls, areas not covered by the UNDCP programme. Our overall assistance package will improve the capacity of Iranian drugs control agencies to combat the traffickers and to stop drugs entering and leaving Iran.

No suppliers have yet been nominated for the goods covered by this assistance package. The export from the UK of some of the goods concerned may be subject to control and an export licence might need to be granted if they are sourced from the UK. If such a licence were granted, this could constitute an exception to our arms embargo on Iran and would be announced.

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Iranian Government, and with what response, over the arrest and detention of those who took part in pro-democracy demonstrations in July. [100471]

Mr. Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about these detentions with Foreign Minister Kharrazi during their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September. He was told that should charges be brought against those detained, then they would receive a fair trial, and that any sentences would be subject to appeal.

A Resolution on the Human Rights situation in Iran was adopted on 18 November at the United Nations General Assembly. This resolution, tabled in conjunction with our EU partners, also underlined continuing international concern over these arrests.

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