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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Ireland (Diplomatic Status)
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Irish participants (a) from the Anglo-Irish secretariat at Maryfield and (b) involved in the talks at Castle buildings have been granted diplomatic status; and what level of immunity from arrest and criminal charges this gives.[21004]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: None in either category. The officials in question have not therefore acquired any level of immunity from arrest and criminal charges as a result of diplomatic status.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Stern:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to
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ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army can be tried in a country other than that to which they are returned; [21319]
(3) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army would be tried in open court; [21320]
(4) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to obtain their opinions on claims of the forcible abduction of asylum-seekers from Germany while awaiting the opportunity to provide intelligence to NATO officers; [21322]
(5) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine on the penalties potentially faced by asylum seekers deported by a member of NATO who face charges of desertion from the Army after their return to those countries. [21318]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
I have no plans at present to hold discussions with the Russian, Belarusian or Ukranian Foreign Ministers on these matters.
Mr. Stern:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will hold discussions with his German counterpart on the obligations to asylum seekers who face maltreatment on return to their country of origin and who have provided intelligence information to the benefit of the United Kingdom as a member of NATO; [21317]
Mr. David Davis:
Our understanding is that the German authorities have yet to take a decision on the status of the former Soviet Army officers but are considering the issue sympathetically. The British embassy in Bonn has drawn the public interest in this subject to the attention of the German Government. We continue to follow the matter closely. The practice of successive Governments has been not to comment on intelligence matters.
Mr. Stern:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conditions prevailing in Russian prisons. [21327]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
We have made no separate assessment of the conditions, but follow closely the work
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of the Russian presidential commission on human rights, the Council of Europe, and non-governmental organisations, in this area.
On 25 February, Vladimir Kartahkin, head of the presidential commission on human rights launched a report on conditions in Russia's prisons, which found "grave violations . . . and inhuman conditions". On 3 March, the Prosecutor General, Yuri Skuratov, warned of a "social explosion" unless urgent measures were taken. He highlighted overcrowding and the rising incidence of illness, especially tuberculosis,in prisons and remand centres.
These assessments are supported by independent human rights NGOs such as Human Rights Watch/Helsinki.
A programme for reforming the penal system has been adopted, but the lack of funds is a continual brake on progress.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign students have benefited from English language training funded by the British Council in each of the last 10 years; and how much has been spent on such training in each of these years. [21216]
Mr. Hanley:
The British Council spends a large proportion of its grant-in-aid in supporting teacher training and other projects which aim to improve the quality of English teaching in state education systems overseas. In 1995-96 this amounted to £17,500,000 or 16 per cent. of grant-in-aid. Figures for expenditure in other years are not readily available; neither are numbers for individuals, although in east and central Europe alone approximately 30,000 teachers benefited in the year 1995-96.
The Council does not teach English in this country. It does administer English language training in the UK for foreign students funded by the Overseas Development Administration's technical co-operation training programme, the FCO's Chevening scholarships programme, multilateral aid agencies and the council's own grant-in-aid. Overall figures for the last three years are as follows:
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During the past three years the British Council has also delivered English courses to 330,000 students in its language teaching centres overseas, which are all self-funding. The total number of students attending these courses over the last 10 years has been 960,000. This has been at no charge to the taxpayer.
Sir David Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the Government of St. Helena has refused to renew the immigration permit of the Swedish national, Mr. Mikael Olsson. [21051]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Dr. Marek) on 17 March 1997, column 394.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 17 March, Official Report, column 394, what are the rules which govern the length of stay permitted to a visitor on St. Helena; and what guidance has been issued to the immigration officer on the application of these rules, with particular reference to extensions. [21190]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor:
The Immigration Ordinance 1972 controls immigration into St. Helena. The immigration officer is guided by the St. Helena Government's immigration policy, which came into force on 1 July 1993, and permits that genuine visitors other than those who own homes in St. Helena or arrive there by yacht.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 11 March, Official Report, column 151 if he will make a further request for British embassy consular access to Mr. Yasser A. Al-Sayegh; and if he will make a statement. [21070]
Dr. Liam Fox:
Our embassy in Bahrain will not be making a further request for consular access. The Bahraini authorities have stated that they consider Mr. Al-Sayegh to be a Bahraini national. He has family living in Bahrain.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the value of British exports to China in each of the last five years. [21211]
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Mr. Hanley:
The value of British merchandise exports to China in each of the last five years was:
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects a decision will be taken on the application by Mrs. Tasmeen Ahmed, Ref. IMM D7103, to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to join her husband in the United Kingdom; if all required documents have been received by the post; and if he will make a statement. [21074]
Dr. Liam Fox:
I have asked our High Commission in Islamabad to provide me with a detailed account of the position. Thereafter I will send the honourable Member a substantive reply as soon as possible.
(2) if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to ascertain if returned asylum seekers facing a charge of desertion from the Army are entitled to the benefit of civilian legal advice;[21321]
(2) if he will hold discussions with his German counterpart on the deferral of deportation orders against asylum seekers in Germany who face deportation to Russia, Belarus or Ukraine until it can be established whether any of those asylum seekers were given indications of asylum in the course of interrogation by intelligence officers reporting to NATO or members thereof. [21316]
These figures include fellowships funded by the Council from its government grant-in-aid as follows:
1996-97
395 students: £1,998,000.
1995-96
471 students: £2,459,000.
1994-95
520 students: £3,114,000.
Figures for previous years are not readily available.
1994-95
54 students: £247,000.
"will be granted a permit to enter and remain on the Island for a period not exceeding three months. The period may be extended for further periods not exceeding three months up to a total of one year."
1996: £738.5 million
1995: £824.4 million
1994: £844.9 million
1993: £739.5 million
1992: £429.9 million.
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