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Dependent Territories (Caribbean)
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency plans he has in place for dependent territories in the Caribbean in the eventuality of other volcanic eruptions. [21041]
Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 16 December 1997]: All the Caribbean Dependent Territories have an office of disaster preparedness and disaster contingency plans which are regularly reviewed. These plans take account of the hazards posed by flooding and their principal causes: hurricanes or tsunamis set up by submarine volcanic activity, such a san eruption by the volcano Kick 'Em Jenny, located off Grenada.
Dependent Territories (Internet Services)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Commissioner for Pitcairn has had with businesses seeking to create employment on Pitcairn concerning the provision of Internet services to the island; and for what reasons the Commissioner has been seeking to acquire the domain name for Pitcairn from the designated manager. [21045]
Mr. Tony Lloyd [holding answer 16 December 1997]: The Commissioner is currently investigating ways of improving communications with the Pitcairn Islands to permit Internet access. The Commissioner is seeking to acquire the domain name for Pitcairn in response to a request to this effect form the Pitcairn Island Council.
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy on Internet services for Pitcairn Island and other dependent territories; and if he will make a statement. [21038]
Mr. Tony Lloyd
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: Existing data communications with the Pitcairn Islands do not permit access to the Intenet. There are therefore no Internet services operating from or within Pitcairn. The Commissioner is currently investigating ways of improving communications so that the Internet can be
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accessed from Pitcairn. Our policy on issues of this sort is to seek to fulfil the wishes of the individual dependent territory governments.
Mr. Jenkin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the Government's policy to seek to regulate or control domain names on the Internet in respect of United Kingdom dependent territories; and if he will make a statement. [21039]
Mr. Tony Lloyd
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: Our policy is to seek to fulfil the wishes expressed by the individual dependent territory governments. This Department does not generally authorise third parties to administer top level Internet domain names on behalf of dependent territories unless there is some obvious direct benefit to the dependent territories.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 November 1997, Official Report, column 103, what steps his Department has taken to inform other bodies of its support for the broad intentions relating to each United Nations text; and to what extent he has monitored the implementation of the principles contained in the texts. [20329]
Mr. Tony Lloyd
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: Our support for the five United Nations texts, and for the principles which they contain, is recorded in the reports of the UN meetings where the texts were adopted. For the convenience of the House, I have arranged for copies of these reports to be placed in the Libraries of the House today. The texts are recommendatory in nature, and are not legally binding on member States. It is for the relevant home Departments to consider the recommendations contained in the texts, and to monitor their implementation as appropriate.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if constitutional change, other than as provided in the Treaty of Utrecht, in the status of Gibraltar is a matter solely for the decision of Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Gibraltar. [21044]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 16 December 1997]: Constitutional change is a matter for the decision of Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Gibraltar provided that it is compatible with the Treaty of Utrecht. We also stand by the commitment in the preamble to the 1969 constitution that there can be no change in sovereignty over Gibraltar without the freely and democratically expressed consent of its people.
RUC Weapons (Losses)
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) number and (b) type of RUC issue weapons and of what description have been lost, stolen or otherwise unaccounted for in each of the past 10 years; how many of these weapons are believed to have
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fallen into the hands of (a) Republican and (b) Loyalist paramilitaries; and how many have been recovered subsequently. [19497]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 10 December 1997]: The information requested for the period 1 January 1988 to 4 December 1997 is set out in the tables. All of the weapons referred to are handguns with the exception of one rifle stolen in 1988 but which was subsequently recovered.
| Year | Stolen | Recovered | Not recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 1989 | 13 | 11 | 2 |
| 1990 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| 1991 | 14 | 13 | 1 |
| 1992 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1993 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1994 | 14 | 9 | 5 |
| 1995 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 1996 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 85 | 64 | 21 |
| Year | Stolen | Loyalist | Republican | Other(8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 1989 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 1990 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| 1991 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 1992 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1996 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 85 | 15 | 10 | 60 |
(8) Other--Non-Terrorist/Criminal/Not Known.
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 1997, Official Report, column 321, on how many occasions and at what cost RUC officers travelled to Germany in November and December 1996 for training purposes and how many of them were (i) training German officers, (ii) being trained by German officers and (iii) participating in events involving more than the two forces. [19498]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 10 December 1997]: During November and December 1996 RUC officers travelled to Germany on 9 occasions for training purposes with the Army. Military transport was used at no cost to the RUC.
No training took place with German officers.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 1997, Official Report, column 321, what was the total cost in November and December 1996 of foreign travel for RUC officers on operational duties. [19499]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 10 December 1997]: The total cost of foreign travel for RUC officers on operational duties in November and December 1996 was £35,604.20.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 185
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if her Department has current dealings with (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) suppliers which are not millennium compliant; and on what date her Department will cease to deal with (i) non-governmental organisations and (ii) suppliers which are not millennium compliant. [20521]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 12 December 1997]: My Departments are very aware of the importance of being Millennium compliant. They have taken steps to ensure compliance for the year 2000 by including an appropriate clause in contract documentation for the supply of goods and services. It is difficult to assess at this point in time how many suppliers are not Millennium compliant. However every effort is being made by my officials to encourage companies to become compliant through awareness seminars and liaising with organisations such as industry lead bodies and the CBI.
I have not specified a date when my Departments will cease to deal with non-governmental organisations and suppliers which are not Millennium compliant as the legalities of doing so are as yet unclear.
Mr. Colman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the impact on Northern Ireland of the adoption of the euro by the Republic of Ireland. [20772]
Mr. Paul Murphy
[holding answer 15 December 1997]: Northern Ireland's interests, as part of the United Kingdom, are best served by this Government's policy that the United Kingdom will enter EMU only if the economic benefits are clear and unambiguous and if the people agree in a referendum. Great Britain continues to be Northern Ireland's main export market. The impact on Northern Ireland of the Republic of Ireland entering EMU earlier than the United Kingdom would depend, among other things, on the stability of the sterling/euro exchange rate and the flexibility of local labour markets.
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