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Iraqi Prisoners of War
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is their policy that Iraqi prisoners within their custody will not be transferred to United States authorities if there is a risk of their
- being deprived of the protection of the Geneva Conventions or of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.[HL2438]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The United Kingdom will act in accordance with its obligations under the Geneva Convention including the provisions governing the transfer of prisoners of war. Under arrangements we have agreed with coalition partners, prisoners whom we have captured will not be transferred out of Iraq without the agreement of the UK.
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether any prisoners captured by British forces in Iraq have been handed over to United States forces or control.[HL2452]
Lord Bach: All prisoners of war captured by British Forces in Iraq have been transferred to a United States internment facility in theatre. The United Kingdom remains the Detaining Power for prisoners of war transferred to the US, and they cannot be released, or removed from Iraq without UK approval.
EU Institutions
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will instruct their representatives in the European Convention on a Constitution for Europe to support the proposals made by the Swedish Minister for International and Economic Affairs and Financial Markets and the Swedish Government Representative in the European Convention, as set out in their letter to the Financial Times published on 9 April, for the treaty to lay down legally binding roles of good administration within the European Union institutions; to protect the right to freedom of expression of all European Union officials; and to improve the public's access to documents in all European Union institutions and bodies.[HL2531]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The UK Government strongly support the principle of good administration. We are working closely in the convention with other governments, including Sweden, to ensure that appropriate guidelines are placed in the new draft treaty. As a general principle the UK supports the right to freedom of expression of all European citizens. The Government have long been an advocate of greater openness in the EU institutions. This was a key theme of the UK presidencies in 1992 and 1998. Making it easier to gain access to non-sensitive documents is crucial to this. Draft Treaty Article 36 on access to documents extends the access regime to bodies established by the institutions, and the UK has supported this.
EU: Forthcoming Business
Lord Rea asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for May; and what are the major European Union events for the period 1 June to 30 November 2003. [HL2648]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean:
| Date | Location | Event |
| May | ||
| 2–4 | Cruise from Rhodes to Kastellorizo | Gymnich (Informal Foreign Ministers) |
| 3–4 | Athens | Informal Environment (Ministerial Informal) |
| 5–6 | Brussels | Education, Youth & Culture Council |
| 8 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 10–13 | Corfu | Agriculture (Ministerial Informal) |
| 12–13 | Brussels | Competitiveness |
| 12 | Brussels | EUROGROUP |
| 13 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 14 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 14 | Brussels | Transport, Telecom & Energy Council |
| 15–16 | Brussels | Convention Plenary |
| 15–16 | Brussels | EU–ACP Ministerial |
| 16–17 | Halkidiki | Informal Regional Policy (Ministerial) |
| 16–18 | Cruise off Greece | Informal Transport & Merchant Marine (Ministerial) |
| 17 | Brussels | EU–W. Balkans (Zagreb Process) |
| 19 | Brussels | Competitiveness Council |
| 19 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations (+ Defence) |
| 20 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations |
| 22 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 24 | Thessaloniki | Informal Culture (Ministerial) |
| 26–27 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| 26–27 | Crete | EUROMED Conference (Mid Term Ministerial) |
| 27 | Brussels | Environment Council |
| 28 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 28 | Brussels | Economic & Financial Affairs Committee |
| 30–31 | Brussels | Convention Plenary |
| 31 | St Petersburg | EU–Russia Summit |
| June | ||
| 2 | Brussels | EUROGROUP |
| 5–6 | Brussels | Transport, Telecom & Energy Council |
| 3 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 4 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 5–6 | Brussels | Convention Plenary |
| 5–6 | Brussels | Justice & Home Affairs Council |
| 2–3 | Brussels | Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council |
| 6 | Rhodes | Public Administration (Ministerial Informal) |
| 11 | Brussels | Meeting of the Presidium |
| 11–12 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| 2–3 | Alexandroupolis | Development Co-operaton (Ministerial Informal) |
| 12–13 | Brussels | Convention Plenary |
| 13 | Brussels | Environment Council |
| 17–18 | Luxembourg | General Affairs & External Relations |
| 20 | Halkidiki | European Council |
| 21 | Thessaloniki | Zagreb II Summit |
| 22 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations |
| July | ||
| 2–3 | Rome | Research (Ministerial Informal) |
| 4–5 | Naples | Transport Infrastructure (Ministerial Informal) |
| 6 | Palermo | Trade (Ministerial Informal) |
| 10 | Varese | Informal Council/Troika |
| 11–12 | Varese | Employment & Social Policy (Informal Council) |
| 15–16 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 17–18 | Treviso | EU Employment Committee (Informal) |
| 18–20 | Montecatini | Energy & Environment (Ministerial Informal) |
| 22–23 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| 22 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations |
| 24–25 | Milan | European Conference on |
| 25–26 | Rome | Competitiveness (Informal Ministerial) |
| 25–26 | Verona | Education (+Research?) (Ministerial Informal) |
| August | ||
| No Meetings Planned | ||
| September | ||
| 3–4 | Viterbo | Telecommunications (Ministerial) |
| 5–6 | Riva del Garda | Gymnich (Informal Foreign Affairs) |
| 7–9 | Taormina | Agriculture (Informal Council) |
| 12–13 | Stresa | ECOFIN (Informal Council) |
| 19–20 | Rome | Justice & Internal Affairs (Informal Council) |
| 22–23 | Brussels | Competition (Internal Market, Industry & Research) |
| 26–27 | Erice | Community Regional Cohesion Policy (Ministerial Informal) |
| 29–30 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations |
| 29–30 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| October | ||
| 2–3 | Brussels | Justice & Internal Affairs |
| 3–4 | Rome | Defense (Ministerial Informal) |
| 7 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 9–10 | Brussels | Transport, Telecom & Energy Council |
| 13–14 | Brussels | General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) |
| 13–14 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| 16–17 | Brussels | European Council |
| 20–21 | Brussels | Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council |
| 27 | Brussels | Environment Council |
| November | ||
| 4 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 6 | Brussels | Justice & Internal Affairs (Informal Council—to be confirmed) |
| 17–18 | Brussels | General Affairs & External Relations |
| 17–18 | Brussels | Agriculture & Fisheries Council |
| 24–25 | Brussels | ECOFIN |
| 24–25 | Brussels | Education, Youth & Culture Council |
| 27–28 | Brussels | Justice & Internal Affairs (Informal Council) |
Honorary Knighthoods: Foreign Nationals
Lord Palmer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the procedure for withdrawing an honorary knighthood from a foreign national.[HL2540]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): The Queen would be asked to approve withdrawing an honorary knighthood which she had previously conferred on a foreign national only on the specific recommendation of the Foreign Secretary.
Byways and Unclassified Roads
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many experimental traffic regulation orders have been issued for byways open to all traffic and unclassified roads in the past 12 months.[HL2489]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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