§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to make monthly reports to Parliament, when in session, on developments and United Kingdom votes at the United Nations in New York.
§ Mr. WaldegraveA very large number of United Nations bodies meet in New York at various times throughout the year. These include the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies. For the Government to submit regular reports on developments and positions adopted by the United Kingdom in all these bodies would take disproportionate time and resources. The United Nations itself publishes full and publicly available accounts of the work of its bodies. On major political issues, it is of course already our policy to keep the House fully informed of all developments, including those at the United Nations.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the annual contribution made by the United Kingdom to the central funds of the United Nations, for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. WaldegraveOur contribution to the United Nations regular budget for the ten financial years beginning 1979–80 has been as follows:
£ million 1979–80 10.39 1980–81 10.32 1981–82 14.02 1982–83 15.71 1983–84 18.50 1984–85 23.34 1985–86 24.63 1986–87 23.62 1987–88 21.49 1988–89 19.36 The sharp fluctuations in these sterling payments reflect changes in the pound/dollar exchange rate.
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§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rent has been received over the past 10 years from United Nations agencies based in London.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe International Maritime Organisation is the only United Nations agency based in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1982, the IMO paid rent to three separate private landlords. On 29 October 1982, when it moved into its present accommodation, the IMO began to pay rent. The rent paid (in equal quarterly instalments) since then is as follows:
October £ 1982–83 500,000 1983–84 500,000 1984–85 550,000 1985–86 550,000 1986–87 600,000 1987–88 600,000 1988–89 1325,000 1 Two instalments.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which United Nations agencies have their headquarters in the United Kingdom; where they are based; and how long they have been established in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe only United Nations specialised agency to have its headquarters in the United Kingdom is the International Maritime Organisation, which has been based in London since its establishment in 1959.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis United Nations agencies located in London are charged rent; and what information he has on comparable levels of rent charged by France, the United States of America, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Kenya for United Nations agencies based in those countries.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIn 1977, we and the International Maritime Organisation agreed that the rent for the organisation's headquarters building in London would be 12 per cent. of the capital cost of the building, but that we would reimburse the organisation a sum equivalent to 80 per cent. of that amount. Following transitional rent arrangements set out in my earlier reply of today's date, this agreement comes into force in 1990. From then the annual rent payable by IMO, net of the 80 per cent. reimbursement by Her Majesty's Government, will be £1,195,751 per annum.