HC Deb 11 May 1995 vol 259 cc535-7W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he sought assurances from the Government of Indonesia that the AR325 three-dimensional radar sensors with data display and handling systems supplied by Plessey Radar would not be deployed in East Timor. [23250]

Mr. Goodlad

We received general assurances from the Indonesian Government on 8 June 1994 that British defence equipment would not be used for internal repression in East Timor.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates he sought assurances from the Government of Indonesia that British-supplied defence equipment would not be used against(a) the GAM (Aceh), (b) the OPM—West Papua, Irian Jaya—and (c) FRETELIN—East Timor. [23238]

Mr. Goodlad

We received assurances from the Indonesian Government on 8 June 1994 that British-supplied defence equipment would not be used against civilians in East Timor or in Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Indonesian military personnel have been funded by his Department to attend courses in the United Kingdom through the United Kingdom military training assistance scheme in each year since 1 January 1990. [23246]

Mr. Goodlad

Details of military training between ourselves and individual countries are confidential between Governments.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he sought an assurance from the Indonesian Government that Hawk aircraft would not be used for internal security purposes. [23254]

Mr. Goodlad

On 24 June 1993.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date he sought an assurance from the Indonesian Government that British-supplied defence equipment would not be used for internal security purposes. [23236]

Mr. Goodlad

We have on several occasions, most recently on 2 February 1995, sought the assurance of the Indonesian Government that British-supplied defence equipment would not be used for internal repression in Indonesia and East Timor.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many official visitors to the United Kingdom from Indonesia were funded by his Department in 1994; and if he will list the dates of their stay in the United Kingdom. [23252]

Mr. Goodlad

Two; on 8 to 11 July.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date he last sought assurance from the Government of Indonesia that British-supplied defence equipment would not be deployed in East Timor. [23240]

Mr. Goodlad

On 2 February 1995.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date he was made aware that British-supplied Hawk aircraft were in service with one of the Indonesian air force's two counterinsurgency squadrons. [23248]

Mr. Goodlad

The British-supplied Hawk aircraft is in use with the Indonesian air force as a jet trainer.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which date he asked for assurances from the Government of Indonesia that the former Royal Navy supply ship, the Green Rover, would not be deployed in the territorial waters of East Timor. [23239]

Mr. Goodlad

Specific assurances on the use of this equipment were not sought.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the phrase "internal security purposes", used in his answer of 9 February 1994 to the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke),Official Report, column 283, includes activities by the Indonesian armed forces in East Timor. [23255]

Mr. Goodlad

As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) on 9 February 1994, column283, the Indonesian Government have given us assurances that Hawk aircraft will not be used for internal security purposes. By their own definition, this includes activities by the Indonesian armed forces in the territory of East Timor.

We have never recognised Indonesia's annexation of East Timor.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary- of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the phrase "civilian population", as used in his answer of 9 February 1994 to the hon. Member for Monklands, West, (Mr. Clarke),Official Report, column 283, in terms of its application to the populations in Indonesia and East Timor. [23253]

Mr. Goodlad

The use of the term "civilian population" was intended to demonstrate our policy of not licensing for export to Indonesia any equipment which we consider likely to be used for internal repression in East Timor or Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates he sought assurances from the Government of Indonesia that British-supplied defence equipment would not be deployed in East Timor(a) on land, (b) in its territorial waters and (c) in its airspace. [23237]

Mr. Goodlad

We have received assurances from the Indonesian Government, on a number of occasions, that British-supplied defence equipment would not be used for internal repression in East Timor. In the case of the Scorpion armoured vehicles, announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 2 March 1995, column716, the Indonesian Government assured us on 2 February 1995 that these vehicles would not be deployed in East Timor.

Staff numbers not employed in entry clearance work—1992–93
Head of Post Minister Counsellor First Secretary Second Secretary Third Secretary Support LE Total
Abuja 3 2 1 2 33.5 41.5
Accra 1 2 3 3 8 4 80.5 101.5
Bombay 1 2 1 2 1 62 69
Calcutta 1 46 47
Colombo 1 1 1 3 6 5 71.5 88.5
Dhaka 1 2 5 4 15 5 82.5 114.5
Islamabad 1 4 10 6 14 12 123 170
Karachi 1 1 1 52 55
Lagos' 1 2 3 7 12 6 161 192
Madras 1 1 15.5 17.5
Moscow 1 1 8 10 17 19 23 79 158
New Delhi 1 1 7 21 15 8 14 267 334
New York 2 0 4 8 5 8 2 107 136
St. Petersburg 1 1 2 10 14

Staff numbers not employed in entry clearance work—1993–94
Head of Post Minister Counsellor First Secretary Second Secretary Third Secretary Support LE Total
Abuja 1 3 2 2 4 33.5 45.5
Accra 1 2 3 3 7 4 81.5 101.5
Bombay 1 2 1 2 1 63 70
Calcutta 1 1 46 48
Colombo 1 1 1 3 6 5 71.5 88.5
Dhaka 1 2 5 4 15 5 94.5 126.5
Islamabad 1 4 10 6 14 12 123 170
Karachi 1 1 1 2 2 52 59
Lagos 1 2 3 7 13 6 169 201
Madras 1 1 15.5 17.5
Moscow 1 1 8 10.5 17 20 23 91 171.5
New Delhi 1 1 6 20 15 7 14 267 331
New York 2 4 7 8 10 2 105 138
St. Petersburg 1 1 2 10 14

Staff numbers not employed in entry clearance work—1994–95
Head of Post Minister Counsellor First Secretary Second Secretary Third Secretary Support LE Total
Abuja 1 1 3 1 2 33.5 41.5
Accra 1 2 3 3 7 4 72.25 92.25
Bombay 1 2 1 2 1 60 67
Calcutta 1 1 1 40 43
Colombo 1 1 1 3 6 5 69.5 86.5
Dhaka 1 2 5 4 16 5 70.7 103.7
Islamabad 1 4 8 7 10 12 127 169
Karachi 1 1 2 2 2 53 61