§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made about the provision of education for Greek children recently in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. [129917]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe British Government take the welfare of the Greek Cypriot community in the north of Cyprus seriously. Through our High Commission in Cyprus, and with the Turkish Cypriot authorities, the UN and the Government of Cyprus, we do what we can to ameliorate the situation.
Our High Commission is keeping a close eye on the situation concerning those students who have recently finished their primary education and are due to move to secondary education.
Nevertheless, this remains one of the many examples of the fact that Cypriots on both sides of the island suffer because of the lack so far of a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. We are urging the parties to resume 786W negotiations on the basis of the UN Plan, in time to allow a reunited island to accede to the EU on 1 May next year.