Cyprus (Hansard, 8 March 2004)

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government will offer(a) Greek Cypriot and (b) Turkish Cypriot controlled areas of Cyprus for the monitoring of a referendum on a settlement. [159136]

§ Mr. MacShane
The British High Commission in Nicosia is working closely with the UN to ensure that work on the UN Secretary General's proposals is completed on time for the referendums in April. We are discussing with the UN what assistance the UK can best offer to ensure the smooth conduct of those referendums.

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what(a) legal and (b) constitutional changes will be made to the guarantor powers and obligations for the UK in relation to Cyprus following its accession to the EU. [159137]

§ Mr. MacShane
The Treaty of Guarantee will remain in force following Cyprus's accession whether or not there is a settlement. Until there is a settlement the UK's responsibilities as a Guarantor Power will remain unchanged. In the event of a settlement on the basis of the Annan Plan the Treaty of Guarantee will be amended to cover not only the new United Cyprus Republic but also the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot constituent states.

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what trading and movement of goods rules will apply to arrangements between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot controlled areas of Cyprus after accession to the EU(a) in the event of a solution to the situation in Cyprus and (b) if a solution is not achieved. [159138]

§ Mr. MacShane
The European Commission is currently considering the necessary arrangements for each scenario, but is unlikely to finalise these arrangements until the outcome of the present negotiations is clear. We remain in close contact with the Commission on those and other issues related to a Cyprus settlement.

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Secretary-General of the UN that his role in deciding deadlock points in the Cyprus Settlement Plan must be strictly restricted to the basis of the plan and not involve issues that are outside the plan. [159139]

§ Mr. MacShane
In his statement in New York on 13 February the UN Secretary-General saidAs a final resort, in the event of a continuing and persistent deadlock, the parties have invited the Secretary-General to use his discretion to finalise the text to be submitted to referenda on the basis of his plan. I therefore see no scope for covering issues outwith the basis of the plan".
The UK believes that the Annan Plan offers the only realistic basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
1319W

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of talks taking place to reunify Cyprus. [159230]

§ Mr. MacShane
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 27 February 2004,Official Report, column 580W, and also to the reply my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave o the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Flook) in the House on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 748. We will keep the House informed as matters progress.