Croatia (Hansard, 21 October 1991)

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what humanitarian aid has been given by Britain to Croatia during the course of the recent fighting.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The United Kingdom has given no bilateral humanitarian aid to Croatia. The European Community has committed 1 million ecu in emergency assistance to Yugoslavia for the purchase of transport and distribution of medicine, medical supplies and essential services to meet humanitarian needs resulting from the present troubles.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the Yugoslav federal army's targeting of churches for destruction in Croatia.
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§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The British Government do not have the information about the Yugoslav federal army's operational targeting.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's position on the recognition of borders in Yugoslavia set by the use of force.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
In common with its European Community partners, the United Kingdom has consistently stated that it will not recognise any change in borders achieved by violence.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the ability of the Croatian Government to meet the needs of refugees in Croatia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The Croatian Government have not provided us with information on this subject.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give his reasons for deciding not to recognise the independence of Croatia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The republics which wish to receive independence will have it. But the independence of one republic should not be achieved at the expense of others. We believe that it is right to work for an overall settlement. Without one there can be no effective guarantees for the rights of minorities; unless minorities are being protected, the region will remain unstable.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the numbers and situation of refugees from the fighting in Croatia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
According to the latest information available, between 15,000 and 25,000 Yugoslav refugees were estimated to have travelled to Hungary by late September. There are no doubt far greater numbers of refugees displaced inside Yugoslavia itself.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on legislation passed by the Croatian Parliament to protect the rights of ethnic minorities within Croatia's internal borders and the extent to which such legislation has met EC recommendations for legislation protecting the rights of ethnic minorities in Croatia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The question of minority rights will be crucial in finding a peaceful settlement to Yugoslavia's problems. Satisfactory protection of the rights of ethnic minorities throughout Yugoslavia will need to be negotiated in the peace conference chaired by Lord Carrington in The Hague.

§ Mr. Alton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the military weapons and equipment available to(a) the Croatian Government and (b) the Yugoslav federal army.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
A comprehensive answer to this question would involve disproportionate expense and the use of confidential information.