HC Deb 24 November 1992 vol 214 cc606-7W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking, in conjunction with EC partners, to help ensure that forthcoming elections will be free and fair in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As presidency of the EC, the United Kingdom works closely with its EC partners in pressing the elections in these, and other countries, to be free and fair. Steps include, where necessary, both public statements and private demarches. In addition, the United Kingdom has provided a wide range of both technical and financial assistance to the electoral process in Kenya and Ghana. This has included the provision of office equipment to the electoral authorities, ballot boxes in Kenya and electoral booths in Ghana. We have also contributed to the training of electoral officers and, through the Commonwealth secretariat, to the election monitoring process in both countries.

It was announced on 17 November that the presidential election in Nigeria has been postponed from 5 December to 12 June. We will be consulting our EC partners about possible assistance to the electoral process when we have more details.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those restaurants and hotels in London used in the 1991–92 financial year for the purposes of ministerial hospitality.

Mr. Goodlad

[holding answer 20 November 1992]: Publishing a list of establishments commonly used by Ministers of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for official entertainment would have security implications.

For this reason, I am unable to give a reply to the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Tony Banks

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by Ministers in his Department on official entertainment in the financial year 1991–92.

Mr. Goodlad

[holding answer 20 November 1992]: Expenditure on both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on ministerial entertainment for the financial year 1991–92 was £349,678.

This figure includes part of the grant in aid to the Government hospitality fund—which meets the costs of the greater part of all ministerial entertainment.