HC Deb 08 February 1993 vol 218 cc405-6W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding his policy towards the renewal of the United Nations mandate in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

We consider renewal of the mandate of the United Nations protection force in Croatia to be crucial to the peace process and will pursue it in the Security Council when it falls due. Initial discussions are already under way.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the numbers of displaced persons currently in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are some 740,000 displaced people in Bosnia Herzegovina; of these 480,000 are in central Bosnia and western Herzegovina.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the prevalence of war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

We are appalled by the numerous allegations that violations of international humanitarian law have taken and continue to take place in the territory of former Yugoslavia. The United Nations Security Council has established a commission of experts to examine and analyse information on such breaches submitted by states.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom staff are employed in Her Majesty's embassies in(a) Zagreb and (b) Belgrade; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

On 8 February, there were seven United Kingdom-based staff at the British embassy in Zagreb and 28 United Kingdom-based staff at the British embassy in Belgrade.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the supply of arms and munitions to Serbian irregulars, militia and Chetniks currently operating in Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

We are aware of allegations in the media concerning the supply of arms to these groups. We have no specific information to corroborate these reports.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of current United Nations sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The economic effects of sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro are becoming increasingly evident. In concert with our EC and other partners, we are offering assistance to the Danube's riparian states in order to prevent the recurrence of the recent breaches of the embargo. On 4 February, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe appointed an executive sanctions co-ordinator, who will be responsible for ensuring that sanctions are applied as rigorously as possible.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has of the number of people killed through artillery fire in the current conflict in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

We are unable to provide definitive statistics about casualties caused by artillery fire in Croatia and Bosnia. Reports of numbers killed differ radically according to source.