HC Deb 13 July 1993 vol 228 cc451-4W
Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the size of the population of Gladovici on 13 March.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

None.

decisions and (iv) an explanatory statement prepared by the post in the event of an appeal against a refusal to be dispatched to the immigration appellate authorities in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

As at 31 March the timings required at (i) (ii) and (iv) are set out for posts(a) to (h).

The information requested at (iii) is not available. Times vary according to the circumstances of individual cases. Many decisions are made on the day of interview.

Post (i) (ii) (iv)
Manila 4 weeks 2–3 months 1–3 months
Accra 4 days 2 months 3 months
Lagos 2 days 4 months 3 months
Kingston 6 weeks 2–3 months 1 week
Nicosia 1 day 6 weeks 1 month
Cairo 1 day 5 days 2 months
Bangkok 6 weeks 2–3 months 3 months
Rabat Visa operation centralised in Casablanca
from 1 March 1993

(i) As at 31 March the timings required for each post in each country of the Indian Sub-Continent for settlement interviews (in months) were:

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has received from the United Nations on the financial viability of the placing of monitors along the border between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina; if it remains Her Majesty's Government's policy to support the placing of these monitors; why no action has been taken to place them since the United Nations Security Council resolution on 16 November 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The United Nations estimate that the cost of United Nations observation, reporting, searching and—if necessary—denying access to traffic crossing the borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina would be $69 million for the first six months.

The President of the Security Council wrote to the Secretary General on 7 July requesting him to contact member states to establish whether they will make available the required personnel.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 19 February 1992 to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham),Official Report, column 185, what progress the Croatian Government have made in fulfilling their obligations to minority rights; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Croatia has made some progress in its approach to minorities, although we consider that its performance should continue to be closely monitored. We remain concerned that efforts to resolve the dispute in the United Nations protected areas and implement the Vance plan for Croatia are blocked, and we urge the parties to return to negotiations.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the text of the United Nations personnel report into the bombing of Gladovici on 13 March at 16:15 hours GMT; when that report was received by Her Majesty's Government; what representations were made to Her Majesty's Government by foreign Governments regarding this incident, the Secretary General of the United Nations or the President of the Security Council; and on what day they were received.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The only document we have seen from the United Nations about the bombing of Gladovici was UN note verbale s-24900-Add 27 of 16 March, a copy of which was placed, at the request of the hon. Member, in the House of Commons Library on 23 June 1993. We received no representations on this incident from foreign governments, or from the United Nations. The Bosnian Serb leader, Dr. Karadzic, wrote to the Prime Minister on 31 March about several matters including enforcement of the no-fly zone.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply of 19 February 1992 to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham)Official Report, column 18, what changes there have been in Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Croatia since February 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

As my right hon. Friend explained to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North-West, (Mr. Bellingham) on 19 February 1992 at column185, all aspects of our policy towards Croatia are under constant review. We are becoming increasingly concerned about Croatia's failure to co-operate fully in efforts to secure peace in the former Yugoslavia and, as Heads of Government made clear at the Tokyo economic summit on 7 to 9 July, stronger measures cannot be excluded.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence Her Majesty's Government have received indicating Croatian violations of UN Security Council resolution 713; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglass Hogg

The United Nations sanctions committee is responsible for evaluating and investigating evidence of possible breaches of the arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia. Where necessary, the committee refers cases to the United Nations Security Council. It did so in September 1992 in respect of a possible violation of UN Security Council resolution 713 involving Croatia. The matter is now with the Security Council.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby. (Mr. Wareing), of 2 July,Official Report, column 654, what UN reports he received on the final destination of these aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby, (Mr. Wareing) on 8 July 1993, at column239. There have been no reports as to the final destination of the aircraft.

Mr. Elletson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he received from either the Bosnian-Serb authorities or the authorities in Belgrade regarding UNSC no-fly zone enforcement resolutions as a result of the bombing of Gladovici in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The Bosnian Serb leader, Dr. Karadzic, wrote to the Prime Minister on 31 March 1993 about several matters including enforcement of the no-fly zone.

Forward to