HC Deb 26 July 1999 vol 336 cc151-2W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the nature of the briefings provided to Lord Levy prior to his recent visit to Syria and Jordan. [93054]

Mr. Robin Cook

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided Lord Levy with background briefing on Syria and Jordan before his visit.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer of 20 July 1999,Official Report, column 962, on the middle-east, if he will place in the Library the full texts of telegrams from British posts in Jordan and Syria concerning the diplomatic missions carried out by Lord Levy. [92941]

Mr. Robin Cook

Under the Code of Practice on access to government information, exemption 2, internal telegrams are not made public. This is in line with previous government practice.

However, I can inform the hon. Member that our Ambassador in Amman reported that Lord Levy's was a highly successful visit which has given a valuable fillip to bilateral relations".

Our Ambassador in Damascus said he was "most grateful" to Lord Levy for undertaking a programme of "notably warm and substantive meetings".

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) of 13 July 1999,Official Report, column 140, on the Prime Minister's personal representative, if he will list Lord Levy's official engagements in Jordan and Syria. [92942]

Mr. Hoon

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) on 13 July 1999,Official Report, column 140.