§ Harry CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions in the last five years in which the United Kingdom's veto power in the United Nations Security Council has been(a) used and (b) threatened publicly to be used; and what the subject matter was on each occasion. [2708]
§ Peter HainThis Government have not used the veto since coming to power in May 1997. However the United Kingdom has used the veto 30 times since 1946, with regard to the following issues:
- October 1956 (twice) The Palestine question (Suez)
- September 1963 Syrian-Israel Dispute: Palestine
- March 1970 Rhodesia
- November 1970 Rhodesia
- December 1971 Rhodesia
- February 1972 Rhodesia
- September 1972 Rhodesia
- May 1973 Rhodesia
- October 1974 Relationship between UN and South Africa
- June 1975 Situation in Namibia
- October 1976 Situation in Namibia
- October 1977 (three times) Question of South Africa
- April 1981 (four times) Question of Namibia
- June 1982 Question of the Falklands
- July 1985 Question of South Africa
- November 1985 Question of Namibia
- April 1986 US raid on Libya
- May 1986 South African raids into Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
- June 1986 South African attacks on Angola
- February 1987 South Africa
- April 1987 Question of Namibia
- March 1988 Sanctions against South Africa
- January 1989 Shooting down of Libyan aircraft
- December 1989 The invasion of Panama.
It is not Government practice publicly to threaten the use of the veto.