§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice the High Commission in Mize has given to British businesses there as to the legality of their use of call-back services when telephoning the UK; and if he will make a statement. [155056]
§ Mr. BattleThe High Commission has not been asked by British business to advise on the legality of using call-back services when telephoning the UK.
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK authorities have made to the Chairman of Belize Telecoms about his threat to withdraw telephone services from the British High Commission and others in Belize; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement. [155059]
§ Mr. BattleThe High Commissioner in Belmopan has been in correspondence with the Chairman of Belize Telecommunications Ltd. and has pointed out that it would constitute an unlawful act if BTL were to cease to provide telephone services to the High Commission because of the disagreement about the legality of the High Commission's use of call-back services. The Belizean Government would be obliged under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ensure that normal service is resumed if the High Commission's telephone services were cut off in these circumstances.
The Chairman of BTL has responded reiterating BTL's claim that the use of call-back services is illegal.
747W
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affair; what contact there has been between Interoute (UK) Ltd. and the UK authorities about its right to offer its commercial services to clients and potential clients in Belize; and if he will make a statement. [155058]
§ Mr. BattleNone directly. In October 2000, Interoute sent a promotional leaflet to the High Commission in Belmopan. The High Commission circulated it as part of its normal activities in support of UK business, and informed Interoute of this action.
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the dispute between Belize Telecom and the British High Commission in Belize has been resolved; and if he will make a statement. [155055]
§ Mr. BattleIt has not yet been resolved. The British High Commission (BHC) in Belmopan has been in correspondence with the.Chairman of Belize Telecommunications Ltd. (BTL) The latest position is that BTL stands by its claim that the use of call-back services by the BHC is illegal. They are insisting that the BHC stop using call-back services and have raised the question of compensation. BTL have claimed that they are not obliged to maintain telephone services to subscribers who use call-back services.
The BHC believed the call-back services represented good value for money. The BHC is clear that the use of call-back services is lawful, and that any action by BTL to terminate its telephone services in these circumstances would itself be unlawful.
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the saving to the British High Commission in Belize from its use of call-back services; what has been the cost of its dispute with Belize Telecoms; if this cost is recoverable from the company; and if he will make a statement. [155060]
§ Mr. BattleI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his question on 25 January 2001,Official Report, column 662W, on the savings issue. We do not hold details of the number of man-hours used to deal with this matter. To date no other costs have been incurred.
We estimate that the cost of the loss of call-back services to the High Commission would be in the region of £10,000 per year.
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the British High Commission in Belize by companies and others seeking to use call-back services when telephoning the UK; and if he will make a statement. [155057]
§ Mr. BattleA very small number of representations have been received by the High Commission. The High Commission has described its understanding of the situation and has recommended that companies and others take their own legal advice.
§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal proceedings have arisen from the dispute between Belize Telecom and the British High Commission in Belize; and if he will make a statement. [155054]
748W
§ Mr. BattleNo legal proceedings have been instigated by the High Commission in Belmopan. Neither are we aware of any being taken by Belize Telecommunications Ltd.