HL Deb 28 May 2002 vol 635 cc138-9WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they assess recent developments under the South East Europe Stability Pact, in particular:

  1. (a) when they expect full navigation to be resumed on the Danube and war-damaged bridges to be restored;
  2. (b) what progress has been made with official programmes of small-arms collection and destruction since the end of NATO's Essential Harvest in Macedonia;
  3. (c) whether the regional clearinghouse on small arms is functioning in Belgrade; and whether it will have funds for buying weapons from civilians; and
    4. WA 139
  4. (d) whether action against trafficking in women and children has led to arrests of organisers. [HL4351]

The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)

The stability pact is only one of the instruments used to deal with the problems of South East Europe. In the case of the issues raised:

  1. (a) The Danube Commission expects the river to be fully navigable in September following work at Novi Sad. European Commission-led work continues on the reconstruction of the bridges, with progress reliant on co-operation from the countries of the region.
  2. (b) The signing of the framework agreement by political party leaders on 13 August 2001 led to a cease-fire in Macedonia and made a political solution possible. NATO-led Task Force Essential Harvest oversaw the collection and destruction of over 3,800 weapons from the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army. Task Force Essential Harvest successfully concluded on 25 September 2001. Since then the Macedonian Government have focused on the implementation of the framework agreement and have recently proposed to Parliament two laws for the voluntary handing over of weapons.
  3. (c) The stability pact's small arms and light weapons clearinghouse opened in Belgrade on 8 May. It will focus on developing projects to address the cross-border flow of weapons and ammunition. HMG support this approach.
  4. (d) My right honourable friend the Prime Minister launched a successful initiative which has put in place a UK-led EU team in Bosnia Herzegovina to train the border service in measures to combat people-trafficking. But the countries of the region have the principal responsibility for combating traffickers in their jurisdictions. Arrests have been made but more needs to be done. The Stability Pact Task Force on Trafficking in Human Beings has been attempting to promote regional co-operation and a common approach to anti-trafficking legislation.

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