asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make a statement on the proceedings at Ottawa of the human rights conference according to the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.

Representatives of the 35 signatory states to the CSCE Final Act met in Ottawa from 7th May to 17th June to discuss human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the mandate set down in the Madrid Concluding Document. The meeting was divided between a review of implementation of the CSCE human rights provisions to date and consideration of conclusions and recommendations to be submitted to the governments of participating states.It was not possible to reach agreement on any final document at the meeting. We had not expected, in the time available, to be able to agree substantive new commitments, nor would this have been appropriate when existing ones remain so far from fulfilment. But we had hoped for further clarification and precision of existing commitments, and some greater mutual understanding as to how they might be observed. We regret that the meeting was unable to achieve this. It did, however, provide a valuable opportunity for detailed discussion on specific human rights issues. We, and our Western allies, were able to make clear our concerns about implementation directly to the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries, and to ensure that there is no misunderstanding in the East of the importance that we attach to their fulfilment of the Helsinki and Madrid human rights commitments. Discussion of the humanitarian aspects of the CSCE process will continue at the meeting on human contacts which is to be held in Berne in the spring of next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their reaction to the decision of the Sri Lankan government to confine to barracks the troops in the Northern Province, and to the joint declaration of the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India that violence should cease in order to find a solution to the Tamil unrest.

We welcome the recent discussions between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments and the cease-fire announced on 18th June. We hope that these developments will lead rapidly to the resumption of negotiations and the achievement of a settlement recognising the rights and interests of all communities in Sri Lanka.

asked her Majesty's Government:When were the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States (NIMEXE) codes 43.01–22 and 43.03–40 established and for what purpose were they established.

A European Council Directive 83/129/EEC dated 28th March 1983 (Official Journal L91/30 dated 9th April 1983) prohibited the importation into member states of skins of certain seal pups and products therefrom. NIMEXE codes 43.01–22 and 43.03–40 covering respectively raw skins and products derived therefrom of whitecoat pups of harp seals and of pups of hooded seals (blue backs) were introduced on 1st January 1984 at the behest of the Council to monitor the directive.