asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their assessment of the human rights situation in China: and what has been the impact of United Kingdom and European Union policy. [HL216]

We continue to have many serious concerns about human rights in China. During his visit to China earlier this year, the Foreign Secretary raised these concerns with Chinese leaders, as did the Prime Minister. Recently, the Chinese Government has taken some positive steps in this field, which we have welcomed, while repeating our desire to address issues of concern through the continuing bilateral and EU/China Human Rights Dialogues.Since the commencement of the bilateral UK/China Dialogue, and the resumption of the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue last year, China has taken several positive steps which will bring about its closer integration into the UN human rights system, and should in time help to strengthen protection of human rights in China. It has: signed the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic Social and Cultural Rights; agreed to report to the UN on Hong Kong under these two Covenants; admitted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson, as well as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and welcomed a possible visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. In addition, China has allowed a visit by a delegation of EU Troika Ambassadors to Tibet and accepted the participation in the Dialogue of critical NGOs such as Amnesty International. It is also noteworthy that the Dialogue has allowed us to discuss privately and frankly with the Chinese authorities a range of concerns from Tibet to the death penalty, freedom of association and torture.Both Britain and the EU have now established substantial co-operation programmes with China, funded respectively by DFID and the Commission, and these seek among other things to promote judicial exchanges and legal reform.We shall encourage the Chinese Government to ratify the International Human Rights Covenants, with as few reservations as possible, as soon as possible. We want to see further reform in China's capital punishment regime, leading ultimately to abolition, as well as improvements in its systems of detention. At the same time we shall continue to raise the cases of individuals, as we did on 2 December, when we expressed our concern to the Chinese Government at the recent detention of Mr. Xu Wenli, a prominent dissident. We look forward to discussing these and other points with the Chinese Government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any new exceptions to the arms embargo in Argentina. [HL242]

A licence has recently been issued to allow the export of nine sets of gun rings and smoke grenade launchers to be mounted on armoured personnel carriers in service with the Argentine contingent of the UN forces in Cyprus. This decision represented an exception but not a change to the arms embargo on Argentina.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are reviewing invitations to foreign nationals who have been invited to make either State or Official Visits to the United Kingdom, concerning the possibility of extradition proceedings being taken against them whilst in the United Kingdom. [HL168]

Her Majesty's Government have no plans to undertake a special review. All forthcoming State and Official Visits are kept under constant review as part of the normal preparatory process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Sudan. [HL162]

When the Foreign Secretary ordered the withdrawal of British staff from our Embassy in Khartoum on 27 August 1998, he said it was a temporary withdrawal and he hoped that the necessary conditions for the return of staff would be re-established before too long. That remains our hope.We are in regular contact with the Sudanese Government through their Embassy in London. British staff from our Embassy in Khartoum, who are currently based in Nairobi, have also made a number of visits to Sudan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in the attainment of a general cease-fire throughout southern Sudan. [HL164]

The Minister of State, Mr. Fatchett, visited Nairobi and Khartoum in July of this year and had talks with the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement. During his visit both sides announced a three-month cease-fire in Bahr al Ghazal. This cease-fire has since been extended for a further three months until mid-January 1999.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In view of the reports on 10 March (HC Deb, col. 462) that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was unable to validate reports that Sudan had access to chemical weapons capabilities and on 19 March (H.L. Deb., cols. 818–820) that the Ministry of Defence and the United Nations Special Commission had also found no evidence of Iraqi transfers of weapons of mass destruction or of such technology to the Sudan, nor of chemical weapons facilities or production in Sudan, whether they now have independent evidence that this position has changed in the past seven months. [HL165]

Her Majesty's Government are concerned at allegations of the use/manufacture of chemical weapons by the Government of Sudan. We have raised these concerns with the Sudanese authorities on a number of occasions. We continue to encourage Sudan to answer these allegations by becoming a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the acquisition, development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. It is supported by a verification regime consisting of data declarations and on-site inspections.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are able independently to verify claims of genocide in Bahr al Ghazal in Southern Sudan as reported by the Daily Telegraph on 26 May 1998. [HL166]

Her Majesty's Government were gravely concerned at the reports of killings in northern Bahr al Ghazal. The situation was very complicated and the picture unclear, making it difficult to verify the facts. For example, we received reports which, while not absolving the Government of Sudan from blame, suggested that these killings should be seen in the context of a long history of tribal conflicts. It would appear from the information available to us that no one side was entirely to blame.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any evidence that any of the three suspects in the attempted assassination of President Mubarak of Egypt in June 1995, whose extradition from Sudan was called for in Security Council Resolution 1044, is at present in Sudan. [HL163]

We are not aware of the whereabouts of the three suspects.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will do everything possible to secure the release from detention in Iraq of 429 Kurds, who have been held since the Anfal operations of 1987 and 1988; and whether they will consult the International Committee of the Red Cross on their behalf. [HL74]

The Anfal operations inflicted appalling suffering on the Kurdish people in northern Iraq, including summary executions, forced displacement and arbitrary imprisonment. Her Majesty's Government have no information on the specific case raised by the noble Lord, but would pass any information received on the subject to the relevant organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will raise with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe the suitability of Turkey as host country for the organisation's summit conference in 1999. [HL105]

On 2 December, at the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Oslo, OSCE Foreign Ministers agreed by consensus that the next OSCE summit should be held in Istanbul in 1999. The United Kingdom did not oppose this decision.The Government do not intend to raise within the OSCE Turkey's suitability as host country for the next summit. As stated in my Written Answer to the noble Lord of 20 April 1998 (

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have about the current numbers of people held in Algeria (a) without trial and (b) in concentration camps; and whether any camps are located in former nuclear weapons testing areas. [HL149]

The Algerian Government do not release information on the number, category or location of prisoners in Algeria. However, I refer the noble Lord to a US State Department report dated 30 January 1998 (copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House) which indicates that, while state of emergency regulations authorise the Algerian Ministry of the Interior to detain suspects in special camps administered by the army, the last such camp closed in November 1995. Although there have been subsequent reports that some of those released were rearrested, we have no information about possible numbers or location.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 2,000 Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe verification monitors are now in place in Kosovo and when the British contingent will be fully deployed. [HL112]

At the OSCE Ministerial Council in Oslo on 3 December, the OSCE Chairman in Office stated that there were 500 verifiers in place in Kosovo. This figure is expected to increase by approximately 250 each week until the projected level of 2,000 Verifiers, including the full British contingent, is reached in mid-January.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Given the logistical problems that have been identified by Major-General John Drewienkiewicz, who is leading the British contingent in Kosovo, what action they are taking to assist the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitors in their tasks in Kosovo and to ensure that they are able to perform effectively. [HL113]

The Government are unaware of the logistical problems referred to by the noble Lord, and will pursue the matter with Major-General Drewienkiewicz. I shall write to the noble Lord in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of comments by the Norwegian spokesman for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, who said that it will be very difficult for the OSCE mission to Kosovo to have any success without a political settlement in that region. [HL114]

The primary task of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) is to monitor and report on compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199. The contact group is working to secure early agreement to an interim political settlement. The mission will also have an important role to play in implementing this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are sufficient guarantees for the safety of the international monitors in Kosovo, given that they will be unarmed and that air surveillance will be carried out by non-combat aircraft. [HL111]

The safety and security of all members of the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosovo is of paramount concern to Her Majesty's Government. UN Security Council Resolution 1203 places a mandatory obligation on the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) to ensure the security of all international personnel in the FRY, including Kosovo. We shall hold President Milosevic to his obligations. Meanwhile, NATO is preparing to deploy a multinational force in Macedonia to be used in extremis to extract the verifiers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the chain of command of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe monitoring mission in Kosovo; and whether the civilian monitoring mission will have effective power to ensure Serbian compliance, given that the OSCE has never carried out a monitoring mission of this scale. [HL115]

UK Ambassador William Walker has been appointed Mission Director for the Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM). He will be supported by six Deputy Directors in the following areas:

Senior Deputy Director	Mr. Keller (France)
Chief of Operations	Major-General Drewienkiewicz (UK)
Human Rights	Mr. Borchardt (Germany)
Police Matters	Mr. Perugini (Italy)
Political Affairs	Mr. Ivanovsky (Russia)
Chief of Staff	General Nygaard (Norway)

Ambassador Walker has already made it clear that he expects the mission to play an intrusive role in verifying Serbian compliance with UNSCRs 1199 and 1203. Various agreements have been signed with the FRY Government to ensure that the KVM is able to perform its tasks satisfactorily. Though the KVM is the largest undertaking by the OSCE to date, the organisation has gained wide experience in the Balkans from running its other missions there since the Dayton Peace Agreement. The UK will do all that it can to ensure the KVM achieves its objectives.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they allowed the new Burmese Foreign Minister, U Win Aung, to fly to London on Sunday 22 November; and whether this contravened the European Union Common Position on Burma, which imposed a ban on entry visas for senior members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SDPC). [HL151]

U Win Aung remained Ambassador to the Court of St. James until 28 November. Until then, he was entitled under the Vienna Convention to the privileges and immunities of an Ambassador. He returned to the UK as Ambassador (and as such already had a valid visa) to discharge his Ambassadorial duties.He has now relinquished his post as Ambassador, and left the UK. Having done so, he is subject to the visa restrictions under the EU Common Position.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consulted the European Commission prior to the visit of U Win Aung to London on 22 November; and whether the European Commission supported the Government's action in allowing the visit. [HL152]

Her Majesty's Government did not consult the European Commission, nor were we under any obligation to do so. We pursued urgently with EU Partners the updating of the EU visa restrictions list to catch all those affected by the Burmese Cabinet reshuffle: agreement was reached on 3 December.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received representations from other European Union member states concerning the visit of U Win Aung to London on Sunday 22 November. [HL153]

Some EU Partners asked about Win Aung's status: we explained that Win Aung remained Ambassador until 28 November. He was allowed to return to the UK as such in order to discharge his Ambassadorial functions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many short term placements on an ad hoc basis have been allocated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other government departments to the Republic of Estonia to assist in the pre-accession negotiations; and when they will be taken up. [HL160]

One short-term placement for an Estonian official has been offered so far by the FCO. This is likely to involve other government departments and will be taken up in the early part of 1999. We welcome this latest development in our deepening relations with Estonia.This department has already hosted a number of diplomats from the Central European candidate countries, and further placements are in the pipeline. The FCO is also encouraging other government departments to offer similar placements in their sectors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Chevening Scholarships will be awarded to university students in 1999 from:

The Chevening Scholarship allocations for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania for the 1999–2000 Financial Year have not yet been agreed. I will write to the noble Earl when they are.In the current financial year (1998–99) four students from Estonia, four from Latvia and three from Lithuania received new scholarships at a cost of £65,000, £60,000 and £66,600 respectively.In addition to the above, about four students from each of these three countries were awarded centrally jointly funded Chevening scholarships. The cost of each centrally joint funded scholarship is approximately £15,000. The FCO pays one-third of this; the other two-thirds is paid by British universities, commercial and other co-sponsors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have contracted UNITA in order to obtain information about Jason Pope, a British citizen missing in Angola. [HL267]

As an exception, and for the humanitarian purpose of obtaining information about the whereabouts and welfare of Jason Pope, we have sought and obtained an exception to paragraph 12(a) of Security Council Resolution 1173. The United Nations Angola Sanctions Committee has granted this exemption to enable our Embassy in Luanda to contact UNITA in areas of Angola not under state administration. A full report of these contacts will be supplied to the Committee.Our Embassy in Luanda is already in contact with UNITA representatives in Luanda for the same purpose. We have also authorised our Embassy in Washington to approach the UNITA representative in Washington for assistance. Such contacts are not prohibited under UNSCR 1173.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What their plans are to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [HL304]

Five decades on, the Declaration remains a common standard of achievement for all nations and all people. There can be no better way of commemorating the 50th Anniversary than reaffirming our commitment to speak up for the rights it sets out. Those rights are universal. They apply equally to all people—women, children and men.Together with many non-governmental organisations, we have taken part in many events throughout the year, including: conferences, seminars and projects to raise the awareness of human rights issues:the Foreign Secretary delivered a keynote speech at Amnesty International's Human Rights Festival in October, in which he announced a number of important initiatives, including a worldwide lobbying campaign against the use of torture.the Minister of State (Tony Lloyd) addressed a Foreign Office-sponsored Anniversary seminar at Wilton Park with over 60 participants from some 30 countries.We are also taking a full part in today's celebrations to mark the Anniversary throughout the world:the Foreign Secretary attended a national commemoration service in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal at Westminster Abbey earlier this afternoon;the Minister of State (Tony Lloyd) hosted a reception this afternoon to mark the anniversary;the Development Secretary is in New York to address a special session to the UN General Assembly today;the Minister of State (Joyce Quin) is attending today's EU commemorative event in Vienna, where the Presidency will issue a Declaration, including a joint UK/German proposal to publish an annual EU Human Rights Report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements there are for independent schools when they first seek registration; and how often on average existing independent schools are inspected. [HL196]

Independent schools in England which provide full time education for five or more pupils of compulsory school age must register provisionally with the Department for Education and Employment within one month of opening. They are inspected by HMI from OFSTED, by the fire brigade, and by the local authority social services department in the case of a boarding school, to ensure that they meet the statutory requirements for final registration. Thereafter, finally registered schools are inspected by HMI on a five to six year cycle, unless signs of failings necessitate more frequent monitoring. New arrangements will apply from 1999 for regular inspection with published reports for schools which are members of an Independent Schools Council association.There are some differences in the registration and inspection arrangements for independent schools elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct intends to publish its seventh annual report.

The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct has today published its seventh annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether progress has been made since the roads review on the targeted programme of improvements and the programme of studies. [HL271]

I am happy to announce today that we are able to provide further details of the construction programme for the schemes included in our targeted programme of improvements listed in A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England.As previously stated by my right honourable friend the Minister for Transport (

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to prepare a strategy for forestry in Scotland. [HL270]

Forestry is an important part of the rural scene in Scotland. Its importance will grow as timber production doubles over the next 15 years and Scotland's forests and woodlands become more valuable for recreation and wildlife. We believe that it is important to have a strategy for forestry in Scotland which will provide a context for forestry policies and programmes. This will ensure that forestry integrates well with other aspects of the rural economy and plays its full part in the future well-being of Scotland.Clearly, the Scottish Executive will want to determine the form and content of a Scottish forestry strategy. Nevertheless, we consider that it would be helpful to prepare an issues paper which could form the basis for consultation on a strategy.I have therefore asked the Forestry Commission to set this work in hand, in liaison with other relevant Government departments and agencies, with a view to publishing an issues paper early next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in the Nuba Mountains. [HL203]

The Nuba Mountains are a conflict zone and civilians are being subjected to abuses from troops of both sides. In opposition-held areas there is diversion of humanitarian supplies leaving little for local people. There has been a large movement of people to the relative security of Government of Sudan areas, many of whom are held in "peace villages", set up by the government, where their freedom of movement is consequently restricted.We remain concerned at the Government of Sudan's continued refusal to agree access to the Nuba Mountains by Operation Lifeline Sudan and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). We, together with the UN and ICRC will maintain pressure on the government to allow access to the Nuba and all vulnerable areas in the country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are able to provide information about, and details of, the killings, during the summer of this year, of members of the Operation Lifeline Sudan assessment mission in the Nuba Mountains incident; and whether this has delayed the delivery of Operation Lifeline Sudan food aid to the Nuba Mountains. [HL204]

We understand from the UN that on 9 June 1998 a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy and its police escort were attacked in South Kordofan, close to the Nuba Mountains, in territory held by the Government of Sudan (GOS). Three Sudanese personnel were killed, two from WFP and one from the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC). Three more SRC personnel were injured. The incident occurred about 60 kilometres north east of Kadugli between the villages of Arie and Hadab. The WFP team had been returning from a food distribution to internally displaced people. They were not part of the OLS assessment team promised by Operation Lifeline Sudan as part of the Nuba Mountains access deal, which GOS had earlier agreed but subsequently refused.Delivery of food aid is always adversely affected in instances of high insecurity currently prevailing in the Nuba Mountains and its surrounding area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the assessment mission by Operation Lifeline Sudan in the Nuba Mountains that was attacked during the course of its work this summer was in any way in receipt of British funds. [HL205]

The Sudanese personnel who were attacked on 9 June 1998 were not members of the assessment mission. They were delivering food aid to internally displaced people in South Kordofan as part of the UN World Food Programme's Emergency Operation for Sudan, the funding of which was provided by donors, including the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Government of Sudan first offered al-Obeid, Malakal and Khartoum airports to Operation Lifeline Sudan for use in its delivery of food aid; and what financial saving resulted from using them for the delivery of food aid rather than by relying in deliveries from Kenya. [HL208]

The Government of Sudan has offered the use of airports in the north of the country for relief flights to the south for some years. Northern air strips were used this year for the first time. The difference in cost is not yet known, but a major independent study of Operation Lifeline Sudan, undertaken in 1996, concluded that savings from sourcing relief flights from northern Sudan would be marginal.Real savings for the relief effort will come from maximising land routes, including rail, for delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable areas of southern Sudan. We are pressing the UN to make progress on this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their assessment of the food security, food supply and humanitarian situation in southern Sudan. [HL207]

The major effort made by humanitarian agencies in southern Sudan this year has succeeded in stabilising the situation. Mortality rates have fallen in some of the worst hit areas in the south. But it is clear that this year's harvest will not be sufficient to pull the region out of its difficulties. The UN World Food Programme confirms that it has sufficient resources until the end of March 1999; but beyond then we expect there to be a need for further substantial humanitarian assistance for at least another year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation is finalising its annual food crop assessment for Sudan which will predict food aid needs for the coming year. This will be incorporated into the 1999 UN Consolidated Appeal which will be released early in the new year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will report on the assisted prison visits scheme. [HL303]

The assisted prison visits scheme exists to help prisoners maintain contact with their close relatives and partners. The scheme was established in 1988. To qualify for assistance in meeting the costs of travel to and from the prison the visitor must be in receipt of a low income benefit as administered by the Benefits Agency.The scheme does not distinguish between married and non-married partners, but financial assistance is extended to same-sex partners only at the expense of support for a prisoner's family members. In consequence, some prisoners, including young offenders, do not receive visits from parents or close relatives.The Government are keen to encourage all prisoners to maintain family ties, and believes that same-sex partners should be treated fairly by the Prison Service. Therefore, both partners and relatives will, in future, be able to receive assistance with the cost of visiting, within the qualifying conditions of the scheme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish in the explanatory notes accompanying government Bills their reasons for concluding that Bills are compatible or incompatible with convention rights within the meaning of Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998. [HL158]

We have no plans to do so. As we explained during the passage of the Human Rights Bill, we believe that the best forum in which to raise issues concerning the compatibility of a Bill with the convention rights is the parliamentary proceedings on the Bill.As to what will appear in the explanatory notes concerning Section 19 statements, I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 25 November (columns

asked Her Majesty's Government:When it is expected that the joint review by the Department of Health and the Home Office of the provision of health service for prisoners will be completed and its conclusion published. [HL125]

Work on the joint review by the Prison Service and the Department of Health of the organisation and delivery of prison health services was completed at the end of October 1998. Department of Health and Home Office Ministers are considering carefully the review's findings and recommendations. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement early in the New Year.