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WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 290
Wednesday 23rd January 1974
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
AFFAIRS
European Energy Policy
20. Mr. Rost asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on his latest discussions with EEC Minis- ters on a European energy policy.
Mr. Blaker: The Council of Ministers decided at its mecting on 14th-15th January on a Community response to President Nixon's invitation to a meeting of the major oil-consuming countries. It agreed on Community representation at that meeting and set in hand a programme of work to prepare a Community position for it.
General Shazli
21. Mr. Rose asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of his contacts with British Nazi organisations, he will refuse accreditation to General Shazli as Egyptian ambassador.
Mr. Blaker: It would be improper for me to discuss the advice given to Her Majesty The Queen on the granting of agrément for a foreign ambassador to the Court of St. James.
Passports (EEC Countries)
22. Mr. Sydney Chapman asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Com- monwealth Affairs what progress has been made to abolish passports for journeys between countries of the EEC by nationals of those countries.
Mr. Blaker: A passport, travel card or document of identity of some kind is necessary for travel between these coun- tries. There is in fact a considerable measure of acceptance of national identity cards in lieu of passports. The British visitor's passport is accepted in lieu of a full passport for short visits in the countries concerned.
Hong Kong
89. Mr. Faulds asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to be able to
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make a statement on the investigation into the way laws are made and administered in Hong Kong.
Mr. Blaker: Under the Hong Kong Letters Patent 1917 to 1971, the Gov. ernor, acting with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council, has power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the colony, and any law to which the Governor has assented may be disallowed by Her Majesty. All impor tant measures enacted by the Hong Kong legislature are subject to scrutiny in London. No investigation into the general law-making process is at present being carried out, but there have been recent changes in Hong Kong laws designed to speed up the administration of justice.
Ugandan Asians (Assets)
Mr. Sydney Chapman asked the Secre- tary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs if he will make a state- ment on the latest information known to his Department on the assets in Uganda of Ugandans with United Kingdom pass- ports resident in Great Britain.
Mr. Blaker: The recording, within the Foreign and Commonwealth Ollice, of assets reported by United Kingdom pass- port holders expelled from Uganda con- tinues but is not yet complete.
A Ugandan valuation committee is cur- rently engaged in the task of assessing the value of that property as a preliminary to inter-governmental discussions on the questions of compensation for the pro- perty of British subjects and of the return of their assets. We would expect such talks to cover the property in Uganda of all United Kingdom passport holders, both Asian and European, whether or not they are resident in Great Britain.
ENVIRONMENT
Cheltenham (Trunk Road Traffic) 23. Sir D. Dodds-Parker asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take immediate action to speed traflic and reduce danger on the trunk road in the Lansdowne Road-Shelburn Road area of Cheltenham.
Copy to Col See Hong Kong.
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