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Written Answers
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3 DECEMBER 1980
Mr. Blaker: During his visit the Gov- ernor had routine discussions with my right hon. and noble Friend and other Ministers on a number of matters affecting Hong Kong. The contents are confidential.
Lebanon
31. Mr. Russell Johnston asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is satisfied with the scope of the United Nations mandate in the Lebanon.
Mr. Hurd: We are satisfied with the scope of the United Nations' mandate in Lebanon. but we are concerned that UNIFIL is unable to implement this mandate because of the activities of Palestinian armed elements and Major Haddad's forces.
President-elect Reagan
32. Mr. Canavan asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will arrange to meet the President-elect of the United States of America to discuss his policies on foreign. affairs.
Mr. Ridley President-elect Reagan's Administration will not take office until 20 January. Until then, the Administra- tion of President Carter remains in charge. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for a meeting with the incoming Administration.
Passports
35. Mr. Stanbrook asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will specify the agencies, other than the Passport Office, authorised to issue passports to citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, giving the num- bers of passports each has issued for each of the last five years, respectively, and the means which are adopted to authenticate applications in all such cases.
Mr. Luce: Standard passports are obtained in the United Kingdom only from the passport offices, but all main post offices in Great Britain issue British visitor's passports which are valid for a year for short holiday visits to specified countries in Western Europe and Canada. To obtain a British visitor's passport one must apply in person and produce a United Kingdom birth or adoption certi- ficate. a National Health Service medical card, a Department of Health and Social
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Security retirement pensioner's order book or an expired passport. In 1979 post offices issued 1,098,197 British visitors passports; the figures for the preceding years were:
1978
1977
1976
1975
Zimbabwe
949,681
797,609
892,868
1,078,008
36. Mr. Nicholas Baker asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations he has made to the Government of Zimbabwe about blocked funds belonging to resi- dents of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Luce: We continue to take every opportunity to remind the Zimbabwe Government about funds belonging to United Kingdom residents which are blocked in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Government have said that they will relax the present controls on remittance of funds as soon as the country's financial circumstances permit.
International Convention on Torture 38. Mr. Edward Lyons asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the policy of the United Kingdom towards the draft international convention on torture published by the Government of Sweden; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd: We welcomed the draft convention submitted by Sweden to the Commission on Humar. Rights as a sound and workmanlike basis for the commis- sion's work. Certain aspects of the draft do, however, require further elaboration. We are playing an active part in the working group set up to finalise the text.
North-South Dialogue
39. Dame Judith Hart asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the global negotiations on North-South issues, and on the position taken by the United Kingdom, during the special session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Mr. Hurd: It has still not proved pos- sible to reach agreement on the agenda and procedures for the global negotiations. Informal discussions on both subjects are continuing in New York. We continue to hope that it will prove possible to launch
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