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Written Answers

Saudi Arabia (Ministerial Visit)

4 MUCK 243/5

20 MARCH 1985

AUGAVEL

Mr. Mason asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether during the visit of the Minister of State to Saudi Arabia, he protested about the recent sentence of flogging passed on a British subject,. Mr. John Kelly; and whether he discussed the methods of punishment employed by the Saudi authorities.

Mr. Luce: I made clear to my Saudi hosts that differences of culture, law and tradition could give rise to strong feelings in both countries which they and we should work to overcome. Her Majesty's embassy in Jedda had already expressed to the local Saudi authorities its concern at the severity of the sentence passed on Mr. Kelly.

As my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. Whitney) said on 27 June 1984, at column 981, we accept that there is concern in Britain over the methods of punishment employed in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities have been made aware that the administration of strokes of the cane is abhorrent to British opinion. Most expatriates are well aware that corporal punishment is almost invariably imposed in cases of breaches of the Saudi law relating to alcohol. I understand that the ordeal is not intended to inflict severe pain. It is intended more as a humiliation than as a physical punishment.

Gibraltar

Mr. McQuarrie asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals Her Majesty's Government have received from the Spanish Government on the future status of Gibraltar.

Sir Geoffrey Howe: As foreshadowed by the Spanish Foreign Minister during our meeting in Geneva on 5 February, the Spanish Government have delivered proposals concerning the future status of Gibraltar. Whilst the details of these proposals must remain confidential at this stage, they involve suggestions for the eventual transfer of sovereignty, including a period of shared responsibility. These proposals are of course being studied against the background of our undertaking to respect the freely and democratically expressed wishes of the people of Gibraltar, enshrined in the preamble to Gibraltar's 1969 constitution.

Mr. McQuarrie asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet the Spanish Foreign Minister to discuss Spanish claims for the integration of Gibraltar with Spain at some future date.

at

Sir Geoffrey Howe: The terms of the Brussels agreement implemented on 5 February provided for the establishment of a negotiating process aimed overcoming all differences over Gibraltar and at promoting co-operation in various fields on a mutually beneficial basis. I intend to meet the Spanish Foreign Minister in this context towards the end of this year.

In those discussions I shall have very much in mind the pledge enshrined in the Gibraltar constitution of 1969 that we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.

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PA. Mercats

Mucooty

Written Answers

Hong Kong (Refugees)

26-

Mr. Canavan asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the treatment of refugees in Hong Kong.

Sir Geoffrey Howe: Under the provisions of the Hong Kong Immigration Ordinance, all Vietnamese refugees arriving in Hong Kong are permitted to remain in the territory pending their resettlement elsewhere. During their stay they are accommodated in closed centres run by the Hong Kong Government in co-operation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Both we and the Hong Kong authorities are making every effort, in consultation with United Nations High Commission for Refugees, to secure a durable solution for all those still in the camps.

SCOTLAND

Labour Statistics

Mr. Foulkes asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are (a) the total levels of unemployment, (b) the number of schoolleavers unemployed and (c) the number unemployed for more than one, two and three years, respectively, for the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency for the latest available date and for the equivalent date in 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981 and 1980, respectively.

Mr. Allan Stewart: I regret the information is not available in the form requested. Unemployment figures by constituency are available in the House of Commons Library, but only from September 1984. The Library can, however, supply, for the period requested, information on unemployment by duration and the number of unemployed school leavers for the Cumnock, Ayr and Girvan jobcentre areas within which the constituency is located. The figures are not directly comparable over the years because of the change to a claimant based count in October 1982.

Mr. White asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are unemployed in the Glasgow, Pollok constituency compared with 1979 as a total and a percentage; and of the total unemployed, how many are long-term unemployed.

Mr. Allan Stewart: I regret the information is not available in the precise form requested. As the hon. Member will know from my right hon. Friend's letter of 22 October 1984, unemployment totals for parliamentary constituencies are only available from September 1984 and can be obtained from the Library. The Library can also supply information on the number of unemployed and long-term unemployed persons (that is those without employment for more than a year) in the Shawlands, Govan and Barrhead jobcentre areas-within which the Pollok constituency is located—at January 1985, the latest date for which the information is available, and January 1979. The figures are not directly comparable because of the change in October 1982 in the basis of the count. Unemployment percentage rates are not calculated for areas smaller than travel-to-work areas.

Mr. White asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs were lost in the industrial classification

sectors of industries in Glasgow in each year since 1979, 20.3.85

COL. 5.36.

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