TNAG-1714-FCO40-2393-Hong-Kong-amendments-to-Letters-Patent-and-Royal-Instruction-1988 — Page 100

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Written Answers

Food (Retail Price Index)

1 FEBRUARY 1988

HKD.

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which food categories are included in the household food budget for the purposes of measuring the retail price index.

Mr. Lee: All categories of food are included in the household budget for the purposes of compiling the retail prices index.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS NENAD

West Bank and Gaza

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the security situation in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor: The Israeli Government are well aware of our continuing concern at the unrest in the occupied territories and their response to it.

seb

Mr. Terry Waite

Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any recent information on the whereabouts of Mr. Terry Waite; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor: We continue to receive many rumours about Terry Waite's whereabouts. Wherever practicable they are analysed and followed up but to date none of them has yielded any firm or reliable information.

SED

Beirut Hostages

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts have been made with the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the locations, safety and fate of British hostages being held in Beirut.

Mr. Eggar: The International Committee of the Red Cross cannot be involved in negotiations with captors but would act as a channel if necessary as part of arrangements agreed by others. No claim has been made by those holding the British hostages. A formal ICRC role is not therefore feasible, although Her Majesty's embassy in Beirut has informal contact with the local ICRC representative.

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any discussions have taken place with other Governments whose nationals are held hostage in Beirut, Lebanon, on establishing a common strategy for dealing with the kidnappers.

Mr. Eggar: We have worked hard with our partners and allies to formulate a common policy in dealing with terrorism. All our European partners gave a firm undertaking at the European Council in December 1986 not to make concessions under duress to terrorists or their sponsors. At the Venice economic summit in June 1987, Heads of State and Government confirmed their commitment to the same principle.

Written Answers

Hong Kong (Human Rights)

468

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application after 30 June 1997 of each of those international human rights conventions and other agreements that (a) do and (b) do not currently apply in Hong Kong.

Mr. Eggar: The Joint Declaration on the queston of Hong Kong provides that

"The provisions of the international covenant on civil and political rights and the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights as applied to Hong Kong shall remain in force".

It is out understanding that the Chinese Government will make provision in the Basic Law for the future Hong Kong special administrative region, which they are currently drafting, to give effect to this undertaking in the joint declaration.

Should further relevant conventions be extended to Hong Kong before 1997, we, together with the Chinese Government, would need to consider their continued application to Hong Kong after 30 June 1997.

HKD.

Hong Kong (ILO Conventions)

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application after 30 June 1997 of each of those International Labour Organisation conventions that (a) do and (b) do not currently apply in Hong Kong.

Mr. Eggar: It has been agreed in the Sino-British joint liaison group that relevant international labour conven- tions which currently apply to Hong Kong shall continue to apply to the Hong Kong SAR. Should further international labour conventions need to be applied to Hong Kong before then, we, together with the Chinese Government, would need to discuss the matter.

NED

Plutonium

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West, on plutonium, Official Report, 20 January, column 721, he expects to coclude consideration of the representations he has received from 20/20 Television.

Mr. Eggar: My right hon. and learned Friend is proposing to offer 20/20 Television a meeting with appropriate officials.

W.AD.

Crown Prerogative

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what directions he has given to officials in United Kingdom dependent territories on the exercise of the right of Crown prerogative in the course of their duties.

Mr. Eggar. The constitutional arrangements for each territory vary. It is not possible to give a general account of the position in relation to the exercise of the royal prerogative in the various dependent territories.