House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Formal Minutes Session 2008–09 The Foreign Affairs Committee The Foreign Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its associated agencies. Current membership Mike Gapes (Labour, Ilford South), Chairman Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell (Liberal Democrat, North East Fife) Mr Fabian Hamilton (Labour, Leeds North East) Rt Hon Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Conservative, Wells) Mr John Horam (Conservative, Orpington) Mr Eric Illsley (Labour, Barnsley Central) Mr Paul Keetch (Liberal Democrat, Hereford) Andrew Mackinlay (Labour, Thurrock) Mr Malcolm Moss (Conservative, North East Cambridgeshire) Sandra Osborne (Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) Mr Greg Pope (Labour, Hyndburn) Mr Ken Purchase (Labour, Wolverhampton North East) Rt Hon Sir John Stanley (Conservative, Tonbridge and Malling) Ms Gisela Stuart (Labour, Birmingham Edgbaston) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publication The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/foreign_affairs_committee.cfm. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Dr Robin James (Clerk), Dr Rebecca Davies (Second Clerk), Dr Brigid Fowler (Committee Specialist), Ms Adèle Brown (Committee Specialist), Mr John-Paul Flaherty (Senior Committee Assistant), Miss Jennifer Kelly (Committee Assistant), Mrs Catherine Close (Committee Assistant) and Mr Alex Paterson (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerks of the Foreign Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 6394; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] Foreign Affairs Committee: Formal Minutes 2008–09 1 Proceedings of the Committee WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 2008 Members present: Mike Gapes, in the Chair Sir Menzies Campbell Andrew Mackinlay Mr Fabian Hamilton Mr Malcolm Moss Mr David Heathcoat-Amory Sandra Osborne Mr John Horam Mr Ken Purchase Mr Eric Illsley Sir John Stanley Mr Paul Keetch Ms Gisela Stuart 1. Visit to Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland The Committee considered this matter. 2. Draft Antarctic Bill The Committee considered this matter. 3. Russia The Committee considered this matter. 4. Informal meetings The Committee considered this matter. 5. Developments in the European Union Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Mr Matthew Rycroft CBE, Director, EU, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Wednesday 17 December at 2.00 p.m. 2 Foreign Affairs Committee: Formal Minutes 2008–09 WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2008 Members present: Mike Gapes, in the Chair Sir Menzies Campbell Mr Malcolm Moss Mr Fabian Hamilton Sandra Osborne Mr David Heathcoat-Amory Mr Ken Purchase Mr John Horam Sir John Stanley Mr Paul Keetch Ms Gisela Stuart Andrew Mackinlay 1. Visit to Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland The Committee considered this matter. 2. Visits in the new financial year The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That the Committee visit the United States in connection with its inquiry into Global Security: United States, and that the Chairman seek the approval of the Chairman of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit. Resolved, That the Committee visit Sweden, a Baltic state and the Balkans in connection with its inquiry into Developments in the European Union, and that the Chairman seek the approval of the Chairman of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit. 3. Inquiry into Global Security: Non-Proliferation The Committee considered this matter. Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to the Global Security: Non- Proliferation inquiry be reported to the House for publication on the internet: Number From/Subject Date GS(NP) 55 Letter from Tim Hart 28.10.08 GS(NP) 56 Submission from Michael Crowley, Bradford Nonlethal Weapons 06.11.08 Research GS(NP) 57 Submission from Daniel Feakes, University of Sussex 17.11.08 GS(NP) 58 Submission from Dr David Lowry 20.11.08 GS(NP) 59 Letter from the Second Clerk to Nicholas A Sims. Follow-up to evidence 21.11.08 session GS(NP) 60 Letter from the Second Clerk to Dr Simon Whitby. Request for evidence 21.11.08 GS(NP) 61 Submission from Mrs Elizabeth Young (Lady Kennet) 24.11.08 GS(NP) 62 Follow up evidence from Nicholas A Sims 25.11.08 GS(NP) 63 Submission from Ann Feltham, Campaign Against Arms Trade 27.11.08 GS(NP) 64 Submission from Nicholas Sims 01.12.08 GS(NP) 65 Further submission from Mr Noel Hamel and Mrs Hilary Evans, Kingston 30.11.08 Peace Council/CND GS(NP) 66 Submission from Dr Dan Plesch, School of Oriental and African Studies 30.11.08 Foreign Affairs Committee: Formal Minutes 2008–09 3 GS(NP) 67 Submission from Professor Vivienne Nathanson, British Medical 26.11.08 Association GS(NP) 68 Supplementary memorandum from the FCO 09.12.08 GS(NP) 69 Submission from Universities UK 09.12.08 GS(NP) 70 Further submission from Dr Brian Jones 12.12.08 4. Inquiry into Human Rights The Committee considered this matter. 5. EULEX mission in Kosovo The Committee considered this matter. 6. Inquiry into FCO Annual Report 2007-08 The Committee considered this matter. 7. The Work of the Committee in 2007-08 Draft Report (The Work of the Committee in 2007-08), proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read. The draft Report was amended and agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published in the First Report of the Committee, HC 113. [Adjourned till Wednesday 21 January at 2.00 p.m. Monday 12 – Thursday 15 January 2009 Mr Fabian Hamilton, Mr David Heathcoat-Amory, Mr Eric Illsley, Andrew Mackinlay, Mr Malcolm Moss, Sir John Stanley and Ms Gisela Stuart visited Prague and Warsaw in connection with the Committee’s inquiries into Developments in the European Union and Global Security: Non-Proliferation, in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 25 June 2008. Monday 12 – Thursday 15 January 2009 Mr John Horam, Sandra Osborne and Mr Ken Purchase visited Geneva and Vienna in connection with the Committee’s inquiries into Developments in the European Union and Global Security: Non-Proliferation, in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 25 June 2008. 4 Foreign Affairs Committee: Formal Minutes 2008–09 WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 2009 The Business and Enterprise, Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees met concurrently as the Committees on Arms Export Controls, pursuant to Standing Order No. 137A. Members present: Business and Defence Committee Foreign Affairs International Development Enterprise Committee Committee Committee Mr Adrian Bailey Mr David Crausby Mike Gapes John Battle Roger Berry Linda Gilroy Sir John Stanley John Bercow Malcolm Bruce Richard Burden 1. Chairman Roger Berry was called to the Chair, in accordance with Standing Order No. 137A(1)(d). 2. Visit to Brussels The Committees considered this matter. 3. Visit to Ukraine The Committees considered this matter. 4. Demonstration of BERR’s new searchable database The Committees considered this matter. 5. Strategic export controls The Committees deliberated, in accordance with Standing Order No. 137A(1)(b). Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Strategic Export Controls be reported to the House for publication on the internet: AM01 to AM04 and AM06 to AM 08. Ian Pearson MP, Economic and Business Minister, Mr John Doddrell, Director, Export Control Organisation, and Ms Jayne Carpenter, Assistant Director, Export Control Organisation, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, gave oral evidence. [Foreign Affairs Committee adjourned till this day at 2.00 p.m. Foreign Affairs Committee: Formal Minutes 2008–09 5 WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY 2009 Members present: Mike Gapes, in the Chair Sir Menzies Campbell Mr Malcolm Moss Mr Fabian Hamilton Sandra Osborne Mr David Heathcoat-Amory Mr Greg Pope Mr John Horam Mr Ken Purchase Mr Eric Illsley Sir John Stanley Andrew Mackinlay 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into Global Security: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Resolved, That the Committee visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in March in connection with its inquiry into Global Security: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and that the Chairman seek the approval of the Chairman of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit. 2. Travel in a representative capacity Resolved, That the Chairman and Clerk have leave to visit Prague to attend the Conference of Foreign Affairs Committees Chairpersons, in connection with the Committee’s inquiry into the Developments in the European Union. 3. Publication of written evidence Ordered, That the following written evidence received by the Foreign Affairs Committee, be reported to the House for publication on the internet: Miscellaneous Matters Written Evidence Number From/Subject Date MISC 59 Letter to Parliamentary Relations Team, FCO – Crown Dependencies 18.03.08 MISC 60 Letter to the Leader of the House – Nominations to European 09.04.08 Committees MISC 61 Letter from Parliamentary Relations Team, FCO – Crown Dependencies 21.04.08 MISC 65 Letter to Parliamentary Relations Team, FCO – Further request on FCO’s 09.05.08 responsibilities for Crown Dependencies MISC 68 Letter from Parliamentary Relations Team, FCO – FCO’s responsibilities 05.06.08 for Crown Dependencies MISC 70 Letter to Michael Jabez Foster MP, Chairman of the Joint Committee 19.06.08 on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill – Scrutiny of Treaties MISC 76 Letter from H2O Law LLP – McDonald and ORS v.