The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1993Prime Minister (1990-1997)

PMQT Written Answers – 13 January 1993

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Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 13th January 1993.

PRIME MINISTER:

 

Nuclear Materials

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister what changes there have been since 27 October 1987 in the guidelines for exports of nuclear materials, equipment and technology by the United Kingdom set out in the statement by the then Foreign Secretary on 31 March 1976.

The Prime Minister : An expansion to the guidelines set out on 31 March 1976 was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in a statement issued on 24 September 1991 when he introduced the policy of fullscope safeguards as a condition of supply. This means that we do not allow the export of any significant new nuclear supplies or materials to any country, other than the nuclear weapon states, where there are any unsafeguarded nuclear installations.

 

Edinburgh Summit

Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister what assessment was made by the European Council at Edinburgh of the net effect of its conclusions on the contributions and receipts of each member state; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : The European Council did not explicitly consider the effect of its conclusions on future financing on the contributions and receipts of each member state.

 

Macedonia

Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the presidency’s special representative on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the EC summit at Edinburgh on 12 December.

The Prime Minister : I hope that we can place a copy of this report in the Library soon. But discussion of Macedonian accession to the United Nations is now at a delicate stage in New York. It would not be helpful to this process to make the report public at this time.

 

Lockerbie Air Crash

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what response he has given to the petition presented to him on the fourth anniversary of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie.

The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 January 1993] : I have received a letter signed by some of the relatives of those who died, and have replied. I sympathise with their loss. I do not believe that there is a good case for an independent public inquiry into the disaster. There has already been a fatal accident inquiry and the criminal investigation is continuing.

The Government continue to put pressure on the Libyans to comply with the United Nations resolutions and to surrender the two suspects for trial in Scotland or the United States.