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Police Central Support Department
Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the ASTRA clause will be included in any contracts put out to tender for the police central support department. [14697]
Mr. Straw: The Home Office has no plans to use the particular clause referred to, but Home Office policy, when putting services out to competitive tender, is to include a clause in the contract which covers the provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (known as TUPE), as amended by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Sudan
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports that the NIF regime in Sudan forces school leavers to join the PDF; and if he will make a statement. [15323]
Mr. Fatchett: These reports are accurate. The Sudanese authorities are conscripting secondary school graduates. Some have been sent to the south against their will and without their relatives being informed of their whereabouts. We have expressed our concern about this practice to the Sudanese authorities.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures Her Majesty's Government will take to support the Sudanese peace process. [14832]
Mr. Fatchett: We welcomed the resumption of talks between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army on 29 October under the sponsorship of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The UK has supported and will continue to support the IGAD peace process through the Friends of IGAD and latterly through the IGAD Partners Forum (IPF). Both the EU and the IPF have offered material assistance to the IGAD process. We are in regular contact with all parties to the conflict and will continue to stress the need to resolve the civil war through a comprehensive negotiated settlement.
EU Council of Ministers
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances it is the practice to permit officials to deputise for Ministers in
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meetings of the Council of Ministers of the European Union; and if he will list those Council meetings since 1 May when officials represented their Ministers, naming the Minister in each instance. [15611]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Representation by a senior official on occasions when a Minister is unable to be present for all or part of a Council meeting is normal practice for all member states. British Ministers have attended every Council meeting since 1 May, with the exception of the Consumer Affairs Council on 3 November when my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) was prevented by fog from reaching Brussels.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what standing orders have been (a) agreed and (b) published concerning the procedures to be adopted at (i) Councils of Ministers of the European Community, (ii) the European Council and (iii) intergovernmental conferences of member states; and what are the distinctive functions of European Council and intergovernmental conferences. [15610]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Rules of procedure governing the Council of Ministers are set out in a Council Decision of 6 December 1993 (93/662/EC). This was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 10 December 1993 (OJ 1993, No. L304/1).
There are no formal rules of procedure for European Councils and Intergovernmental Conferences. It is for the incumbent Presidency to decide, with the agreement of the Member States, how to conduct them.
The functions of European Councils and Intergovernmental Conferences are set out in Articles D and N respectively of the Treaty on European Union.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Ministers of the Crown and (b) officials of Her Majesty's Government were present at the meetings of (i) the European Council and (ii) the intergovernmental conference at Amsterdam.[15612]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
The Amsterdam Summit comprised (a) the conclusion of the negotiations for the intergovernmental conference and (b) normal European Council business. The UK delegation for the Summit consisted of four Ministers of the Crown and, including support staff, 66 Government officials.
Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the outcome of the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 10 November. [15910]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
At the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 10 November the nine A points in document 11996/97 were approved, and the EP resolutions of 20-24 October in document 11109/97 were noted. The texts will be placed in the House as soon as they become available.
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The Commission presented a Communication on the future of ACP--EU relations which formed the basis for an orientation debate. This will help inform Commission drafting of an EU mandate for the renegotiation of the Lome Convention. There was a general welcome for the way ahead set out by the Commission and in particular for the emphasis on poverty, enhanced political dialogue and integration of ACP economies into the world trading environment.
The Council took stock of discussions on enlargement and Agenda 2000. In particular, it considered the role of the Council in the Accession Partnerships of the reinforced pre-accession strategy. The Committee of Permanent Representatives will continue discussion this week.
The Council Secretariat introduced a paper on the incorporation of the Schengen Secretariat into the General Secretariat of the Council. It was agreed that the Schengen Secretariat would be invited to give its opinion on the matter, which will then be discussed further in the Committee of Permanent representatives, before returning to Council.
The Council held a preliminary discussion on the Council Secretary General's paper on implementation of the Declaration annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty on the creation of a Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit. There was wide support for the new CFSPD High Representative taking up his duties as soon as the Amsterdam Treaty is ratified; and for the new Unit to become operational at the same time. The Political Committee and Committee of Permanent Representatives were tasked to take forward detailed work on the Unit and to report back to the Council.
The Council discussed EU relations with Turkey. The Presidency announced its intention to arrange an informal ministerial meeting with Turkey on 24 November.
The Council discussed preparations for the forthcoming visit to the Middle East by the Presidency of the Council and Vice President Marin of the European Commission. The Council agreed on the importance of close co-ordination with the US Administration in support of US efforts to bring about a full resumption of negotiations in the Middle East Peace Process. It also agreed on the need for the Presidency to emphasise EU concerns about the effects of continuing Israeli settlement activity on the prospects for progress and about the postponement of the further redeployments of Israeli troops from Palestinian areas foreseen in the Hebron Agreement.
The Council considered a report from EU Special Envoy Moratinos on ways in which the EU might support agreement between Israel and the Palestinians on the opening of Gaza Airport, the construction of Gaza seaport and the establishment of the "safe passage" arrangements for Palestinians travelling between the West Bank and Gaza. The Council agreed that the report should be considered further at technical level.
The Council discussed negotiations between the EU and Switzerland in the light of new Swiss proposals on the question of land transport through the Alps. It was decided that the Committee of Permanent Representatives should report back to the Council on how the negotiations might be brought to a successful conclusion.
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The Presidency reported on preparations and arrangements for the Employment Summit on 21 November.
The Council discussed EU/Albania relations. Ministers agreed that the 1992 Trade and Cooperation Agreement between Albania and the EC should be reactivated to help with the process of economic and political development. A Ministerial level Political Dialogue and official level Joint Committee under the Agreement might be held early in 1998.
The Council adopted a review of the situation in former Yugoslavia in the context of the conditionality in the EU regional approach; and a message to the people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia setting out the EU's policy. On Bosnia the Council supported the conclusions of the 6 November Steering Board and the High Representative's efforts to reform the Republika Srpska media.
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