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PRIME MINISTER

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what account he took of Sir David King's views on the need to tackle climate change in deciding what time to set aside for his speech at the launch of the Climate Group on 27 April. [169862]

The Prime Minister: Sir David King and I are in full agreement that climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats we face and that we need to address it now. I fully support the Climate Group's aim of promoting the acceleration of reductions in global emissions of greenhouse gases.

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost to public funds was of the launch of the Climate Group on 27 April. [169896]

The Prime Minister: The Climate Group is not a Government-funded entity. Funding for the event is a matter for the Climate Group.

Departmental Procurement (Sea Bass)

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that sea bass served at functions at which he is the host is sourced from hand-line fishermen rather than pair trawlers. [167546]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Fisheries, (Mr. Bradshaw) gave to him on 30 April 2004, Official Report, column 1344W.

EU Constitution

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if it remains the intention of the Government in the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference on the proposed EU constitution not to accept qualified majority voting on all matters of social security. [169765]

The Prime Minister: Yes. Unanimity for social security for migrant workers is a Government red line.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those policy areas where the Government have agreed that qualified majority voting should replace unanimity under the proposed EU Constitution. [169766]

The Prime Minister: The Constitutional Treaty has not been agreed, but our approach to the extension of QMV will, as always, be to agree where it is in Britain's interests, but not to do so in areas where our national interests dictate otherwise. We welcome the use of QMV as the general rule for legislative proposals.

Those areas for which we will insist that unanimity remains are set out in the White Paper—The British Approach to the European Union Intergovernmental Conference 2003.

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister if, consequent to his decision to hold a referendum on the proposed constitution of the European Union, he will publish a white paper in which in respect of each of the proposed articles he will state the part of any treaty
 
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already in force which contains the same or amended, content; and, for those articles which do not, if he will set out an explanation of the case for the new provisions and their likely effect on the United Kingdom and its judicial procedures. [169893]

The Prime Minister: The Government will publish a range of material to accompany the Constitutional Treaty, including a laypersons' guide and a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the existing Treaties and the new Constitutional Treaty.

Mr. Howard: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his Statement on Europe, of 20 April 2004, Official Report, columns 155–57, whether it is his policy to describe the draft Constitution for Europe as a tidying-up exercise. [170572]

The Prime Minister: The Government made clear their view of the draft constitutional treaty in their White Paper of September 2003—paragraphs 41 to 43. The draft treaty consolidates the existing treaties into a single logically ordered text; sets out a more transparent and accountable structure for the EU; makes it clear that the national Governments of the member states remain in control; and it provides for a more efficient European Union after enlargement.

There are a number of changes that the Government wish to see to the draft text. If a treaty is successfully negotiated it will not alter the constitutional relationship between the Union and the member states, and would be less far reaching than changes brought into effect by either the Single European Act or the Maastricht treaty.

Mr. Howard: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his statement on Europe, of 20 April 2004, Official Report, columns 155–57, what factors he took into account in reaching his decision on whether to hold a referendum. [170573]

The Prime Minister: The factors leading to the Government's decision to hold a referendum were set out in my statement of 20 April 2004, Official Report, columns 155–57.

Mr. Howard: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer, of 21 April 2004, Official Report, column 287, what discussions he held with ministerial colleagues prior to his decision to hold a referendum on the European constitution. [170574]

The Prime Minister: I have nothing to add to my previous answer.

European Evidence Warrant

Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will veto the legislative instrument proposing the European Evidence Warrant; [170781]

(2) if he will refuse to accept the European Constitution if at the next Summit on the European Constitution the European Evidence Warrant forms part of the corpus of the draft Constitution and laws of the EU. [170783]

The Prime Minister: No. We shall seek to negotiate effective arrangements in the UK's interests.
 
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Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether the European Evidence Warrant complies with the Human Rights Act 1998. [170782]

The Prime Minister: Under Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union, all legislative instruments must respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government would of course ensure that implementing legislation was compatible with the Human Rights Act.

House of Lords

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that political representation in the House of Lords from Northern Ireland reflects the community there. [170488]

The Prime Minister: As I have made clear before, membership of the House of Lords is kept under ongoing review.

Kyoto Protocol

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he last raised the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change with President Bush. [170998]

The Prime Minister: I regularly have discussions on a wide range of issues with President Bush including on climate change. As with previous Administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public details of discussions with foreign Governments under exemption l(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Libya

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Prime Minister if he will secure from Libya an inventory of the arms that it supplied to the IRA. [170342]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office (Mr. Pearson) gave to the hon. Member for South Antrim (David Burnside) on 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 822W.

Middle East

Mr. Howard: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his statement on Iraq and the Middle East Peace Process, of 19 April 2004, Official Report, columns 21–23, (1) whether he urged President Bush that the Quartet should be involved in further decisions affecting the peace process rather than for such decisions to be decided bilaterally between the United States and Israel; [170575]

(2) what representations he made to President Bush before the President announced his endorsement of Prime Minister Sharon's plans. [170576]

The Prime Minister: I regularly have discussions with President Bush on a wide range of issues, including the Middle East Peace Process. As with previous Administrations it is not the practice of this Government to make public all details of discussions
 
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with foreign Governments under exemption l(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

I have made clear my view that the Quartet—which is meeting at Principals level in New York today—must lead the international community's efforts to take forward the Middle East Peace Process through the Roadmap. I hope that today's meeting will see the Quartet playing that role fully.

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