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CABINET OFFICE

Government Car and Despatch Agency (Annual Report)

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander): I have today laid the Government Car and Despatch Agency annual report and accounts 2003–04 before Parliament, copies of which are available in the Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Hong Kong

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell): The latest report on the implementation of the Sino-British joint declaration on Hong Kong was published today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website www.fco.gov.uk. The report covers the period from 1 January to 30 June 2004 and includes a foreword by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

I commend the Report to the House.

Constitutional Treaty for the European Union (Provisional Text)

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): I have laid before the House Command Paper 6289, containing the text agreed by the European Council on 17–18 June 2004 for a Constitutional Treaty for the European Union (CIG 86/04). Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and the Vote Office.

This is an interim text of the treaty, which still has to go through a process of technical amendment by jurist-linguists this summer. The Dutch presidency then plan for the final text to be signed by Heads of State and Government on 29 October.

Command Paper 6289 includes the declarations of the council that will accompany the treaty, and the protocols that are new or directly relevant to the UK (the remainder can be seen in the on-line version of the treaty, at http://www.fco.gov.uk. We will present the final text in full to Parliament this autumn, also as a Command Paper, prior to introducing legislation to give it effect in UK law—subject to its approval in a referendum.

WORK AND PENSIONS

International Labour Conference 2003 (Convention 185)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond): The 91st session of the International Labour Conference 2003 adopted a new Convention 185—Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention. We have today laid before Parliament a
 
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White Paper entitled "International Labour Conference, Proposed action on a Convention adopted at the 91st Session of the International Labour Conference 2003", (Cm 6290), copies of which have been placed in the Library.

Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome

The Minister for Work (Jane Kennedy): The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) has completed its review of hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and its report has been laid before Parliament (Cm 6098). The
 
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Government thank the council for the care and diligence taken in producing the report, and has decided to implement the report's recommendation to widen the terms of prescription of prescribed disease A11.

The revised prescription will take account of sensorineural symptoms, which are not included in the current prescription for prescribed disease A11.

The Department for Work and Pensions is currently working on detailed plans for putting this report into practice, which will include communicating with those representing people who may be affected.

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