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3 Mar 2005 : Column 1369W—continued
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Constitutional Treaty
Kate Hoey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2005, Official Report, columns902–03W, on the Constitutional Treaty, how the restrictions on Government publication of information under section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 will be enforced. [219047]
Mr. Leslie:
It is the responsibility of those to whom section 125 applies to ensure that they comply with the requirements of that provision. A person alleging a breach of section 125 could seek a judicial review.
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Kate Hoey: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2005, Official Report, columns 902–03W, on the Constitutional Treaty, (1)what obligations there will be under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 for permitted participants in the referendum on the European Constitution to declare donations from the institutions of the European Union; [218838]
(2) what regulations will govern expenditure by UK-based organisations that are funded by the institutions of the European Union but are permitted participants in the referendum on the European Constitution. [218839]
Mr. Leslie: Donations to permitted participants are regulated by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). Donations must be declared to the Electoral Commission and can only be accepted if they are from permissible donors (except for donations of less than £200). A permissible donor can only be:
a UK registered political party (in the case of a donation to a designated organisation or a registered political party which is not a minor party)
In addition, powers in the European Union Bill maybe used to include similar classes of donors for Gibraltar.
Therefore donations of £200 or more from the institutions of the European Union to a permitted participant would have to be declared as impermissible donations and returned.
All permitted participants are subject to referendum expenditure limits, set out in Schedule 14 to PPERA, namely: £5 million in the case of a designated organisation; between £500,000 and £5 million in the case of political parties; and £500,000 in other cases.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Diplomatic Posts
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total personnel costs were for the last full financial year for which records are available of running the diplomatic posts in (a) the European Union, (b) Paraguay, (c) Belgium, (d) El Salvador, (e) Nicaragua, (f) Hondouras, (g) Germany, (h) France, (i) Luxemburg, (j) Vanuatu, (k) Tonga, (l) East Timor, (m) Kiribati, (n) The Bahamas, (o) Lesotho, (p) Swaziland and (q) Madagascar. [217807]
Mr. Rammell
[holding answer 24 February 2005]: The total personnel costs of running diplomatic posts for 2003–04 for the relevant countries are set out in the table. The European Union figure includes UK representation to the European Union and to 24 member states.
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EU Committees
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Co-operation Committee (EEC—ASEAN) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [217922]
Mr. Mullin: The EU Joint Co-operation Committee with the Association of South East Asian Nations did not meet during this period.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the Joint Committee (i) EEC-Bangladesh, (ii) EC-Kingdom of Cambodia and (iii)EEC-China met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [218273]
Mr. MacShane: During this period the EC Joint Committee with Bangladesh met in Brussels on 19 November 2003 and the EC Joint Committee with China on 30 October 2003 in Beijing. The EC Joint Committee meeting with Cambodia did not meet during this period.
As these Committees are chaired by the Commission, with support from the Presidency, there were no UK representatives at these meetings. However, the UK participated fully in formulating the EU's position for the meetings.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Joint Committee EEC-Mongolia, (ii) EC-Moldova Co-operation Committee and (iii) Joint Committee (EC-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement. [218433]
Mr. MacShane:
During this period, there were two meetings of the EU-Moldova Co-operation Committee—on 28 October 2003 in Chisinau and on 23 November 2004 in Brussels. There was one meeting of the Joint Committee on EEC-Mongolia on
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4 November 2003 in Ulaanbaatar. As these meetings are chaired by the Commission, with support from the presidency, there were no UK representatives. However, the UK participated fully in formulating the EU's position for the meetings.
There is no Joint Committee between the EC and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Technical dialogue between the EU and Macedonia now takes place in the annual meetings of the Stabilisation and Association Committee, which met for the first time in Skopje on 2–3 June 2004. Prior to the entry into force of the EU-Macedonia Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 1 April 2004, technical dialogue took place in the annual meetings of the Co-operation Council, which met for the last time in Brussels on 25 July 2003. The European Commission leads these technical dialogue meetings on behalf of the EU. Member states have the option of attending as observers. The UK sent an observer from the local UK mission to each of the meetings mentioned above.
EU Information Campaigns
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) which EU budget lines in the EC draft budget for 2005 may be used for information campaigns; how much is allocated under each line; which projects under each line are operating in the United Kingdom; and which projects he intends to support within the United Kingdom as part of the EU Constitution debate; [218738]
(2) how much has been spent by the EU on PRINCE within the UK in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218740]
(3) how much has been spent by the EU under the PRINCE information programme (a) on Economic and Monetary Union, (b) on the Debate on the Future of Europe and (c) under EC budget line 16 04 04 in theUK in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218741]
(4) how much he estimates will be spent in the United Kingdom from EC budget lines (a) 2710, (b) 2719, (c) 2720 and (d) 2830 during the 2005–06 financial year; [218742]
(5) how much has been spent under EC budget line (a) 16 02 02 and (b) 16 03 01 in the UK in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218743]
(6) what public relations campaigns the European Commission UK Representation has undertaken under EC budget line 16 03 01 in the last 12 months; and what campaigns are planned in the forthcoming year; [218744]
(7) what events the European Commission UK Representation has undertaken under EC budget line 16 03 01 in the last 12 months; and what events are planned in the forthcoming year; [218745]
(8) how much has been spent by the European Commission representation in the UK (a) under EC budget line 16 03 02 and (b) on priority
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communications under EC budget line 16 03 03 in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218746]
(9) how much has been spent on (a) information and (b) communication tools by the European Commission UK Representation under EC budget line 16 04 02 in theUK in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218747]
(10) how much his Department spent in partnership with the European Commission and its UK Representation in relation to EC budget line 16 04 02 in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218748]
(11) what publications funded under EC budget line 16 04 02 were distributed in the UK during the last 24 months; [218749]
(12) how much has been spent on information outlets by the European Commission UK Representation under EC budget line 16 05 01 in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year; [218750]
(13) how much has been spent on special events by the European Commission under EC budget line 15 06 06 in the UK in each of the last five financial years; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the 2005–06 financial year. [218752]
Mr. MacShane: The Institutions of the European Union are responsible for their own activities in terms of providing information to the public. Further details can be obtained from the UK Representations of the European Union's Institutions, contact details of which can be found at www.cec.org.uk, www.europarl.org.uk and www.europe.eu.int.
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