§ 5.47 p.m.
§ Lord Cavendish of Furness rose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 23rd May be approved [21st Report from the Joint Committee]
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, the purpose of this order is to confer privileges and immunities on observers, inspectors, evaluators and auxiliary personnel, in accordance with the provisions of the 1990 Vienna document of the negotiations on confidence and security-building measures.
§ The order is necessary for the United Kingdom to give effect in domestic law to those provisions on privileges and immunities. The order is being made under Section 1(2) of the Arms Control and Disarmament (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1988. The privileges and immunities it confers follow the pattern of Section 1(1) of the 1988 Act under which observers and inspectors visiting the UK under the Stockholm document were granted the privileges and immunities of diplomatic agents and auxiliary personnel were granted the privileges and immunities of the administrative and technical staff or the service staff of a mission.
§ Those privileges and immunities will in practice be enjoyed only rarely by visitors to the UK. The Vienna document sets limits on what each participating state is obliged to accept. For the United Kingdom this amounts to three inspections and one evaluation visit per year. Observations are linked to the size of military exercises. The United Kingdom has been obliged to host only one since the adoption of the 1986 Stockholm document. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 23rd May be approved [21st Report from the Joint Committee].—(Lord Cavendish of Furness.)
§ Lord Graham of EdmontonMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Richard has asked me to apologise for his absence and to say that he wishes the order well.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.