§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Portugal's application for membership of Western European Union; and if he will make a statement;
(2) why a decision has not been taken by the Western European Union on Portugal's application for membership; when a decision is expected to be taken; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards enlargement of the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. EggarThe question of the possible enlargement of the WEU is currently under consideration. Ministers agreed at Bonn on 22–23 April 1985 that, once the process of reactivating and reorganising the WEU had been completed, the Council should consider the principles which should govern possible WEU enlargement. The Council would then, on the basis of these general principles, consider individual cases, particularly that of Portugal which applied for membership in October 1984.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approaches have been received by the Western European Union from Spain about possible Spanish membership of the organisation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is the representative of the United Kingdom on the Western European Union public administration committee.
§ Mr. EggarThe United Kingdom is represented on the Western European Union public administration committee by a Home Civil Service principal grade officer in the Cabinet Office (Management and Personnel Office).
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Spanish Government covering possible Spanish membership of the Western European Union.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific measures the Government are promoting to seek to improve public information about the Western European Union Council and about the other organs of the Western European Union; and what measures are currently being taken by the Western European Union in this direction.
§ Mr. EggarThe Government maintain contact with representatives of the media, academic life, and members of Parliament to inform them about the activities of the WEU and its Council. Ministers regularly address the six-monthly sessions of the WEU assembly in Paris. As part of the process of reorganising WEU institutions a new post has been created in the WEU secretariat in London with responsibility for public relations and information. The Government support this initiative, and other publicity activities of the WEU.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the budgetary implications of the measures which have been taken, and of those which are being taken, to reinvigorate the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe measures agreed by the Council of the Western European Union to reinvigorate the organisation have been undertaken with respect for existing budgetary limits. It is the Government's policy, and the policy of many of our allies, to maintain zero real growth in the administrative budgets of international organisations, inclusive of pensions.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwelath Affairs what new agencies have been established by the Western European Union since the Rome declaration of October 1984; what relationship is 242W envisaged between these agencies and the Standing Armaments Committee and Agency for the Control of Armaments; and what relationship is envisaged between the new agencies and the Assembly of the Western European Union, and between the new agencies and the council.
§ Mr. EggarWEU Ministers decided at Bonn in April 1985 that three new agencies of the Western European Union should be established. They were:
- i) the agency for the study of arms control and disarmament questions;
- ii) The agency for the study of security and defence questions;
- iii) The agency for the development of co-operation in the field of armaments.
These agencies were established with effect from 1 January 1986.
The director of agency I has a dual capacity as director for the agency for the control of armaments; his deput in that capacity is a member of the staff of agency I.
The role of WEU in armaments co-operation is to help provide the necessary political impetus for, and practical contribution to, the various efforts undertaken in this field, incuding those carried out by the independent European programme group, the main forum for European equipment co-operation, and the conference of national armaments directors. The standing armaments committee will help ensure that the work of agency III is fully co-ordinated with the activities of theses other organisations.
The new agencies will be responsible to the WEU Secretary-General in London and, through him, to the WEU Council. The Council will maintain overall control of the agencies' word programmes. The Council considers that the agencies should provide technical assistance to the assembly on a case-by-case basis and in conformity with criteria to be agreed in the light of individual requests.
§ Mr. Colemanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new posts have been created within the Secretariat-General of the Western European Union and within other organs of the Western European Union since the Rome declaration of October 1984; what responsibilities and salaries these posts carry; which of them have been filled and by whom; by what means new staff are being recruited; and what steps are being taken to keep (a) Parliament and (b)the assembly of the Western European Union, informed of such developments occurring in the course of the Western European Union reinvigoration process.
§ Mr. EggarI am arranging for the detailed information requested on posts to be assembled and to be published in theOfficial Report as soon as possible. Information about developments arising from WEU reactivation is reported regularly by the Council and Secretary General to the WEU assembly, British members of which are drawn from Parliament.