§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in respect of the new Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum concerned with matters arising from Title IV of Articles 61 to 69 of the consolidated Treaty on the European Community, the policy of Her Majesty's Government concerning those matters in respect of which by virtue of Protocol 4 of the Treaty of Amsterdam the United Kingdom has no current obligation; if representatives of Her Majesty's Government may participate in consideration of those matters; and, in respect of Article 3 of Protocol 4 of the Amsterdam Treaty enabling the United Kingdom or Ireland to enter into obligations not yet made, what consultation and scrutiny procedures will be adopted prior to such notification to the President of the Council. [86227]
§ Kate HoeyI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) on 12 March 1999,Official Report, columns 380–82, concerning future United Kingdom participation in the 265W new Free Movement Chapter (Title IV, Articles 61–69 of the consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Community).
As a member of the Council, the United Kingdom will be able to participate fully in the discussion of all measures proposed under the Free Movement Chapter, both in the new Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum and in Council working groups, but the United Kingdom will not have a vote on measures in which it is not participating.
All new proposals under the Free Movement Chapter will be deposited for Parliamentary scrutiny, according to the rules governing First Pillar business. The subsequent Explanatory Memorandum will indicate whether or not it is intended to participate in the measure in accordance with Articles 3 or 4 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland.