§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a draft of the Convention on the Fight Against Corruption involving officials of the European Communities or officials of member states of the European Union, (Cm 4266) published in April was first published; and what scrutiny of it is planned to be conducted in either House of Parliament.[86234]
§ Kate HoeyThe Council of the European Union adopted the Convention on the Fight against Corruption Involving Officials of the European Communities or Officials of Member States of the European Union on 26 May 1997. It was first published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 25 June 1997.
Prior to its adoption by the Council, the Convention had been considered in draft and cleared from scrutiny by the House of Lords European Communities Committee.
The Government published the Convention on 16 April 1999 with an Explanatory Memorandum, as a Command Paper in the European Communities Series, and laid it for 21 sitting days in both Houses in accordance with the Ponsonby rule. Arrangements are under way for the United Kingdom to ratify the Convention by September. We expect to be among the first Member States to do so.