§ Mr. Jim MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many bilateral meetings were held between his Department and its Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997; [109904]
505W(2) if he will list those previously planned meetings, and their subject, between his Department and its Austrian counterpart which have been cancelled since the formation of the new Austrian Government. [109892]
§ Angela EagleRoutine bilateral contacts at official level between the UK and Austrian Governments regularly take place in the margins of meetings of Council and Commission working groups. No bilateral meetings between my Department and the Austrian Government were specifically arranged during 1995 and 1996. The information for subsequent years is as shown.
September 1997:
DSS officials met their Austrian counterparts as part of a tour of member states in preparation for the UK's forthcoming Presidency on the EU.February 1998:
My hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley), then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, met Frau Eleonara Hostach, the then Austrian Minister for Labour Health and Social Affairs. They discussed issues of mutual interest, including the social security agenda of the UK Presidency of the EU and prospects for the forthcoming Austrian Presidency.June 1998:
Austrian officials met DSS officials to review the EU social security agenda to be handed on from the UK Presidency to the Austrian Presidency.July 1999:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had a discussion on issues of mutual interest with Frau Hostach in the margins of an informal meeting of EU social affairs ministers convened by the Finnish Presidency.October 1999:
The Department's Head of International and EU Relations met his Austrian counterpart to review the two Governments' respective positions on current EU social security business.No meetings previously arranged by the Department have been cancelled since the formulation of the new Austrian Government.