HC Deb 13 June 2002 vol 386 cc1352-4W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Poland Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58411]

Mr. Jamieson

I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and Poland establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure that the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and Poland. But I am not aware that it has met in recent times or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Slovak Republic Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58409]

Mr. Jamieson

I have been asked to reply.

This committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and the Slovak Republic establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and the Slovak Republic. But I am not aware that it has met in recent times or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the Joint Committee on the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway (EC-Czech Republic—Republic of Poland-Slovak Republic) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58407]

Mr. Jamieson

I have been asked to reply.

I have not been able to identify the Committee referred to by the hon. Member.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Czech Republic Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58408]

Mr. Jamieson

I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and the Czech Republic establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and the Czech Republic. I am not aware of recent meetings or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the EC-Romania Joint Transport Committee is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58410]

Mr. Jamieson

I have been asked to reply.

This Committee is established under the provisions of an Agreement between the European Community and Romania establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport. The remit of the Committee is to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement. The Committee would be made up of representatives appointed by the Community and Romania. I am not aware of recent meetings or that there are any plans for it to meet in the immediate future.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Regulation establishing an instrument for structural policies for pre-accession (ISPA) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56769]

Clare Short

I have been asked to reply. The mandate of the ISPA Committee is to oversee the implementation of Council Regulation EC Number 1267/1999, which established ISPA. This determines the strategy framework for ISPA, and approves annual and multi-annual allocations to country and regional programmes.

The ISPA Committee has met three times in the last year. The UK is represented by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Commission.

The annual cost to public funds of the Committee's work principally comprises the work of DFID officials in assessing and discussing with the EC strategy and programme proposals, as well as the costs of attendance at meetings of the Committee. The precise amounts concerned are not readily available.

The ISPA Committee recently considered a range of 19 environment and seven transport projects across the range of Candidate countries.

Pre-accession programmes and/or work related to them are subject to scrutiny by Select Committees of Parliament. Under Council Decision 1999/468/EC the EC has undertaken to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first such report was deposited in the libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Commission Document 5685/02). We have encouraged the EC to make available on its website a record of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions.