§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 502 on persons wishing to engage in paid employment after retirement, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. MulleyThis Recommendation has been transmitted to the Governmental Social Committee and the European Public Health Committee. Their views are now awaited before the Committee of Minister discuss the matter again.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the 21W policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 504 on the political, social and civic position of women in Europe, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. William RodgersThis Recommendation is now being studied both by Governments and in the Social Committee, in preparation for discussion by the Committee of Ministers.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 505 in reply to the 15th Report on the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe Protocol to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees will have lain before the House for twenty-one sitting days on the 20th of November. Her Majesty's Government will accede to it as soon as possible thereafter.
Her Majesty's Government fully support the assistance programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to which we have been the second largest contributor.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Opinion No. 48 on the Budget of the Council of Europe for 1968, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 28th September, 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. MulleyThe proposals made in Opinion No. 48 are under study by the22W Departments concerned with a view to discussion by the Committee of Ministers.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 500 on relations between Europe and the developing countries within the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27th September 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. MulleyHer Majesty's Government agree that aid and trade policies towards the developing countries are among the most pressing problems facing European and other developed countries at the present time. They attach great importance to a proper co-ordination of policies before the next United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in New Delhi. They consider, however, that the most suitable forum for the appropriate industrialised countries to concert their policies on aid and trade is in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Ministerial Council of which will be discussing these questions later this month. Her Majesty's Government understand that no member Government of the Council of Europe dissents from this view. Other consultations are in progress at various levels between O.E.C.D. member countries, and will of course continue up to the time of the Conference.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Resolution 353 on the enlargement of the European Communities, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27th September 1967; and what action he has taken or plans to take on it.
§ Mr. MulleyI would refer the honourable Member to my right honourable Friend's statement in the House on 26th October on our application to join the European Communities.—[Vol. 751, c. 1894–1904.]
23W
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 499 on the scientific and technological aspects of the extension of the European Communities, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26th September 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. William RodgersWe welcome the recommendation, are in broad agreement with its terms and will act accordingly.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 498 on the General Policy of the Council of Europe, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26th September 1967; and whether he will instruct the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.
§ Mr. William RodgersThis Recommendation deals with a wide range of subjects. It is being studied with a view to further discussion in the Committee of Ministers.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 495 on European Space Policy, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23rd June 1967; and what action has been taken on this recommendation.
§ Mr. William RodgersAt the European Ministerial Space Conference in Rome last July my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Technology agreed with his colleagues on steps to give the Conference a formal status and to set up an Advisory Committee on Programmes to make recommendations about future joint European Space activities. The United Kingdom is playing a24W full part in the work of the Advisory Committee and further progress towards a European space policy must depend on its report.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government will now embark upon the ratification procedure of the European Code of Social Security and Protocol thereto, signed by 10 member countries of the Council of Europe whereof three countries have ratified so far.
§ Mr. MulleyThe European Code of Social Security will have lain before the House for twenty-one sitting days on 22nd November. The Government will then proceed with ratification as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Pounderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government will now embark upon the ratification procedure of the European Convention on Establishment, which was signed by 15 member countries of the Council of Europe whereof seven have ratified this Convention so far.
§ Mr. William RodgersWhile seven countries have ratified this Convention, these ratifications are subject to a number of restrictions and reservations. The attitude of Her Majesty's Government has not yet been decided.