HC Deb 10 December 1968 vol 775 cc87-91W
Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 538 on aircraft noise abatement which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26th September, 1968; and what action he will take on the proposals contained in paragraph 3 (a) of this recommendation.

Mr. Mulley

This Recommendation is still under consideration by the Committee of Ministers.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 536 on European co-operation in the field of space which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25th September, 1968; and what steps are taken to ensure that decisions can be taken at the political level in the appropriate bodies, the European Launcher and Development Organisation Ministerial Conference and the European Space Conference.

Mr. Mulley

The European Launcher Development Organisation met at Ministerial level on 11th November and from 12th to 14th November, respectively. Details of the action taken by the United Kingdom and the outcome of these two meetings were given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology in his reply to the hon. Member for Eastleigh on 27th November, 1968. Her Majesty's Government intend to take a full part in subsequent negotiations.—[Vol. 774, c.110–11.]

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 536 on European co-operation in the field of space, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25th September, 1968; and if he will agree to the adoption by the European Space Conference of a co-ordinated European space programme, including work on application and scientific satellite launchers.

Mr. Mulley

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Mr. David Price) on 27th November 1968 concerning action taken by the United Kingdom at the Ministerial Conference of the European Launcher Development Organisation and the European Space Conference. This was generally consistent with Recommendation No. 536 of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.—[Vol. 774, c. 110–11.]

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy with regard to Recommendation 535 on the promotion of modern language teaching in Europe, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24th September, 1968; 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 paragraph 11 of this recommendation.

Mr. Foley

Recommendation No. 535 (1968) of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe urges the promotion of modern language teaching both in schools and in the sphere of adult education, as does Recommendation No. 40 (1968) of the Council for Cultural Cooperation, approved at its 14th Session (16th-20th September, 1968). My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Science, accepts that modern language teaching deserves encouragement, but finds the wording of the Council for Cultural Co-operation's Recommendation preferable, since Her Majesty's Government could not commit themselves to compulsion of school authorities in matters affecting their curricula. The instructions given to the United Kingdom Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers will be framed accordingly.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 534 on the activities of the Special Representative of the Council of Europe for National Refugees and Over-Population, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24th September, 1968; and whether he will instruct the Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in paragraph 11 of this recommendation.

Mr. Mulley

This Recommendation is still under consideration by the Committee of Ministers.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 533 on synchronising and harmonising population censuses in Europe, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24th September, 1968; and whether he will take action as recommended in Chapter I of the operative part of this recommendation.

Mr. Mulley

This Recommendation is still under consideration by the Committee of Ministers.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 532 on Assistance to the Victims of the Civil War in Nigeria, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24th September, 1968; and what action he has taken or plans to take following the proposals contained in this recommendation.

Mr. Foley

This Recommendation is still under consideration by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation 530 on the general policy of the Council of Europe: Europe and the World, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23rd September, 1968; and whether he will instruct the Permanent Representative in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to vote in favour of the proposals contained in this recommendation.

Mr. Mulley

This Recommendation has recently been discussed by the Committee of Ministers and a reply will be included in their next report to the Consultative Assembly. In general the proposals contained in this Recommendation are in line with Her Majesty's Government's policy.

Dame Joan Vickers

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of the Government with regard to Recommendation No. 536 on European co-operation in the field of space, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25th September, 1968; and what measures he has taken to co-ordinate the instructions to be given to the United Kingdom delegation in the Councils of the various international space organisations, European Space Research Organisation, European Launcher and Development Organisation and European Conference on Telecommunications Satellites.

Mr. Mulley

Member countries of the European Launcher Development Organisation and the European Space Conference met at Ministerial level on 11th November and from 12th to 14th November, 1968, respectively. There is consultation on a continuing basis among the responsible Government Departments with a view to co-ordinating instructions given to the United Kingdom Delegations to the European Launcher Development Organisation, the European Space Conference and the European Conference on Satellite Communications.