HC Deb 20 October 1971 vol 823 cc134-6W
Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made, following the replies of the Western European Union Council and the indications given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the Western European Union Assembly on 16th June, 1971, in finalising arrangements for the improvement of staff conditions in the Western European Union and other co-ordinated organisations proposed by the Assembly of Western European Union in Recommendations 173, 188, and 200.

Mr. Anthony Royle

Arrangements designed to improve staffing structures and conditions of service in Western European Union and the other five co-ordinated organisations were embodied in a proposal by the Council of Western European Union that a Committee of Experts be set up to study these matters.

This proposal of the Council of Western European Union was put to all the other co-ordinated organisations in May of this year, and their substantive responses are still awaited. The Standing Committee of the Secretaries-General of the co-ordinated organisations met recently to discuss the proposal and to concert views which will be conveyed to their respective organisations.

I hope that this will lead to an early decision to set up a Committee of Experts.

Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with the study of the harmonisation of conditions for the secondment of national officials to European Parliamentary institutions undertaken within the framework of the Western European Union at the request of the Council of Ministers.

Mr. Anthony Royle

When replying to the Western European Union Assembly's Recommendation No. 200, the Council of Western European Union proposed that an Expert Working Group be set up to study the possibility of harmonising the conditions for secondment of national officials to the co-ordinated organisations.

As a preliminary step comprehensive information about their respective national procedures governing secondment was obtained from all members of Western European Union. This revealed that the subject was one of greater complexity than was at first thought because of a wide divergence in national procedures and practice.

The Council of Western European Union is still considering the overall problem and it is possible that a Working Group of Experts may be set up shortly.

Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish the results of the review undertaken by the Committee of independent experts on the staffing structures and conditions of staff of the co-ordinated organisations of Western European Union.

Mr. Anthony Royle

The proposal for a review by a Committee of Experts of staffing structures and conditions of service in the six- co-ordinated organisations (Council of Europe, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, European Space Research Organisation, European Launcher Development Organisation and Western European Union) was an initiative taken by the Council of Western European Union. It was put to the other organisations by my right hon. Friend in his capacity as the then Chairman-in-Office of the Council of Western European Union. But it will not be for us to publish the results of this review: that is likely to be a matter for the co-ordinated organisations acting in concert.

I understand that the present position is that the proposal is still under study by the various organisations. The Standing Committee of Secretaries-General of the co-ordinated organisations met recently to discuss the proposal and to concert views which will be conveyed to their respective organisations.

I hope this will lead to an early decision to proceed with the review.