§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will publish the code of practcie for multinational companies recently approved by OECD.
Mr. Alan Williams,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th June 1976; Vol. 914; c. 173], gave the following information:
The full text of the declaration by OECD Ministers including the guidelines for multinational enterprises, is published in the White Paper "International Investment: Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises" Cmnd. 6525 presented to Parliament on 24th June 1976.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry what inspectorate will be appointed to supervise the code of practice for multinational companies recently approved by OECD.
Mr. Alan Williams,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th June 1976; Vol. 914; c. 173], gave the following information:
OECD's Committee on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises will be the forum for member governments to keep the guidelines under review and for resolving problems. The 295W Business and Industry Advisory Committee and Trade Union Advisory Committee will be invited to express their views to the committee periodically.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry what steps he will take to review the code of practice for multinational companies, and to monitor its effectiveness over a period of time.
Mr. Alan Williams,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th June 1976; Vol. 914; c. 173], gave the following information:
OECD's intergovernmental consultation machinery will provide the main forum for monitoring and review. Departments concerned will keep in touch with developments in the course of their contacts with UK industry and it will be open to the parties concerned to bring to the attention of the Government any cases of difficulty which may arise. Studies in hand in the various specialist Committees in OECD should also provide information on particular aspects of multinationals' activities connected with the guidelines.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Industry how far the code of practice for multinational companies, recently approved by OECD, accords with the findings of the United Nations Committee of Experts currently studying the same problem.
Mr. Alan Williams,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th June 1976; Vol. 914, c. 173], gave the following information:
The programme of work submitted for approval to the July session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) by the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations accords priority to work on a code of conduct and recommends that a working party be established for this purpose. Studies on the proposed code will not begin until ECOSOC has given its approval.