HC Deb 23 March 1979 vol 964 cc245-50W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, under separate headings for each of the treaties designated as"Community Treaties"by statutory instrument since 1 January 1973, he will in sequence and with reference to date of debate in the House, for each named treaty, with command paper and treaty series number appended, or for each part thereof having a distinct and separate purpose or effect, describe briefly under appropriate sub-headings the purpose and content of each treaty or part thereof, with particular reference to any treaty or part of a treaty being an amendment to or additional to the foundation treaties of the European Economic Community.

1978 Mr. Judd

As agreed with my hon. Friend, I list below the references requested:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (DEFINITION OF TREATIES) ORDERS SINCE UNITED KINGDOM ACCESSION

Name of Treaty

ORDER 1972 S.I. 1993

ECSC Agreement—Austria 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5131.

ECSC Agreement—Iceland 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5150.

ECSC Agreement—Portugal 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5151.

ECSC Agreement—Sweden 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5155.

ECSC Agreement—Switzerland 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5152.

Name of Treaty

ECSC Agreement—Validity for Liechtenstein 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5152.

ORDER 1973 S.I. 1314

ECSC Agreement—Norway 14.5.73. Cmnd. 5347.

ECSC/Austria Decision—Supervision of Imports 22.1.73 OJ L 59.

ECSC/Sweden Decision—Supervision of Imports 22.1.73 OJ L 59.

UKDEL/Austrian DEL—Duty free imports paper products 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5159.

UKDEL/Swiss DEL—Duty free imports paper products 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5181.

UKDEL/Swedish DEL—Duty free imports paper products 22.7.72. Cmnd. 5180.

(No. 2) ORDER 1973 SI 2154

ECSC Decision—Opening tariff preferences for Norwegian goods 25.6.73. OJ L 171.

S. of S./Norwegian Ambassador Paper products 26.10.73. Cmnd. 5490.

EEC/Lebanon Protocol—adapting EEC/Lebanon agreement 16.5.73. Cmnd. 5480.

EEC/Lebanon—Exchange of letters extending EEC agreement 21.6.73. Cmnd. 5480.

EEC Decision—Provisional location of EMCF 24.7.73. Cmnd. 5479.

ECSC Agreement—Finland 5.10.73. Cmnd. 5472.

UKREP/Finnish Mission—Paper products 5.10.73. Cmnd. 5491.

ORDER 1974 SI 1263

ECSC Decision—opening tariff preferences for Finnish goods 10.12.73. OJ L 352.

ECSC Decision—opening tariff preferences for certain steel products from developing countries 18.12.73. OJ L 358.

ECSC Decision—tariff quotas for certain steel products from developing countries 18.12.73. OJ L 358.

Protocol for extension of Food Aid Convention 1971 acceded 17.6.74. Cmnd. 5624.

Protocol for extension of Wheat Trade Convention 1971 signed 22.4.74. Cmnd 5624.

ORDER 1975 SI 408

Decision

ECSC/Austria—Supervision of Imports 7.11.74. OJ L 313.

ECSC/Sweden—Supervision of Imports 7.11.74. OJ L 313.

EEC/Lebanon—Exchange of letters renewing EEC agreement 27.6.74. OJ L 195.

Convention setting up a European University Institute. Cmnd. 5876.

(No. 2) ORDER 1975 SI 2162

Protocol for further extension of Wheat Trade Convention 1971 signed 18.6.75. Cmnd. 6037.

Protocol for further extension of the Food Aid Convention 1971 signed 18.6.75. Cmnd. 6037.

ECSC Decision—tariff preferences for ACP and OCT 24.6.75. Cmnd 6220.

ACP-EEC Lomé Convention 28.2.75. Cmnd. 6220.

ACP-EEC Lomé Convention—ECSC Agreement 28.2.75. Cmnd. 6220.

Name of Treaty

ACP-EEC Lomé Convention—Internal Agreement on measures and procedures 11.7.75. Cmnd. 6220.

ACP-EEC Lomé Convention—Internal Financial Agreement 11.7.75. Cmnd. 6220.

ORDER 1976 SI 217

Budgetary Powers Treaty 22.7.75. Cmnd. 6252.

Treaty amending Statute of EIB to 10.7.75. Cmnd. 6253.

(No. 2) ORDER 1976 SI 218

ECSC Decision—tariff preferences—Israel 26.6.75. Cmnd. 6265.

Additional Protocol—EEC Greece ASSOC 28.4.75. Cmnd. 6289.

ECSC/Israel—Agreement of 11.5.75. Cmnd. 6265.

EEC/Lebanon—Exchange of letters renewing EEC agreement, 10.10.75. OJ L 278.

Protocol providing for Greek Accession to Customs Mutual Assist. Convention. Cmnd. 6331.

ORDER 1977 SI 822

Supplementary Protocol EEC/Turkey 30.6.73. Cmnd. 5548.

Supplementary Protocol ECSC/Turkey 30.6.73. Cmnd. 5548.

Supplementary Financial Agreement EEC/Turkey 30.6.73. Cmnd. 5548.

Financial Protocol EEC/Malta 4.3.76. Cmnd. 6640.

Protocol ECSC/Canada 26.7.76. Cmnd. 6632.

(No. 2) ORDER 1977 SI 823

ECSC Decision/OCT 20.1.76. OJ L 176.

ECSC Decision/Austria—Supervision of Imports 21.12.76. Cmnd. 6863.

ECSC Decision/Sweden—Supervision of Imports 21.12.76. Cmnd. 6862.

Protocol extending Wheat Trade Convention 17.3.-7.4.76. Cmnd. 6446.

Protocol extending Food Aid Convention 17.3.-7.4.76. Cmnd. 6446.

(No. 3) ORDER 1977 SI 2144

Additional Protocol EEC/Portugal 20.9.76. Cmnd. 6781.

Financial Protocol EEC/Portugal 20.9.76. Cmnd. 6781.

(No. 4) ORDER 1977 SI 2145.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Tunisia 25.4.76. Cmnd. 6894.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Morocco 27.4.76. Cmnd. 6920.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Algeria 26.4.76. Cmnd. 6938.

(No. 5) ORDER 1977 SI 2146

Accession Agreement Sao Tome and Principe/Lomé Convention 28.3.77. Cmnd. 6958.

Accession Agreement Papua New Guinea/Lomé Convention 28.3.77. Cmnd. 6957.

Accession Agreement Cape Verde/Lomé Convention 28.3.77. Cmnd. 6955.

Agreement amending Internal Agreement on Financing and Administration of Community Aid 28.3.77. Cmnd. 6907.

Name of Treaty

(No. 6) ORDER 1977 SI 2147

Financial Protocol EEC/Greece 28.2.77. Cmnd. 6917.

Financial Protocol EEC/Turkey 12.5.77. Cmnd. 6981.

ORDER 1978 SI 617

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Syrian Arab Republic 18.1.77. Cmnd. 6959.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 18.1.77. Cmnd 6968.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Arab Republic of Egypt 18.1.77. Cmnd. 6940.

Co-operation Agreement EEC/Lebanese Republice 3.5.77. Cmnd. 6995.

(No. 2) ORDER 1978 SI 618

Agreement between ECSC and Syrian Arab Republic 18.1.77. Cmnd 6959.

Agreement between ECSC and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 18.1.77. Cmnd. 6968.

Agreement between ECSC and the Arab Republic of Egypt 18.1.77. Cmnd. 6940.

Agreement between ECSC and the Lebanese Republic 3.5.77. Cmnd. 6995.

(No. 3) ORDER 1978 SI 619

Agreement between ECSC and the Republic of Tunisia 25.4.76. Cmnd. 6894.

Agreement between ECSC and the Kingdom of Morocco 27.4.76. Cmnd. 6920.

Agreement between ECSC and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria 26.4.76. Cmnd. 6938.

(No. 4) ORDER 1978 SI 781

Act concerning the Election of the Representatives of the Assembly by Direct Universal Suffrage, 20.9.76, taken with the Decision of the Council of the European Communities of 20.9.76. to which it is annexed. Cmnd. 6623.

(No. 5) ORDER 1978 SI 1032

Exchange of Letters dated 3.5.78 constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom and the European Atomic Enrgy Community regarding privileges to be granted to the Joint European Torus, Cmnd. 7255.

(No. 6) (INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION) ORDER 1978 SI 1103

Agreement betwen the European Economic Community, its Member States and the International Development Association, signed on 2.5.78, at Brussels, Cmnd. 7256.

(No. 7) (INTERNATIONAL WHEAT AGREEMENT) ORDER 1978 SI 1104

Protocol for the Fourth Extension of the Wheat Trade Convention 1971, opened for signature at Washington on 26.4.78. Cmnd. 7240.

Protocol for the Fourth Extension of the Food Aid Convention 1971, opened for signature at Washington on 26.4.78. Cmnd. 7240.

Name of Treaty

(ECSC DECISION ON SUPPLEMENTARY REVENUES) ORDER 1979 SI 292

Decision of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the Europan Coal and Steel Community meeting within the Council, allocating to that Community supplementary revenues for 1978, 30 October, 1978. Cmnd. 7464.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will tabluate in the Official Report the details of all Definition of Treaties Orders laid since 1 January under the following headings (a) the date laid and statutory instrument number subsequently allocated, (b) the date of debate on the Floor of the House or in committee, (c) the date of approval by the House, (d) the names, command paper numbers and treaty series numbers of each treaty named in the Schedule to each order, (e) the time available for debate in the House or committee, and (f) the start and concluding times of each debate held, together with numbered notes indicating (i) those treaties likely to contain directly applicable legislation, (ii) if additional memoranda were laid in the Vote Office, (iii) if the order was the subject of a report from or correspondence with the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, (iv) if the order authorised expenditure and (v) if debate on the floor was secured by the members standing procedure under Standing Order No. 73A.

Mr. Judd

Only one Order in Council has been introduced under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972 since 1 January 1979. It is the European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (ECSC Decision on Supplementary Revenues) Order 1979. The information requested about the order is as follows:

  1. (a) The order was laid and published in draft on 31 January. A stautory instrument number has not yet been allocated since the order has not yet been made. It is expected that the order will be made in Privy Council, meeting today, 14 March.
  2. (b) The draft order was debated in the Sixth Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments on Wednesday 7 March 1979.
  3. (c) The order was approved by the House on Tuesday 13 March 1979.
  4. (d) only one treaty is being defined in this order; the decision of the representatives of 250 the Governments of the member Slates of the European Coal and Steel Community meeting within the Council, allocating to that Community supplementary revenues for 1978. The decision was published in Command Paper 7464, Treaty Series No. 22 (1979).
  5. (e) ninety minutes were available for debate in the Sixth Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments.
  6. (f) the debate began at 10.30 a.m. and was concluded at noon on 7 March 1979.

The further information requested is as follows:

  1. (i) the ECSC decision allocating supplementary revenues of 30 October 1978 is not thought to contain any directly applicable provisions.
  2. (ii) an explanatory memorandum for the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 January, was laid in the Vote Office on 31 January 1979, together with the draft order. No additional memoranda on the order have been laid.
  3. (iii) the order was not the subject of a report from or correspondence with the Joint Committee on Stautory Instruments.
  4. (iv) the order defined the ECSC decision of 30 October 1978 allocating supplementary revenues to the 1978 ECSC budget, as a Community treaty as defined in section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. The purpose of definition in this way is to attract to the decision the application of the provisions in section 2(3) of the European Communities Act 1972, which authorise expenditure to meet Community obligations from the Consolidated Fund.
  5. (v) There was no debate on the Floor of the House. However, on 7 February a motion to debate the order in Standing Committee was approved by the House under Standing Order No. 73(A)—[Vol. 962, c. 402.]