§ 80. Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects negotiations for a successor to the Lomé convention to be concluded.
§ Mr. RaisonI expect negotiations to be concluded in time for the new convention to be signed in Lomé in early December.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's role in negotiations on the renewal of the Lomé convention.
§ Mr. RaisonHer Majesty's Government have pressed our partners in the European Community to accept further liberalisation of the trade arrangements in the Lomé convention; and urged the Commission to find ways to improve the quality of aid from the European development fund. Progress on both issues has been made.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the present state of negotiations on the third Lomé convention; and what assessment he makes of the prospects for the successful negotiation of a new convention.
§ Mr. RaisonThe last set of negotiations between European Community and African, Caribbean and Pacific Ministers took place in Brussels from 9 to 13 October when agreement was reached on all but a limited number of points. I expect the negotiations to be concluded soon so that the new convention can be signed in Lomé in early December.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Her Majesty's Government are proposing that the additional money to be provided by the entry to the European Economic Community of Spain 74W and Portugal to the Lomé convention should be used to tackle the problem of the burden-sharing key for European Community member states.
§ Mr. RaisonHer Majesty's Government did not put forward this proposal. The Council agreed to it in order to meet the concerns of some member states that their contribution keys to the European development fund were above their shares of Community VAT.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the Government are giving to the African, Caribbean and Pacific proposals for the third Lomé convention.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Government and the Community have paid careful attention to African, Caribbean and Pacific state proposals, many of which have been accepted in the lengthy process of negotiating the new convention.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will make it their policy to insist that African, Caribbean and Pacific countries accept tighter control on the Stabex funds in the context of the negotiations for the third Lomé convention and that new concessions by the Community are conditional on further concessions from the African, Caribbean and Pacific states.
§ Mr. RaisonThe arrangements for controlling Stabex transfers have now been agreed ad referendum between the Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific states. I believe these new arrangements will lead to tighter control over the use of Stabex funds.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the nature and purpose of the Government's efforts in the context of a new Lomé convention to seek to ensure that African, Caribbean and Pacific countries recognise and encourage private economic operators.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Government believe that private economic operators have an important role to play in the development of the economies of African, Caribbean and Pacific states. To that end we have been working for provisions to encourage European private investment, in particular to facilitate the negotiation of effective bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts the Government are making with regard to the incorporation of human rights issues into the third Lomé convention.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Government have been seeking a reference to human rights in the next convention. The Community has proposed mention of standard international texts such as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The African, Caribbean and Pacific states have not yet formally responded.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government are seeking references to policy dialogue in the context of the negotiations regarding the proposed third Lomé convention.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Government have strongly supported the Community's proposal for the concept of policy dialogue to be incorporated in the third Lomé convention.
75WI believe that the text which has now been agreed ad referendum with the African, Caribbean and Pacific states is satisfactory.