§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why agreement to Community signature of the Montreal Protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was given before parliamentary scrutiny procedures were complete.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (The Earl of Caithness)When international negotiations were approaching their conclusion, the Commission sought the Council's agreement to Community signature of the Protocol to the Vienna Convention by means of Document 8335/87 dated 11th September 1987. The Council's authorisation was given by means of urgent written procedure in time for a Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Montreal at which the Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was adopted on 16th September. The Community (and the United Kingdom) signed the protocol on the same day.
The House was in recess at the time and it was not possible for the normal scrutiny procedures to be carried out. The Government did, however, keep the House informed of developments (Hansard, col. 319 of 27th November 1986; col. 134 of 24th March 1987; col. 379 of 23rd July 1987) and have since reported on the outcome of the diplomatic conference (Hansard, col. 277 of 28th October 1987).
The text of the protocol will be published as a Command Paper and laid before the House before ratification in accordance with the usual practice.