§ 46. Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the meeting of European Ministers of Justice in San Sebastian, Spain on 26 and 27 May.
§ Mr. John PattenI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting, which discussed a range of topics of concern to European Community Ministers of Justice. I stressed the need for stronger co-operation to confiscate the assets of drug traffickers and other major criminals. I urged that the arrangements to enforce the payment of maintenance to women whose husbands moved to another Community country were not effective and should be made to work in practice. Similarly, on measures to prevent the abduction of children from one country to another, I stressed the need for practical action to help individual citizens.