HC Deb 19 October 1992 vol 212 cc28-9W
Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what attempts he has made to extend the provisions of title VI, article K.3(2) of the Maastricht treaty permitting initiation by member states to cover other aspects of Community policy making.

Mr. Garel-Jones

Article K3.2 is one of the provisions governing intergovernmental cooperation, where the Community institutions operate under different rules than under the treaty of Rome. The article could not therefore he extended to cover areas of Community policy.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to alter the status of the United Kingdom within the United Nations as a result of article J2(3) of the treaty on European union.

Mr. Garel-Jones

The text of the treaty on European union does not necessitate any alteration of the status of the United Kingdom within the United Nations. Article J.5(4) of the treaty safeguards the United Kingdom's ability to fulfil its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council effectively.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the overseas responsibility of the United Kingdom, including the dependencies of Hong Kong and the Falkland islands, and in Cyprus and Belize, of the common foreign and security policy under article J1(1) of the treaty on European union.

Mr. Garel-Jones

Implementation of the common foreign and security policy under article J1(1) of the treaty on European union will not alter the United Kingdom's existing overseas responsibilities. Further, the "Declaration on the representation of the interests of the overseas countries and territories referred to in article 227(3) and (5) (a) and (b) of the Treaty establishing the European Community" (annexed to the Maastricht treaty) confirms our right and that of other member states to represent the interests of their dependencies in the exceptional case of a divergence between their interests and those of the union. Nor will the common foreign and security policy affect the United Kingdom's military commitments in Cyprus and Belize.