§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Spain and Germany to assess the value of devolved government and subsidiarity; and if he will make a statement. [24060]
232Windividual value of each (a) compulsory early retirement and (b) flexible early retirement package received by civil servants leaving his Department on the ground of limited efficiency in each of the last five years. [22082]
Mr. John M. Taylor[holding answer 2 May 1995]: Compensation payments for early retirement on the ground of limited efficiency are age, salary and service related. Details of limited efficiency early retirements for each of the last five financial years are as follows:
§ Mr. David DavisMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary hopes to discuss subsidiarity—the relationship between member states and the European Union—when he has talks with the German Foreign Minister on 26 May, and when he visits Spain under the Spanish presidency of the European Union. Devolution is an entirely separate issue, as all EU Heads of State or Government recognised at the 1992 Birmingham European Council:
it is for each Member State to decide how its powers should be exercised domestically".Germany and Spain may, however, be interested in the arrangements in Scotland, for example, which has far greater educational and judicial autonomy than any German land or Spanish autonomous community.