§ Lord Tebbitasked Her Majesty's Government:
What they expect to be the effect of the "completion of [the Council's] work on bringing about the closer integration of third-country nationals residing legally in the Union" to which the Presidency conclusions of the European Council at Cannes referred.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)The work to which the Presidency conclusions refer would, if agreed by the member states, establish general principles relating to the status of long-term resident third country nationals. The Government see advantage in a measure of harmonisation of member states' practices in this area in so far as it contributes to the integration within a member state of third country nationals resident on a long-term basis.