§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will provide explanatory memoranda with treaties which are laid under the Ponsonby Rule.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)We accept that explanatory memoranda can usefully supplement the established Ponsonby procedures by bringing to the attention of Parliament the main features of the treaties with which they are laid. In future therefore every international agreement laid under the Ponsonby Rule will be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. This new procedure will apply to all international agreements signed after 1st January 1997 which are laid under the Ponsonby Rule, namely those agreements which are concluded subject to ratification, accession, acceptance or approval, and which are laid for a period of 21 sitting days after signature and before ratification or its equivalent.
Arrangements will be made to lay copies of the note for departments entitled Guidelines on Explanatory Memoranda for Treaties in the Libraries of both Houses.
We should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Lester, whose initiative led directly to the introduction of the new arrangements.