§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he received notice from the Presidency of the European Union concerning the Franco-German proposal for progressive absorption of the Western European Union into the European Union; what information that notice gave of the opinions of other member states; and what subsequent steps he has taken to inform the originators of the proposal of the opinion of Her Majesty's Government. [3907]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonOn 24 March the Presidency of the European Union circulated to all Partners a letter enclosing a joint proposal by Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain for the phased integration of the Western European Union into the European Union. We have made clear both in the Intergovernmental 17W Conference (IGC) and in bilateral meetings with Partners that we oppose the integration of the Western European Union into the European Union.