HC Deb 06 February 1998 vol 305 cc843-4W
Mr. Wilkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if material pertaining to the discussions on the voting procedure on opting into the Schengen Area by opt out states will be listed in the new register of Council documents. [27891]

Mr. Doug Henderson

No. There are no Council documents pertaining to these discussions.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Dr. Marek) of 25 November 1997,Official Report, column 755, when the agreement was reached that an amendment to Schengen opt-in procedures should be submitted in writing; if that agreement applied only to Schengen amendments; to whom the amendment would be submitted; and on what evidence he stated that no document was submitted. [28221]

Mr. Doug Henderson

In discussion at Amsterdam of possible changes to draft Article 4 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen Acquis into the Framework of the European Union, the Presidency agreed that any Spanish amendment to this Article would be circulated in writing. No such amendment was circulated.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Dr. Marek) of 25 November 1997,Official Report, column 754, for what reason it was agreed that an amendment to Schengen opt-in procedures could only be accepted if submitted in writing; and for what reason the subsequent change to the treaty did not follow this procedure. [28220]

Mr. Doug Henderson

Circulation of a written proposal for an amendment would have been the most appropriate way of establishing whether there was agreement to change the voting procedures in draft Article 4 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen Acquis into the Framework of the European Union.

However, the subsequent changes reflected an understanding between the Dutch Presidency and Spain.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 1998,Official Report, column 440, if his Department has seen the documentary evidence submitted to the investigation on the circumstances surrounding the opt-in of Schengen applicant states. [28219]

Mr. Doug Henderson

Any investigation of this kind would have been a matter for the then Dutch Presidency.