HC Deb 16 July 1998 vol 316 cc243-4W
Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the publications printed under the Building Europe Together project and released in the United Kingdom. [46068]

Mr. Doug Henderson

The following publications were produced under the Building Europe Together programme: fact sheets on some of the areas covered by the Amsterdam Treaty; booklets entitled, "The Citizen's guide to the Treaty of Amsterdam" and "The Treaty of Amsterdam: Questions and Answers". The factsheets were made available on the internet. The booklets were available from the Commission Representation in the UK. consider the structure and operation of RWMAC. The report being published today sets out the considerations leading to the decision that RWMAC should continue, and the Steering Committee's proposals for modifying the structure and operation of the Committee to suit current requirements.

The Government welcome the majority of the Steering Committee's recommendations but have given further consideration to two of the recommendations; the membership template and the deletion of 'civil' from RWMAC's terms of reference to reflect its practice, now well established under invitation, of also considering the management of radioactive waste from defence establishments.

The membership template has been amended to place a greater emphasis on environmental and social perspectives and lay perspectives. The new membership template printed below will become an attachment to all copies of the Steering Committee's report.

Consideration of the proposed amendment to RWMAC's terms of reference will be deferred until the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology has reported on nuclear waste management.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have accepted all the other recommendations made by the Steering Committee.