§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if representatives of his Department have asked to review the General Secretariat's tapes of the Amsterdam Treaty in relation to the Schengen opt-in procedure; and which other bodies have done so. [32235]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonThe Secretariat's tapes are for the use of the Secretariat, who assist the Presidency of the day, and who do not constitute an official record. They are not available to Member States.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was first informed of the existence of tapes of the Amsterdam negotiations held by the General Secretariat of the European Council. [32234]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonIt is normal practice for the proceedings of such meetings to be recorded by the Secretariat General of the Council for their own internal use. These tapes are not available to Member States.