§ Mr. ChopeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 his Department has made available to the European Scrutiny Committee council working documents; [80545]
(2) if he will list the occasions since 1 May 1997 when his Department has made available to the European Scrutiny Committee unofficial texts of draft European legislation. [80552]
§ Mr. Andrew Smith[holding answer 13 April 1999]: The Department receives a large volume of both official and unofficial/working texts during the course of negotiations on EU legislation. In order to facilitate the work of the European Scrutiny Committee and to keep it informed of the progress of negotiations, the Department regularly submits Explanatory Memoranda to the Committee. Ninety-two such memoranda have been submitted since 1 May 1997. The Department has provided the Committee with one unofficial text of draft European legislation, in August 1998, and no Council working document since 1 May 1997.