§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Prime Minister what statements he has made concerning the decisions made at the European Councils, at Cologne, and at Tampere relating to the establishment of a body to draw up the text of a draft European charter of human rights; and what action is now planned by Her Majesty's Government to implement that decision. [96500]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 28 June 1999,Official Report, column 20, following the decisions of the Cologne European Council.
The then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), wrote to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood) and the Chairman of the European Communities Committee in the Other Place (Lord Tordoff) on 7 October enclosing the Presidency's proposals for the practical arrangements governing the Charter drafting body. These were finalised and agreed by Heads of Government at Tampere, and are annexed to the Tampere conclusions, copies of which were deposited in the Libraries on 19 October. The first meeting of the drafting body is scheduled for 17 December. I will be nominating a representative shortly.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the means by which hon. Members will be selected to serve on the drafting body of the working group to establish a European Charter of Rights. [96584]
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to Madam Speaker and to my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor on 19 October inviting them to nominate two hon. Members and two alternates.