HC Deb 28 February 2000 vol 345 c95W
Mr. Jim Murphy

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many bilateral meetings were held between his Department and its Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997. [109871]

Mr. Chris Smith

My hon. Friend the Minister for Arts met Frau Elizabeth Gehrer, the Austrian Minister for Education and Culture, on 9 October 1998. The meeting covered a wide range of cultural issues on topics in my hon. Friend's area of responsibility such as museums, galleries and the historic environment.

My hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher), the then Minister for the Arts, met Dr. Peter Wittman, the then Austrian Culture Minister, on a number of occasions (11 June 1997, 15 October 1997, 23 February 1998, 8 June 1998) to discuss various issues, including the future of the EU's cultural programme, the 2001 City of Culture, cross-border book pricing, cultural aspects of enlargement, the Birmingham Audio-visual Conference and Austria's priorities during the Presidency. He also met Mrs. Ferrero Waldner, the then Austrian Deputy Foreign Minister (now Foreign Minister) on 30 march 1998 to discuss similar issues. Agenda 2000 and plans for the Global Summit in Vienna were also discussed at that meeting.

Ministers and officials may have had some further bilateral contacts with their Austrian counterparts in the margins of international or EU meetings, but have not held bilateral meetings outside that context. My Department does not routinely keep records of such contacts.

I have not been able to identify any records of bilateral meetings held by Ministers or officials under the previous administration.

Mr. Jim Murphy

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those previously planned meetings and their subject, between his Department and its Austrian counterpart which have been cancelled since the formation of the new Austrian Government. [109897]

Mr. Chris Smith

None. My Department had not planned any recent or forthcoming bilateral meetings with its Austrian counterpart.