§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many technical committees and working parties of the EU Council of Ministers the Scottish Executive have been informed about in advance by(a) UKREP and (b) UK Government Departments, since 1 July 1999. [150352]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 14 February 2001]: Under the arrangements set out in the EU concordat, the Scottish Executive are informed by Government Departments of all technical committees and working parties in which they have an interest.
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many technical committees and working parties of the EU Council of Ministers have been attended by(a) UK officials and (b) UK delegations including Scottish Executive Ministers since 1 July 1999. [150354]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 14 February 2001]: Detailed information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Ministers do not attend working level meetings.
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) formal and (b) informal EU Council of Ministers meetings have been attended by British Government delegations which include Scottish Executive Ministers since 1 July 1999; and if he will list the dates and subjects of these meetings. [150356]
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK joint ministerial committee meetings regarding European Union issues have been held since 1 July 1999. [150351]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 14 February 2001]: The first UK joint ministerial committee meeting on EU issues will take place on 1 March.
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which technical committees and working parties of the EU Council of Ministers, attended by UK Government delegates, have been led by Scottish Executive Ministers on behalf of the UK. [150353]
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) formal and (b) informal EU Council of Ministers meetings attended by British Government delegations were led by Scottish Government Ministers since 1 July 1999; and if he will list the dates and subjects of these meetings. [150355]
§ Mr. Vaz[holding answer 14 February 2001]: On 8 June 2000 and 12 February 2001 Nicol Stephen, currently Deputy Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in the Scottish Executive, led for the UK at Education Councils. These are the only occasions since May 1997 that the UK delegation has been led at the Council of Ministers by a Minister who is not a Member of the Westminster Parliament. These substitutions were agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment.
§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) formal and (b) informal EU Council Ministers meetings have been attended by UK Government Ministers since 1 July 1999; and if he will list the dates and subject of the meetings. [150357]
§ Mr. VazSince 1 July 1999 there have been 131 formal Council meetings and 33 informal meetings, as shown in the following list. UK Government Ministers or Ministers from the devolved Administrations have attended the vast majority of these. Where appropriate, senior officials have attended in their place.
Detailed information of who attended individual meetings is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
462W
Date Council Formal EU Council meetings 1999 12 July ECOFIN 16 July Budget 19–20 July General Affairs 19 July Agriculture 29 July General Affairs 13 September General Affairs 27 September Agriculture 4 October Justice and Home Affairs 6 October Transport 8 October ECOFIN 11–12 October General Affairs 12 October Environment 22 October Labour and Social Affairs 26 October Fisheries 28 October Internal Market 463W
Date Council 29 October Justice and Home Affairs 8 November ECOFIN 8 November Consumers 9 November Industry 11 November Development 12 November Labour and Social Affairs 15–16 November General Affairs 15 November Agriculture 18 November Health 22 November Fisheries 23 November Culture 23 November Youth 25–26 November Budget 26 November Education 29 November ECOFIN 29 November Labour and Social Affairs 30 November Telecommunications 29 November-3 December General Affairs 2 December Justice and Home Affairs 2 December Energy 2 December Research 6–8 December General Affairs 7 December Internal Market 8 December ACP-EC Council 9 December Transport 13–14 December Environment 14 December Agriculture 16–17 December Fisheries 2000 24 January General Affairs 24 January Agriculture 31 January ECOFIN 2–3 February General Affairs 14–15 February General Affairs 28 February ECOFIN 13 March ECOFIN 13 March Labour and Social Affairs 16 March Internal Market 20–21 March General Affairs 20 March Agriculture 27 March Justice and Home Affairs 28 March Transport 30 March Environment 2 April General Affairs 10–11 April General Affairs 13 April Consumers 17 April Agriculture 2 May Telecommunications 8 May ECOFIN 8 May Employment and Social Policy 16 May Agriculture 16 May Culture 18 May Industry 18 May Development 22–23 May General Affairs 25 May Internal Market 29 May Justice and Home Affairs 30 May Energy 6 June ECOFIN 6 June Employment and Social Policy 8 June Education 13–14 June General Affairs 15 June Research 16 June Fisheries 19 June ECOFIN 19 June Agriculture 18 June ECOFIN 22 June Environment 26 June Transport 19 June General Affairs 29 June Health 10 July General Affairs 17 July ECOFIN 17 July Agriculture 20 July Budget 18–19 September General Affairs 26 September Culture 464W
Date Council 28 September Justice and Home Affairs 28 September Internal Market 29 September ECOFIN 20 September Transport 2 October Transport 3 October Telecommunications 9–10 October General Affairs 10 October Environment 17 October Employment and Social Policy 17 October ECOFIN 17 October JHA and Civil Protection 23 October Agriculture 7 November ECOFIN 7 November Environment 9 November Education/Youth 10 November Development 16 November Research 17 November Fisheries 20–21 November General Affairs 20–21 November Agriculture 23–24 November Budget 23 November Culture 26–27 November ECOFIN 27–28 November Employment and Social Policy 30 November-1 December JHA and Civil Protection 30 November Internal Market/Consumers/Tourism 4–5 December General Affairs 4 December Agriculture 5 December Industry and Energy 14 December Health 14–15 December Fish 18–19 December Environment 19 December Agriculture 20 December Employment and Social Policy 20–21 December Transport 22 December Telecommunications 2001 19 January ECOFIN 29–30 January Agriculture 12 February ECOFIN 12 February Education Informal Council ministerial meetings 1999 8–10 July Labour and Social Affairs 18–20 July Culture 23–25 July Environment 4–5 September General Affairs 10–12 September ECOFIN 12–14 September Agriculture 16–17 September Justice and Home Affairs 23–25 September Education 27–28 September Housing 9 December ECOFIN 2000 28–29 January Development 11 February Labour and Social Affairs 28 February Defence Ministers Informals 3–4 March Justice and Home Affairs 6–7 March Research 17–18 March Economy and Finance 30–31 March Culture 7–8 April ECOFIN 15–16 April Environment 6–7 May Foreign Affairs 25–26 May Foreign Affairs 28–30 May Agriculture 7–8 July Employment and Social Policy 14–15 July Environment 20–21 July Culture 28–29 July Justice and Home Affairs 2–3 September Foreign Affairs 3–5 September Agriculture 8–9 September ECOFIN 22 September Defence Ministers Informals
Date Council 2001 22–23 January Equality and Social Security 8–9 February Justice and Home Affairs 15–17 February Employment and Telecommunications