§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals they intend to make on behalf of the United Kingdom at the seventh conference of European Ministers responsible for migration affairs in Helsinki on 16 and 17 September 2002 for integration policies and migration management within the framework of the Council of Europe. [HL4562]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Filkin)The Helsinki conference is one of a number of Council of Europe initiatives on integration. The intention is for Ministers to have a free-ranging, unfettered discourse on a pragmatic approach to integration issues and to exchange ideas and best practice.
To facilitate discussions, a draft final declaration has been prepared. This is, of course, subject to change in the light of discussion and it will not be binding on member states.
§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to consult Parliament about their proposals to be made on behalf of the United Kingdom at the seventh conference of European Ministers responsible for migration affairs in Helsinki on 16 and 17 September 2002. [HL4563]
§ Lord FilkinNo. The Government do not intend to put any formal proposals to the conference. If, however, the noble Lord has any suggestion that he wishes to put forward in this regard, I would ask him to write to me.
A report of the outcome of the conference will be made available to Members in the Library.