§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the EU Advisory Committee for cooperation in the field of tourism is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive have been members of it; and if she will make a statement. [64916]
§ Dr. HowellsI have been asked to reply.
The Tourism Advisory Committee is mandated to facilitate exchange of information, consultation and co-operation on tourism by a Council Decision of 22 December 1986 (86/664/EEC). The Committee meets on an ad-hoc basis, some three or four times yearly, and at the request of the Commission. The next meeting has not yet been scheduled.
There are no representatives of the Scottish Executive on the Committee. The UK is represented by officials from my Department. Under concordats with the devolved administrations, my Department leads on EC tourism issues, consulting with the devolved Administrations.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the EU Committee on the arrangements for implementing Europe Agreement with the countries of central and eastern Europe and free trade agreements with the Baltic states is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive have been members of it; and if she will make a statement. [64925]
§ Peter HainI have been asked to reply.
The EU holds annual Association Committees with each candidate, including the three Baltic countries, to review implementation of the Europe Agreements. The next meeting of an Association Committee is expected to be on 4 December this year, with Romania. The Central European Working Group, in which member states prepare for Association Committees and discuss the arrangements for implementing the Europe Agreements, usually meets weekly in Brussels. The most recent meeting was Monday July 15. A UK official always attends and represents the concerns of the UK, including those of its devolved Administrations.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the EU Committee on the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law and on the respect of human rights and
360Wfundamental freedoms is next due to meet; what the UK representation is on it; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement. [64913]
Mr. MaeShaneI have been asked to reply.
The next meeting of the EU Committee on Human Rights and Democracy is provisionally set for October 2002. Officials from the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office represent the UK Government on the Committee which allocates EU budget resources to human rights and democracy projects in third countries. Scottish Executive officials have never attended this Committee. But consultation is made on issues of interest arising from the Committee's work and Scottish Executive officials can make their views known, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and the devolved Administrations.