HC Deb 23 May 2002 vol 386 cc521-2W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme concerning co-operation policy in the youth field, including European voluntary service and youth exchanges within the Community and with third countries (YOUTH) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [57493]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

I have been asked to reply.

The purpose of the Youth Programme Committee is set out in the Council Decision 1031/2000/EC of 13 April 2000, which established the "Youth" Community action programme. The Youth Programme Committee has met twice over the last 12 months. One official and one expert attend the Committee meetings. Travel expenses are met from Commission resources. The travel and subsistence costs to public funds amount to approximately £1,100 over the last 12 months, of which approximately £800 was reimbursed by the Commission.

The date of the next meeting has yet to be announced by the Commission and an agenda has not been published. However, the previous meeting in December 2001 considered the Commission's White Paper on Youth, adopted the 2002 Youth Programme Work Plan and approved the 2002 Budget.

Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February 2002 (Corn (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government has encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.