§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EU Committee for the European Refugee Fund (ERF) is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [70930]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthA date for the next meeting of the European Union (EU) Committee for the European Refugee Fund has not yet been set. It is likely that the next meeting will take place some time in the autumn.
The Committees consist of a representative of each Member State who may be accompanied by additional experts at the expense of the individual Member State. In practice, the United Kingdom is represented on each Committee by a Home Office official and an official from the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.
Immigration and asylum matters are reserved subjects and consequently officials from the Scottish Executive have not been members of, and have not attended, the European Refugee Fund Committee. The Scottish Executive is however consulted as necessary on the policy issues arising from the implementation and functioning of the funding programmes.