§ Mr. ChallenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is on Article 51 of the draft EU Constitution. [164494]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government are content with Article 51 of the draft Constitutional Treaty on the status of churches and non-confessional organisations. The Article reflects the recognition in Declaration 11 to the Treaty of Amsterdam that religion and its structure and organisation in the member states are not areas of Union legislative activity. It also makes it clear that the Union equally respects the status of religious and secular organisations and shall maintain an open transparent and regular dialogue with them. The Government consider that maintaining this dialogue is a normal function of a democratic and pluralist Europe.
§ Huw Irranca-DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will apply to the EU Constitution a European version of the criterion applied to the 1949 Washington Treaty which declared that it should be understandable to a milkman from Omaha. [164543]
§ Mr. MacShaneIf and when an EU constitutional treaty is agreed I will seek to publish a guide to it in plain English that milk persons in Ogmore can understand.
§ Stephen HesfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects the negotiations on the European Constitution to restart in the near future. [156778]
§ Mr. MacShaneI refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Richard Shepherd) in the House on 30 March 2004,Official Report, column 1415.