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Written Answers
Monday, 5th February 2001.
EU: United Kingdom Contribution
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Prime Minister's Statement on the Nice European Council on 11 December 2000, to what agreements and documents he was referring when he said that by 2006 the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Union would be roughly equivalent to France and Italy.[HL446]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Prime Minister was referring to the agreement reached at the Berlin European Council in March 1999 on a new system of own resources. The document is the Council Decision on the system of the European Communities' own resources dated 29 September 2000.
Farmers and Working Families' Tax Credit
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether self-employed farmers are eligible for working families' tax credit; and, if so, how many are currently in receipt of it.[HL482]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Self-employed farmers are eligible for working families' tax credit (WFTC) if they have dependent children, if they or their partners work at least 16 hours a week, if they are resident in the United Kingdom and entitled to work here, if they have savings of £8,000 or less, and subject to the level of their family income.
It is estimated that about 17,000 families where the main earner was either a farmer or a worker in agricultural, forestry or fishing occupations were in receipt of WFTC at the end of August 2000. It is not known how many were self-employed.
EMU: United Kingdom Voting Rights
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, under Article 111(4) of the Revised European Communities Treaties, the United Kingdom is included among the member states entitled to vote on "issues of particular relevance to Economic and Monetary Union" and on other matters mentioned in that sub-clause; and whether in the Declaration to be included in the Final Act of the Nice Conference the United Kingdom is considered to be "in the euro area".[HL445]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In line with paragraph seven of the Protocol on certain provisions relating to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the voting rights of the United Kingdom are suspended in respect of Article 111 of the Treaty Establishing the European Community. The UK does not participate in the single currency; hence in the Declaration to be included in the Final Act of the Nice Conference on Article 111 TEC, the United Kingdom is not considered to be "in the euro area".
EU Political and Security Committee: United Kingdom Representative
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who is the United Kingdom member of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union; what is his rank in the Diplomatic Corps/Civil Service of the United Kingdom; what supporting United Kingdom personnel are allocated to assisting him in his work in Brussels and London.[HL384]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The United Kingdom representative on the Political and Security Committee is David Richmond. He is a member of the senior management structure of the Diplomatic Service.
He heads a team of four United Kingdom-based staff working primarily on Political and Security Committee business. Other staff, in Brussels and in London, offer him additional support according to the subject matter under discussion in the Political and Security Committee.
European Council Situation Centre
Lord Shore of Stepney asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs:
- With reference to the Presidency report to the Nice Council on European Union security and defence policy, what are the functions of the Situation Centre, now under the direction of the European Council's Secretary General/High Representative; what is the staffing of the Situation Centre; and how many of its personnel are British.[HL407]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Situation Centre forms part of the General Secretariat of the Council, whose role, under the provisions of the Treaty on European Union, is to assist the Council.
The Situation Centre will gather, assess and provide information and evaluations covering all aspects of EU crisis management. It is not yet fully staffed or operational. It currently has 11 staff, of whom one is British.
European Council Directorate General for External Affairs
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- With reference to the Presidency report to the Nice Council on European Union security and defence policy, what are the functions and responsibilities of the Directorate General for External Affairs within the European Union Council's Secretariat; and whether the post of director general has yet been filled.[HL408]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In accordance with Article 207 of the Treaty on European Union and with the conclusions of the Council meeting on 11 May 1992, the General Secretariat, under the responsibility of the Secretary General, assists the Council and its preparatory bodies in all the tasks devolving on it under the Treaty on European Union, including the common foreign and security policy which is handled within a single Directorate General for External Affairs. The Presidency report to the Nice European Council on European security and defence policy does not change the functions and responsibilities of the General Secretariat of the Council.
The post of Director General of the Directorate General for External Affairs has been filled since 1994 by Brian Crowe.
Role of Commissioner for External Affairs and High Representative
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In those areas and countries where the European Union has agreed a common strategy, namely the Ukraine, Russia, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, what is the area of competence remaining with the European Commissioner for External Affairs, Mr Patten; and what is the area of competence now belonging to the Council's High Representative, Mr Solana.[HL428]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The European Council has agreed three common strategies: on Russia, Ukraine and the Mediterranean.
The agreement of common strategies does not alter the respective roles and responsibilities of the Commissioner for External Affairs and the High Representative.
Lord Shore of Stepney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the parts of the world where no European Union common strategy exists, what are the respective roles and competences of the Commissioner for External Affairs and the Council's High Representative.[HL429]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The existence or not of an EU common strategy does not affect the respective competences of the Commissioner for External Affairs and the Council High Representative for common foreign and security policy.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they have taken bilaterally and through the European Union and the United Nations to help resolve the continuing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the death of President Kabila.[HL430]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: At the General Affairs Council on 22 January, European Foreign Ministers condemned the assassination of President Kabila and called on all parties to respect their commitments to the Lusaka agreement and to comply fully with all relevant Security Council resolutions. The United Nations has issued a similar statement.
Bilaterally we have repeated these messages to all countries involved in the conflict.
The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What consultations they have had on the Congolese crisis with (a) the United Kingdom's European allies and (b) other countries in Central Africa.[HL431]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I refer the noble Earl to my previous answer (HL430).
Israel: Effect of Military Action on Palestinian Education
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ask the European Union to make a collective representation to the Government of Israel concerning the harmful effect on Palestinian education of recent military actions.[HL454]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Although many Palestinian students have now been able to return to full-time education on a regular basis, the effects of the Israeli closures is still a cause for concern. In Hebron and Gaza particularly the closures continue to hinder teachers and children trying to reach schools and colleges.
Britain and the European Union have made representations to the Government of Israel on a number of issues of concern, particularly on the damaging effect of continuing IDF closures.
European Security and Defence Policy Report
Lord Blaker asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why no version of the report by the Presidency of the recent Nice conference on security and defence policy is available in any language other than French; and when they expect a version in English.[HL484]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The final version of the Presidency report to the European Council in Nice on the European security and defence policy is at present being prepared for publication by a jurists/linguists group.
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