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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for the devolved Administrations of the United Kingdom to have representation (a) on relevant United Kingdom delegations in the EU Council of Ministers and (b) in preparatory meetings of COREPER; and if he will make a statement. [188980] Mr. MacShane: Ministers from the devolved Administrations attend meetings of the EU's Council of Ministers when there are items on the agenda within their devolved responsibilities. Officials from the devolved Administrations are accredited to the delegation of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union and attend meetings of relevant Council working groups. They are in regular contact with the officials who represent the United Kingdom on these working groups. During the UK Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2005 an official from the Scottish Executive will chair a Transport Working Group and an official from the Welsh Assembly Government will chair the Culture Working Group. These officials will brief the United Kingdom's Permanent Representative for meetings of COREPER. Other officials from the devolved Administrations will sit in the United Kingdom seats on a range of other Council working groups during the UK Presidency of the EU.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

424 c1613W;424 c1611W; 188980

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Devolved matters Devolution European Union Council of Ministers Committee of Permanent Representatives

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk