The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1992Prime Minister (1990-1997)

PMQT Written Answers – 18 May 1992

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Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 18th May 1992.

PRIME MINISTER:

 

Roman Catholic Church

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will now make it the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to accord the same degree of official recognition to the territorial sees and titles of the Roman Catholic Church in England and in Wales as is accorded to the unestablished Anglican churches outside England; and if he will make a statement on the situation in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister : Official recognition for Roman Catholic territorial titles was precluded under Acts of 1829 and 1851, the penal provisions of which were repealed in 1871 and 1978. Since it was raised with me by Sir Hugh Rossi in the last Parliament I have been looking sympathetically at the matter and my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will now be consulting the relevant Church authorities about the practices to be adopted in future.

 

Lockerbie Bombing

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of initiatives taken by the Security Council of the United Nations in relation to Lockerbie and Libya.

The Prime Minister : The United Nations Secretary-General has tried to persuade Libya to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions 731 and 748, including sending emissaries several times to Libya. Libya has rebutted these efforts and has not complied with the resolutions.

 

Maastricht Treaty

Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister why the new article 123 inserted by the Maastricht treaty which provides for the salaries of the President and members of the EC Commission to be determined by majority vote, was inserted under title IV, which relates to amendments to the treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Authority ; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : Article I(7) of the treaty on European union reproduces the provisions of article 6 of the treaty establishing a single Council and single Commission of the European Commission of the European Communities–the “merger treaty”–signed on 8 April 1965–see schedule 1.I(5) to the European Communities Act 1972–and incorporates them into the text of the European Atomic Energy Committee treaty. Identical provisions are to be found in articles G(47), amending the European Coal and Steel Community treaty. This is a matter of textual consolidation only; the legal position will remain as it has been since the entry into force of the merger treaty.

 

Subsidiarity

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Prime Minister whether he regards the principle of subsidiarity as applicable in any way to the relationship between London and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : The Government are fully committed to the Union between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while recognising the need for arrangements which reflect the distinctive interests of its component parts.

 

UNCED

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he intends to be present at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development for its final two days in June.

The Prime Minister : I propose to attend the latter part of the Rio conference. I am currently finalising the details of my programme which will be announced shortly.

 

G7 Summit

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals on environment protection Her Majesty’s Government plan to put forward at the G7 summit of leading industrialised nations in Munich in July.

The Prime Minister : We will propose that the G7 should take effective follow-up action to the Earth summit, including in the area of environmental protection.