CONFIDENTIAL
F.
Contingent
Commonwealth
New
Short
Institute
(Dissolution)
Bill
G.
Contingent
Hong Kong (Appeals) Bill
Twice
Very short
H.
Uncontro- versial
4.
Conference on New
Short
Security and
Cooperation
in Europe
(Privileges and
Immunities) Bill
To wind up the Commonwealth Institute; to vest the
Institute's assets and the Endowment Fund in any successor body; repeal of the Imperial Institute Act 1925 and the Commonwealth Institute Act 1958.
To abolish appeals
from Hong Kong to the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council consequent upon the establishment of
the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong.
To confer privileges and immunities on a limited number of officials of the CSCE and to establish the institutions of the CSCE as legal entities.
Of the above, Serial A (European Communities Bill) must be
regarded as the first priority. Even though there may be some
slippage in the timetable for accession from 1 January 1995,
there will still be a need for the Bill later in the 1994/95 session. Serial B (Commonwealth Development Corporation Bill) must also now have a high priority as the CDC's existing borrowing limits will now be reached early in 1995. ODA attach considerable importance to Serial C (Crown Agents Privatisation Bill) being given a high priority and ODA officials are advising
Lady Chalker to minute to the Secretary of State reinforcing this
message. However, the need for this Bill will fall away if the Treasury's bid for a general privatisation bill for the 1994/95 session is successful. Serial D (Antarctic Environment Bill)
also has a high priority given that the entry into force of the
Environmental Protocol depends on UK ratification and it would be
CONFIDENTIAL