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Pa(5) Recommendation concerning the free circulation of books, papers and periodicals; works of art, and documentary films.
This can be accepted.
trafi
(6) Recommendation concerning the closer collaboration in scientific research and development, and maximum pooling of material resources and man-power for this purpose.
:
This can be accepted as regards collaboration; as regards pooling of resources and man-power, it can be accepted for projects in which it would be uneconomical or impracticable for each country to conduct research out of its own unaided resources, and where no security objection arises.
(7) Recommendation concerning practical aid for private associations working to promote European culture.
This can be accepted on the assumption that no financial commitment is involved.
(8) Recommendation for a meeting of Ministers of Education,
This appears unnecessary at the present stage, at any rate until the Com- mittee of Cultural and Scientific Advisers (see (3) above) has drawn up the
European plan for cultural co-operation."
(9) Recommendation for a Meeting of University authorities. This meeting should not take place before the European plan for cultural co-operation" has been drawn up. The Committee of Ministers would decide, in the light of that plan, whether it was necessary.
(10) Recommendation for a European Cultural Centre.
This should not be accepted (see (2) above).
(11) Recommendation concerning liaison with U.N.E.S.C.O. This can be accepted.
III
THE ASSEMBLY'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS ABOUT (1) SOCIAL SECURITY,
(2) (3) EMIGRATION
HOUSING, Es
I-Social Security
The recommendations of the Assembly can be supported, subject to the following comments :-
1. Levelling up of social legislation
.
British social legislation provides a range of services at least as complete as that of any other member country. It is not anticipated that there will be any substantial new development in the near future, but we are open to consider any proposals, which our economic position will allow, that may be made within the framework of the Council of Europe.
2. Ratification of International Conventions
The United Kingdom has ratified nearly all the I.L.O. Conventions on social insurance. They are, however, about to be revised and the present does not appear to be an appropriate moment to press the members of the Council of Europe to ratify them.
3. Reciprocal arrangements
(i) In Great Britain none of the new social security schemes (apart from family allowances) take any account of nationality. There are three reciprocity agreements with the Irish Republic and one with France, and similar arrangements are under negotiation with the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Within the framework of the Brussels Page 51 of eaty we are preparing multilateral agreemento fonovial insurance
and financial and medical assistance.
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(ii) Experience foregotiating bilateral agreements under the Brussels Treaty suggests that we might explore the possibility of making similar agree- ments with the members of the Council of Europe. This might lead ultimately to the conclusion of a multilateral agreement.**
(iii) The problems involved are highly technical and unsuitable for considera- tion by the Committee on Social Questions of the Assembly. (This in any case runs counter to our general policy that only the Permanent Committee, the General Affairs Committee and the Com- mittee on Rules of Procedure and Privilege should meet between sessions of the Assembly). If the Committee of Ministers decide that the question needs further consideration they may wish to refer it to a sub-committee of experts, who should have an opportunity of studying the agreement, negotiated under the Brussels Treaty.
II.-Housing
%
1. The Housing Sub-Committee of the Industry and Materials Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe (E.C.E.) has done a good deal of work on the exchange between European countries of technical informatio
in regard to housing. This should not be duplicated; instead, arrangements should be made to have information secured or prepared by the Housing Sub-Committee made available to the Council of Europe.
IN HILANG Vloet (2)
?
2. The questions of interchanging information concerning the proportion of personal income devoted to housing, and the methods of control of housing and building societies, have not been dealt with by E.C.E. It might be difficult to refer this question for study to the E.C.E. Housing Sub-Committee's Working Party on Programmes and Resources, as E.C.E. is United Nations body (although the Soviet Union does not take part and few of her satellites show a keen interest). But the Working Party of the Committee of Ministers referred to at 3 below might be instructed to explore the possibility of this or alternatively making the study themselves.
3. The remaining proposals made by the Consultative Assembly (studies of conditions prevailing in low-cost housing and of the part played by social security organisations on improving policies) are outside the purview of the Housing Sub-Committee of E.C.E. They could be considered by a working party of experts who would report to the Committee of Ministers.
III.-Emigration
Equality of social rights between national and emigrant workers
In the United Kingdom there is no discrimination between foreign and national workers over a wide field of social rights. There are certain limitations in regard to social security (see I above). If the reference to social rights is intended to cover complete freedom of choice of employment on entry we could not accept this absolutely.
Study of problem of Emigration by Committee on Social Questions
The proposal that the Assembly's Committee for Social Questions should undertake a ፡፡
complete study of the problem" would inevitably cause duplication and would run counter to His Majesty's Government's policy of discouraging Committees of the Assembly (with certain exceptions) from continuing to sit when the Assembly is not in session. It is proposed that the Committee of Ministers should instead set up an official working party to review what is being done already and consider whether there is any action which the Council can usefully
take.
Ratification of I.L.O. Convention on Migration for Employment of July 1949
"
Although His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are generally sympathetic to the objects of the Convention, no decision has yet been taken as to ratification. No other State has yet ratified, and the time-limit for ratification does not expire until July 1950 (or, in exceptional circumstanpegafl 1951). All that appears to be required at present is that the members States should be urged to consider without delay whether they can ratify the Convention.
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Recommendatio of haygaction by the Foreign Secretary on Social Security, Housing
and Emigration
The Foreign Secretary should therefore:-
(a) Suggest the establishment of three sub-committees of experts to consider the recommendations of the Assembly in these three spheres, taking particular account of the work already being done in existing inter- governmental organisations and bearing in mind that E.C.E. may not be prepared to co-operate actively with the Council of Europe, beyond making available information already compiled, and to make a report to the Committee of Ministers.
(b) Refuse, pending this study of what is already being done,
-
the additional
finance for the Social Committee of the Assembly to work between sessions.
IV
RESOLUTIONS ON PROCEDURE AND PRIVILEGE
1. Resolution for the establishment of Sub-Committee to continue compila- tion of Rules of Procedure for Assembly..
2. Resolution on Motions regarding possible breach of privilege.
These are Assembly matters and no action is required by the Committee of Ministers. The Resolutions can be noted and no objection need be taken to them. The necessary finance should be provided for this Committee to work between sessions of the Assembly.
HUMAN RIGHTS
(1) The Foreign Secretary should accept in principle that a Convention should be drawn up.
(2) Subject to paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 below, the Committee of Ministers should, if possible, be discouraged from attempting at this stage to deal with the substance of the recommendations submitted by the Consultative Assembly, but should confine themselves to setting up a body to study them and report back to the Committee. In particular they should not give any directions implying that the convention should contain all the rights proposed by the Assembly or that it should contain these rights only. They should leave the expert body as free a hand as possible.
(3) This body set up to draft the convention should consist of one fully accredited and responsible representative of each Government, who should when- ever possible be a legal expert.
(4) Article 3 (Free elections and toleration of opposition activities) should not be included in the Human Rights convention but in a separate instrument.
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(5) The proposals for enforcement of the convention by means of a Com- mission and Court of Human Rights should not be referred to the body set up to draft the convention at this stage. The question of enforcement can only be appropriately considered when sufficient agreement has been reached on the full definition of the rights to be safeguarded and their conditions and limitations. The body appointed to draft the convention should report the results of its work on the first stage with a view to receiving further directions from the Committee on the question of the appropriate means of enforcement.