To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 240W, on Western Sahara: politics and government, whether the discussions between EU member states, the European Commission and Morocco have included a request to Morocco to comply with UN resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara. (260957)

Western Sahara was discussed during the EU-Morocco Association Council on 13 October 2008. During the meeting the EU stated its regret at the lack of progress towards settlement of the dispute over Western Sahara and reaffirmed that the next Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General must resume and continue the work of their predecessor.