Does the Minister recall that during the debates on the Lisbon treaty we were assured in terms that scrutiny rights for national Parliaments would be enhanced? Is it not therefore a disgrace that at this first test the Government have forgotten and breached their promises and are signing up to...

Does the Minister recall that during the debates on the Lisbon treaty we were assured in terms that scrutiny rights for national Parliaments would be enhanced? Is it not therefore a disgrace that at this first test the Government have forgotten and breached their promises and are signing up to...

Why was the Prime Minister's statement completely silent on the Council agreements on a tangible EU citizenship, a single EU judicial space, an internal security system and what it calls a common asylum system by 2012? As Labour Ministers argued against all those policies during the negotiations on the Lisbon...

Why was the Prime Minister's statement completely silent on the Council agreements on a tangible EU citizenship, a single EU judicial space, an internal security system and what it calls a common asylum system by 2012? As Labour Ministers argued against all those policies during the negotiations on the Lisbon...

My hon. Friend is quite right that we must guard our fiscal sovereignty, but is he not underestimating the confusion that will be caused if there is ambiguity about exactly where these bodies reside in Europe? We got into a terrible muddle in our own country when supervision fell into...

My hon. Friend is quite right that we must guard our fiscal sovereignty, but is he not underestimating the confusion that will be caused if there is ambiguity about exactly where these bodies reside in Europe? We got into a terrible muddle in our own country when supervision fell into...

And appointments?

And appointments?

I asked the hon. Lady last month who would appoint the members of these supervisory authorities and to whom they would be accountable—is it the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the Commission, or all three? Given that clarity and certainty are absolutely essential—if there is a credit crunch, we...

I asked the hon. Lady last month who would appoint the members of these supervisory authorities and to whom they would be accountable—is it the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the Commission, or all three? Given that clarity and certainty are absolutely essential—if there is a credit crunch, we...

Will the Minister confirm that these micro regulatory authorities will not have supervisory powers over national authorities? That assurance was given by Lord Myners in evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee, but it has been slightly altered—or certainly weakened and diluted—notably when the Minister responded to my debate in Westminster...

Will the Minister confirm that these micro regulatory authorities will not have supervisory powers over national authorities? That assurance was given by Lord Myners in evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee, but it has been slightly altered—or certainly weakened and diluted—notably when the Minister responded to my debate in Westminster...

Does the Prime Minister recall that at the start of the reform process European leaders were instructed to create a Europe closer to its citizens. Does he think that the spectacle of EU Heads of Government engaging in private bargaining sessions to hand out between themselves the unelected jobs in...

Does the Prime Minister recall that at the start of the reform process European leaders were instructed to create a Europe closer to its citizens. Does he think that the spectacle of EU Heads of Government engaging in private bargaining sessions to hand out between themselves the unelected jobs in...

Does the Foreign Secretary accept that the United Kingdom faces some extremely unwelcome proposals on financial and banking regulation? The Minister responsible in what was then the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the hon. Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson), has written a letter to the European Scrutiny...

Does the Foreign Secretary accept that the United Kingdom faces some extremely unwelcome proposals on financial and banking regulation? The Minister responsible in what was then the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the hon. Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson), has written a letter to the European Scrutiny...

I think that I can help my right hon. Friend and the House, because we have the draft conclusions, although we did not obtain them from the Government: we had to obtain them from the Danish Parliament website. It is clear that the Council has already decided to go well...

I think that I can help my right hon. Friend and the House, because we have the draft conclusions, although we did not obtain them from the Government: we had to obtain them from the Danish Parliament website. It is clear that the Council has already decided to go well...

Just a quick question: how does the hon. Gentleman square the wave of Euro-enthusiasm that he describes with the fact that the turnout was the lowest ever for European elections?

Just a quick question: how does the hon. Gentleman square the wave of Euro-enthusiasm that he describes with the fact that the turnout was the lowest ever for European elections?

No, that is not my reading of the results at all. Rejectionist parties made a clear advance in other member states. In this country, overwhelmingly, the majority vote was for parties that want to leave the EU altogether or that want at least to reject the treaty of Lisbon. According...

No, that is not my reading of the results at all. Rejectionist parties made a clear advance in other member states. In this country, overwhelmingly, the majority vote was for parties that want to leave the EU altogether or that want at least to reject the treaty of Lisbon. According...

I do indeed. Frustration is building up, which was demonstrated in the recent European election results. People are either indifferent or hostile. The more powers that the European Parliament gets, the fewer people vote for it. In each and every treaty change since the founding of what was then called...

I do indeed. Frustration is building up, which was demonstrated in the recent European election results. People are either indifferent or hostile. The more powers that the European Parliament gets, the fewer people vote for it. In each and every treaty change since the founding of what was then called...

I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman who has an honourable history of standing up for economic self-government. I have always thought it bizarre that a left-wing party should contemplate handing over power to bankers who are not even in this country. The Government wanted a conclave of bankers meeting...

I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman who has an honourable history of standing up for economic self-government. I have always thought it bizarre that a left-wing party should contemplate handing over power to bankers who are not even in this country. The Government wanted a conclave of bankers meeting...

These debates can on occasion become ritualistic, but today's has real significance because it takes place against a background of announced constitutional change. The European issue is, at root, a constitutional question. It is about where power resides, who exercises it and whether it is controlled and accountable. The Prime...

These debates can on occasion become ritualistic, but today's has real significance because it takes place against a background of announced constitutional change. The European issue is, at root, a constitutional question. It is about where power resides, who exercises it and whether it is controlled and accountable. The Prime...

The published conclusions of the Council differ hardly at all from the conclusions circulated prior to the meeting, which were available on the Danish Parliament website, before the Prime Minister ever got to the meeting, but there is one matter that did change: the size of the bail-out to other...

The published conclusions of the Council differ hardly at all from the conclusions circulated prior to the meeting, which were available on the Danish Parliament website, before the Prime Minister ever got to the meeting, but there is one matter that did change: the size of the bail-out to other...

I thank my hon. Friend for his remarks so far, but is it not extraordinary that our employment policies depend on contorted negotiations in Brussels with other member states, many of which have every interest in imposing more and higher employment costs on the UK economy? Will he confirm that...

I thank my hon. Friend for his remarks so far, but is it not extraordinary that our employment policies depend on contorted negotiations in Brussels with other member states, many of which have every interest in imposing more and higher employment costs on the UK economy? Will he confirm that...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. This is obviously a controversial part of the directive because of the damage that could be done by biofuels to the environment and to food production. Is he happy that article 15 would explicitly prevent member states from having stricter sustainability...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. This is obviously a controversial part of the directive because of the damage that could be done by biofuels to the environment and to food production. Is he happy that article 15 would explicitly prevent member states from having stricter sustainability...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point. He has already cited the unrealism of the targets, and the huge potential cost to our constituents. Does he think it wise for us to accept or negotiate a directive under majority voting which would render it beyond the democratic control of...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful point. He has already cited the unrealism of the targets, and the huge potential cost to our constituents. Does he think it wise for us to accept or negotiate a directive under majority voting which would render it beyond the democratic control of...

When he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Prime Minister was critical of EU structural funding and the waste of that funding and of industrial expenditure. He said that"““there is no better place to start than by bringing regional policy back to Britain””." If that is still his view, what...

When he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Prime Minister was critical of EU structural funding and the waste of that funding and of industrial expenditure. He said that"““there is no better place to start than by bringing regional policy back to Britain””." If that is still his view, what...

This is an extremely serious part of the treaty. Under the doctrine of exclusive competence, member states will not be able to legislate or to make bilateral agreements with other member states if the subject matter touches in any way on an internal competence of the Union, which is a...

This is an extremely serious part of the treaty. Under the doctrine of exclusive competence, member states will not be able to legislate or to make bilateral agreements with other member states if the subject matter touches in any way on an internal competence of the Union, which is a...