UK Parliament / Open data

European Union Bill

Debate on bills on Tuesday, 22 March 2011, in the House of Lords, led by Lord Howell of Guildford. The answering member was Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean.
European Union Bill. Lords second reading debate agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

About these Parliamentary proceedings

Reference

726 c599-634, c645-728 

Session

2010-12

Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Legislative stage

Second reading

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber

Related items

European Union Bill. Brought from the Commons. Explanatory Notes HL Bill 55-EN also published.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Bills
House of Lords

Proceeding contributions

Lord Empey | 726 c695-6, (corrigendum) 944 (Link to this contribution) Even though there are many people in this country who are for the ideals of the European Union, does...
Lord Vinson | 726 c612, (corrigendum) 944 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, could I remind the noble Baroness that her party promised a referendum on the Lisbon treat...

Show all contributions (137)
Lord Vinson | 726 c610, (corrigendum) 944 (Link to this contribution) Does the noble Baroness accept that there are more than a few Eurosceptics? Does she realise that al...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c599-601 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that she has been in...
Lord Richard | 726 c601 (Link to this contribution) It is very kind of the Minister to give way so early in his speech and in the debate. Perhaps he may...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c607-8 (Link to this contribution) That is a good try, but it does not quite meet the point that what we are trying to do is put the pr...
Lord Clinton-Davis | 726 c605 (Link to this contribution) Which other members of the EU are prepared to go down the route which the noble Lord recommends?
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c603-5 (Link to this contribution) I do not think I agree with the noble Lord and I shall try to explain why in my remaining remarks. T...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c601-3 (Link to this contribution) Yes, I will be able to help the noble Lord on the meaning of ““in principle””. He is quite right to ...
Lord Stevens of Ludgate | 726 c658-9 (Link to this contribution) I apologise if I did not say the Sunday Times. The point is that Mr Murdoch’s press accounts for 32 ...
Lord Maclennan of Rogart | 726 c655-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I find it ironic that the First Reading of this Bill in another place occurred on 11 Novem...
Lord Stevens of Ludgate | 726 c657-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I congratulate the Government on the Bill. Some of us—indeed, the majority of the populati...
Lord Davies of Stamford | 726 c660-3 (Link to this contribution) The noble Baroness may have better things to do with her time, but if she feels like going over my t...
Lord Davies of Stamford | 726 c659-60 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before I get on to the points I wanted to make this evening, I must deal with the speech w...
Baroness Falkner of Margravine | 726 c660 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord waxes on about principles, but perhaps I may respectfully suggest to him that he woul...
Lord Plumb | 726 c666-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we are half way now and in danger of getting a bit repetitive on some of the points being ...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 726 c663-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the troubled history of Britain’s relations with the rest of Europe has been marked by num...
Lord Dubs | 726 c669-70 (Link to this contribution) As my noble friend Lord Tomlinson says, they are the goodies. For example, the speeches by the noble...
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay | 726 c670 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I wonder whether I could just correct one thing. We on these Benches are not at all glum. ...
Lord Dubs | 726 c670 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for that. I tempted the noble Lord and he rose to the bait, which is good.
Lord Taverne | 726 c670-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as this debate has gone on my speech, as the House will be glad to hear, is getting shorte...
Lord Stoddart of Swindon | 726 c672-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I remember the noble Lord’s by-election very well because I went along to it and canvassed...
Lord Judd | 726 c674-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope my old friend the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, will forgive my observing that, in the...
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne | 726 c676-80 (Link to this contribution) It is a very great honour to follow such eminent speakers in this debate. This is a topic of very hi...
Lord Dubs | 726 c668 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, when Labour won the 1997 election, it very much looked as if the many years during which t...
Lord Kerr of Kinlochard | 726 c680-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, is it an ineluctable law of coalition government that the Wallaces get all the ghastly job...
Lord Dykes | 726 c693-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, resuming the debate rapidly after that procedural change, first I express my gratitude to ...
Lord Lea of Crondall | 726 c690-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this Bill is of course a charade. Nevertheless, it must be taken seriously. It is a self-i...
Lord Shutt of Greetland | 726 c692 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope that the House will permit me to explain that it is now necessary for Royal Assent ...
Baroness Quin | 726 c687 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the noble Lord for making that point so effectively. This Bill ends up by pleasing...
Lord Bowness | 726 c687-90 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, my noble friend Lord Howell of Guildford introduced this Bill in such a reasonable manner ...
Lord Dykes | 726 c687 (Link to this contribution) Further to that, does the noble Baroness acknowledge that, when an independent survey was commission...
Baroness Verma | 726 c685 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, forgive me for reminding noble Lords but, if they could, it would be helpful to the House ...
Baroness Quin | 726 c685-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the entertaining and knowledgeable contribution of the no...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) I can put it in a sentence. Did the noble Lord say that he was happy to share this with all of us?
Lord Dykes | 726 c696-8 (Link to this contribution) Absolutely, at any time; I am very happy to do so. It is mischievous tomfoolery of the worst kind t...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) Before the noble Lord continues with his exceptional peroration, will he undertake to put in the Lib...
Lord Dykes | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) Sensibly, I expected at least one or two of the 125 to be correct, but they were all incorrect. I am...
Lord Dykes | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) I do not think that it would be fair to the House to give way again. I know that one should do if so...
Lord Dykes | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) That is entirely true. Politicians leave a vacuum by not explaining the proper arguments about our E...
Lord Teverson | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) I am sorry to interrupt my noble friend, but I want to make it absolutely clear on the Cornish pasty...
Lord Dykes | 726 c696 (Link to this contribution) I am movingly grateful to my noble friend for his enlightenment.
Lord Liddle | 726 c719-20 (Link to this contribution) I am afraid the noble Lord is describing a situation which might, at a stretch, have described Europ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c719 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we Eurosceptics do not say that the European Parliament lacks legitimacy just because it i...
Lord Liddle | 726 c715-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I should open with a rare act of deference to the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch: I w...
Lord Tomlinson | 726 c714-5 (Link to this contribution) All of them are proud to be associated with each other. All of them spoke about the Bill and none of...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c714 (Link to this contribution) I would not have presumed to such an honour, my Lords. Does the noble Lord agree that he has just re...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c722 (Link to this contribution) We shall continue to do so. I am grateful for the depth of concern for the purity of the Liberal De...
Lord Radice | 726 c722 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord is being a bit unfair to me. I actually quoted one member of his Government, the Euro...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c721-2 (Link to this contribution) You did. I am glad to see that the Labour Front Bench is beginning to enjoy the freedom of oppositio...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c720-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this has been a vigorous debate—sometimes passionate and often lengthy. On one or two occa...
Lord Radice | 726 c700-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we have had a terrific debate. We have certainly had some brilliant speeches from a lot of...
Lord Willoughby de Broke | 726 c698-700 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, I give this Bill a qualified welcome, if only because ...
Lord Teverson | 726 c703-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I start by congratulating the Government on their European policy because, since the Gover...
Lord Tomlinson | 726 c714 (Link to this contribution) I was going to mention you, Malcolm.
Baroness Brinton | 726 c708-10 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as a new Member of this House, I have been impressed by the expert contributions on all si...
Lord Sheikh | 726 c705-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, at the outset I apologise for my late arrival at the beginning of the debate. This is an i...
Lord Tomlinson | 726 c712-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, some time ago I was given a copy of a speech made by a former Comptroller and Auditor-Gene...
Lord Lea of Crondall | 726 c725 (Link to this contribution) Would the Minister respond to the point that, in so far as Clause 18 has any logic, it is a dog whis...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c725 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord is well aware that we have had major and minor amendments of the treaty, but in each ...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 726 c725 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I ask the Minister not to pursue the road that he is about to go down. I think that it is ...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c726-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, noble Lords will understand that we do not have a written constitution in this country. We...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 726 c726 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am now very confused about the noble Lord’s position on Clause 18. The noble Lord has sa...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c725-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I do not accept that but we will come back to it when we discuss the issue in detail. Seve...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c722 (Link to this contribution) I know very well that the noble Lord did not, but I also understand that he made various compromises...
Lord Richard | 726 c722 (Link to this contribution) Is the noble Lord saying that I became a Eurosceptic? If he is, he knows nothing about me.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c723-4 (Link to this contribution) I am talking about the underlying issue that the Bill addresses, which is that of popular consent an...
Lord Tomlinson | 726 c723 (Link to this contribution) Can I just invite the noble Lord, seven minutes into his speech, to get back to the EU Bill? This wa...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c724 (Link to this contribution) I will move to that very briefly. However, there is a problem of competence creep and that is part ...
Lord Sewel | 726 c724 (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister give an assurance at this stage in his winding up that he will address the key iss...
Lord Wallace of Saltaire | 726 c725 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we shall move into an extensive Committee stage. Of course the Government will give full c...
Lord Dykes | 726 c724 (Link to this contribution) In view of the fact that three-quarters of the Members present in this long debate today spoke stron...
Lord Williamson of Horton | 726 c647-50 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I declare an interest, as I spent a good part of my career in the United Kingdom public se...
Lord Brittan of Spennithorne | 726 c650-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I view the Bill with an undisguised lack of enthusiasm. I fully understand the political i...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c633-4 (Link to this contribution) I am glad to be so popular. I conclude by asking the Minister one question. The noble Lords, Lord Te...
Lord Richard | 726 c645-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I will say nothing about the comments that have just been made, except to indicate that th...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c654 (Link to this contribution) I would never seek to claim that over the noble Lord. When he says that votes for prisoners had noth...
Lord Anderson of Swansea | 726 c654-5 (Link to this contribution) There is a very slight nexus because of that recent linkage. The noble Lord will surely know that th...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c632-3 (Link to this contribution) Well, my Lords, they are quite important. Some £8.3 billion per annum is sent in cash to Brussels, w...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c631-2 (Link to this contribution) At this rate I will be at more than 20 minutes. I suggest that noble Lords do not interrupt, but it ...
Lord Teverson | 726 c632 (Link to this contribution) I thank the noble Lord for letting me intervene. Although Norway and Switzerland are not within the ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c632 (Link to this contribution) That point is often made. Of course, if we were not in the European Union, we would have to obey the...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 726 c632 (Link to this contribution) The noble Lord is propagating nonsense, if I may say so. Norway and other countries are obliged unde...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c630 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in that case I shall not reply to the noble Lord, Lord Lea. I do not know about it anyway....
Lord Lea of Crondall | 726 c630 (Link to this contribution) Does the noble Lord have anything to say about the role of Mr Rupert Murdoch, who is undoubtedly bia...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c630 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I think the public are coming with me.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c629-30 (Link to this contribution) The interventions have not added anything to what I have to say. The Government are holding up the ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c630-1 (Link to this contribution) —would run a campaign to get us out of the EU? Who would have thought then that 373,000 of its reade...
Baroness Quin | 726 c628 (Link to this contribution) I am interested in what the noble Lord says. I spent a much longer time being a Member of the other ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c628-9 (Link to this contribution) I think I said that the noble Baroness does not need to declare her pension as a former MEP. The dif...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 726 c629 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Lord has for years been worrying at a very old bone, and it does him no credit t...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c629 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I do not think that I am the one who is wasting the time of your Lordships’ House. I sugge...
Lord Tomlinson | 726 c628 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, can I invite the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, to pass his own test? I once asked h...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c628 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Lord is coming close to misleading the House. I put the matter straight in a let...
Lord Kerr of Kinlochard | 726 c629 (Link to this contribution) It was extremely handsome of the noble Lord to start his remarks with such a fulsome apology, but I ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c629 (Link to this contribution) Given the chance, that is exactly what I was going to do. We have now wasted five minutes on this.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c628 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the test of whether it should be declared is what a reasonable member of the public might ...
Lord Clinton-Davis | 726 c628 (Link to this contribution) I do not have to declare it every time, but it is well known that former Commissioners get some sort...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c627-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as this is our first major debate on EU matters since we finished with the Lisbon treaty t...
Baroness Williams of Crosby | 726 c624-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I was about to thank the noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis, for what he said about the very d...
Lord Kakkar | 726 c618 (Link to this contribution) Indeed it could. There should be consistency in the standards that are required for doctors to pract...
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne | 726 c618 (Link to this contribution) Will the noble Lord reinforce his point by endorsing the FAB exam, which has resulted in more than 2...
Lord Clinton-Davis | 726 c622-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am very happy to follow the noble and learned Lord because, when I was a Commissioner, h...
Lord Howe of Aberavon | 726 c620-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is ironic that I am speaking in this debate, which was opened by my noble friend Lord H...
Bishop of Guildford | 726 c618-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in the light of the confusion and controversy over the ratification of the Lisbon treaty, ...
Lord Kakkar | 726 c616-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, from the outset I declare an interest as a practising surgeon and professor of surgery at ...
Baroness Falkner of Margravine | 726 c616 (Link to this contribution) The Constitution Committee made clear in its report that this would not necessarily be a matter for ...
Lord Teverson | 726 c618 (Link to this contribution) Can I just clarify that? Surely it is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that the perso...
Lord Kakkar | 726 c618 (Link to this contribution) Indeed it is but it is not always done. I was coming to the point that the General Medical Council h...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 726 c612-3 (Link to this contribution) During our debates on the European Union in the past, the noble Lord has himself put forward quite a...
Lord Anderson of Swansea | 726 c614 (Link to this contribution) In using the words, "““constructive engagement with the EU””," the noble Baroness’s memory might go...
Baroness Falkner of Margravine | 726 c613 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I rise with some clear indication of how interesting the passage of the Bill will be in th...
Lord Sewel | 726 c616 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the noble Baroness for giving way. She has touched on the difficulty of significanc...
Baroness Falkner of Margravine | 726 c614-6 (Link to this contribution) My memory goes back even further to when the Labour Party was itself completely riven on what approa...
Lord Phillips of Sudbury | 726 c612 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Baroness made the comment earlier that she did not think that the Bill would hel...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 726 c610-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, what I am trying to do here is talk about what is going on in the House and in Parliament ...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 726 c608-10 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister very much for the way in which he introduced the Bill, particularly f...
Lord Kerr of Kinlochard | 726 c607 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. He passed rather rapidly over Clause 14, so perhaps I ...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c605 (Link to this contribution) Different member states have different patterns, including, as the noble Lord will know very well, e...
Lord Richard | 726 c605 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. He will realise that this is a rather complex Bill, an...
Lord Hannay of Chiswick | 726 c603 (Link to this contribution) Will the noble Lord reflect on his use of the words ““competence”” and ““power””? He seems to be tal...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c603 (Link to this contribution) These referendums are mandatory. The Bill requires that these transfers of competence away from this...
Lord Higgins | 726 c603 (Link to this contribution) I am sorry to interrupt my noble friend. We have recently had a great many debates on referendums an...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch | 726 c632 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Lord is making the usual mistake of thinking that we would stay in the European ...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean | 726 c612 (Link to this contribution) We did not promise that. We promised that we would have a referendum if there were a written constit...
Lord Sewel | 726 c710-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, at last we are moving towards the end of the debate, and the main lines on both sides of t...
Lord Anderson of Swansea | 726 c652-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, what a wealth of experience of Brussels we have had from the previous three distinguished ...
Lord Sewel | 726 c631 (Link to this contribution) Could I renew to the noble Lord the invitation of the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, to get on with the Bill...
Lord Richard | 726 c630 (Link to this contribution) Does the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, agree that this is a debate about the Bill and not the British pr...
Lord Howell of Guildford | 726 c605-7 (Link to this contribution) Yes, except, of course, where the other exemptions apply, in particular, the one I mentioned that th...

Subjects

EU law
EU withdrawal
EU accession
European communities
Powers
Referendums
Parliamentary scrutiny
Sovereignty
Treaties
Reform
UK membership of EU
Sunset clauses

Legislation

European Union Bill 2010-12

Link

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