Commission Work Programme 2014

This is an important study, which makes a large number of recommendations. The recommendations in...

rose—

One second.

The Committee recommended that the debate on the work programme should provide ...

I thank the Minister for giving way. I wanted to intervene immediately after the hon. Member for ...

I am afraid that I do not inspect the Prime Minister’s correspondence on a daily basis. If the ho...

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I shall give way to the hon. Gentleman, but may I say, Madam Deputy Speaker, that I am conscious ...

The Minister is absolutely right, and he has been most courteous to the House. I trust that other...

I shall give way to the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson).

Following what my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David) said about that letter, it ...

I advise the hon. Gentleman not to believe everything that he reads in the newspapers. If he dire...

Order. May I again reflect what the Minister has said? The matter before us does not concern lett...

This year, a new European Commission will take office. An important task is therefore to focus on...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that a sensible reform for the European Union is to spend more th...

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. The directorate general dealing with trade does a pretty e...

Does my hon. Friend sense in the Commission’s work programme, including in the transition to the ...

I do find in the Commission’s work programme an explicit acknowledgement that, for example, the E...

May I give my right hon. Friend an example of an area in which the work programme includes a comm...

Yes, my right hon. Friend makes a good point. As he knows, the Government’s belief is that data p...

After a slow start the Government have realised the economic benefits of fracking to this country...

There are people in the institutions and elsewhere who certainly support policies that would inhi...

Will the Minister give way?

No, the hon. Gentleman has had a bite of the cherry already, so I will make some progress.

...

The Minister talks about the need to deepen and complete the single market. At the same time he c...

I understand my hon. Friend’s argument, but—if I may say so—I think that he oversells his case. I...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that completing the single market for services is so important fo...

Although my first preference would be a successful negotiation that would deliver a thoroughgoing...

Will the Minister give way?

No, I will not give way to the hon. Gentleman again.

Securing investment in Europe’s energy...

I remind the Minister that the REFIT programme includes proposals for the harmonising of VAT and ...

There will indeed be measures in the REFIT package, as in other Commission proposals, with which ...

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I will give way to the hon. Gentleman and then I am going to make progress because I have been sp...

When the Minister says that aspects of the EU work programme are disappointing, does he not reall...

No. I do not think that any member state would be able to say that they unreservedly welcome and ...

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I give way to my hon. Friend, who follows this issue very closely.

My right hon. Friend is making an excellent point. Will he convey to the Commission how deeply di...

I completely agree. It would be easier to accept the Commission’s unwelcome decision if, at the v...

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s work programme for 2014. I thank t...

The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that the figure of 3 million jobs is a monumental myth. I...

The information that I gave was confirmed as recently as 2011 in a written parliamentary answer f...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will give way in a moment.

In short, the Prime Minister is willing to take the risk of a ...

I was proud to be one of the 95. I might mention that if I catch your eye later, Madam Deputy Spe...

The hon. Gentleman might like to go into a bit more detail with the CBI about its calculations. I...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Okay. Why not?

Is it not part of the CBI’s rationale that to have access to the single market even countries out...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and perhaps I should have been more enthusiastic about his...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I am not the hon. Gentleman’s hon. Friend, but I am nevertheless happy to give way to him in the ...

I always regard the hon. Gentleman as my friend. Does he not agree that Norway does two and a hal...

It is interesting that a series of Norwegian politicians have confirmed their lack of influence o...

My hon. Friend paints a pessimistic picture of the Conservative party becoming increasingly Euros...

It is not for me to comment on the Conservative party’s membership, or not, of the EPP. We will n...

Will the hon. Gentleman remind us who negotiated the opportunity for a block opt-out?

It was one of a series of sensible reforms that the Labour party negotiated when in power. It was...

It is important that the House considers the European Commission’s work programme, as we have don...

My hon. Friend refers to banking union. For the last two and a half days, I have attended a confe...

My hon. Friend is, of course, right. We know that banking union was proposed as a last-ditch effo...

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is almost nothing in the Commission work programme that seem...

Tragically, this particular report makes the Government’s task even more difficult. These are rea...

This debate matters to all our constituents, given the significance of the issues involved in the...

Is my hon. Friend aware that BASF and Monsanto have already removed their research facilities fro...

I am grateful for that intervention, but I remember that major employers such as Hitachi establis...

If the hon. Gentleman were to read not only The Guardian but also The Daily Telegraph today, he w...

I am conscious that other Members wish to speak and I do not want to do a survey of all of today’...

It is wonderful to hear a Labour Member advocating the benefits of free trade. Does he agree that...

That is a very interesting intervention. The main issue is what influence we can have over the sh...

The way we would influence things would be by being a member of the World Trade Organisation, of ...

That would be all very well if we did not look at the actual voting strength that the European Un...

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Order. There are 27 minutes to go, and four people are seeking to catch my eye. Normally, we woul...

Having listened to what the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) has just said, I think h...

indicated assent.

I am glad to see the Minister nodding, because we believe our constructive suggestion will help t...

I welcome this debate, but, like the shadow Europe Minister, I think that it would have been more...

I totally agree with what the hon. Gentleman said about Syria and the need for greater emphasis o...

Some EU member states have been more generous than others but we must also consider the fact that...

Does the hon. Gentleman always judge the national interest by whether there are enough jobs for t...

That is a very disappointing and narrow comment. We are looking at opportunities for British peop...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Yes.

Order. Before the hon. Gentleman takes the intervention, I am sure that he is only momentarily be...

Yes.

Indeed, but they need to have time to make their speeches as well. I am just gently hinting.

I just want to confirm what my hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David) is saying. The...

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. It is nice that there are some people who are enligh...

I shall try to be at least as economical as the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David).

O...

I thank the hon. Member for his succinctness.

6.39 pm

I had better make this my application to appear on “Just a Minute”, which is one of my remaining ...