§ Lord Trefgarneasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House the text of the latest version of the proposed European Union Constitution. [HL3634]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanCopies of the latest text of the EU Constitutional Treaty, Presidency document CIG 86/04, were placed in the Library of the House in June, and further copies have subsequently been placed in the Vote Office. It is available online on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website,www.fco.gov.uk. We will issue this text, in a slightly abridged form, as a Command Paper before the parliamentary recess.
§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Bill to ratify the treaty to establish a constitution for Europe will contain all articles of the constitution; whether it will be amendable by both Houses of Parliament; and, if not, why not. [HL3644]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe same procedure has been followed for the ratification of each EU treaty. The Government publish a Bill setting out the way that the treaty would be given effect in UK law. Parliament can vote to amend this Bill, although some of its provisions will be necessary for the UK to ratify the treaty. Parliament cannot unilaterally amend the treaty, which in this case will have 24 other signatories besides the UK.
We will follow this procedure for the constitutional treaty, except that its ratification will then be subject to a referendum.