§ 38. Mr. Stoddartasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a list of the occasions since June 1979 that Her Majesty's Government have used their formal reserve under the Luxembourg arrangements in the Council of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. PymThe only occasion that the United Kingdom has formally invoked the Luxembourg compromise since June 1979 was at the Agriculture Council on 18 May.
§ Mr. StoddartIs it not a fact that the ending of the Luxembourg compromise came about only when this country happened to use it? Was it not a stab in the back for other members of the Community to act as they did at that time? Were they not guilty of stabbing us in the back one day, hijacking us the following day and then holding us to ransom because of the difficulties in which we find ourselves?
§ Mr. PymIt was extremely regrettable. I made the Government's views clearly known. I have already discussed the matter with some of our partners. It is important that an arrangement of this kind is reinstated and that it remains effective. That is what I shall try to achieve on 20 June.
§ Sir Brandon Rhys WilliamsWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in so far as the decision-making procedures of the Council of Ministers are concerned, it is enshrined in the Treaty of Rome in at least 20 of the most significant of its clauses, including, probably, those related to fisheries, that decisions can be taken only on the 206 basis of unanimity? The Luxembourg compromise has not been abandoned because the Treaty already provides that unanimity should be the rule on the most important aspects of it. Does my right hon. Friend not also agree that since we joined the Community the Luxembourg compromise has been abused again and again, to the great disadvantage of this country? So far as Sir Henry Plumb and those who supported him, including myself, were concerned, Sir Henry was plumb right—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am hoping to call another hon. Member before time expires.
§ Sir Brandon Rhys WilliamsI should like to leave time for my right hon. Friend to reply.
§ Mr. PymI note my hon. Friend's views. As far as we are concerned, there was a breach of the convention on 18 May. That is a serious matter, and it is important for any body, certainly any representative assembly, to have clarity about its decision-making processes. We must have that.
§ Mr. HefferSince, during the course of the last debate that we had on the subject of the Common Market, the right hon. Gentleman stated that the discussions on the future of the arrangements for agreement would be through discussion of the Genscher-Colombo plan, are the Government prepared to state now whether they accept or oppose the plan, which could mean a further development of the powers of the European Assembly and a step towards federalism? Can he give us an assurance that under no circumstances will the Government support that plan?
§ Mr. PymThe discussions that we shall have will take place outside the scope of the Genscher-Colombo plan, but there is also a series of paragraphs in that plan relating to decision-making. Therefore, in the course of discussions of that plan the matter will come up again. As to the plan itself, the original plan has been considerably altered and there are a number of questions and issues that have not yet been settled, which will also be discussed on 20 June.