HC Deb 06 March 1996 vol 273 cc342-4
25. Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policies Her Majesty's Government will adopt at the forthcoming IGC on how best to enhance democracy and transparency within the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [17287]

Mr. David Davis

We are committed to making the European Union more transparent, and to enhancing democratic accountability—especially by increasing the role of national Parliaments in the European Union. We are considering a number of proposals to achieve that. including an idea proposed by the European Legislation Committee of a minimum period for documents to be available for scrutiny by national Parliaments, with procedures for urgent legislation.

Mr. Salmond

Can the Minister tell me what will be the Government's strategy if they fail to renegotiate the fisheries policy at the intergovernmental conference?

Mr. Davis

I am tempted to say no, but the Government's strategy in respect of fisheries policy is straightforward and was set out by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food yesterday. He said that we would take the matter to the IGC, if necessary; deal with it in other forums, if necessary; deal with treaty amendments, if necessary; and deal with protocol changes, if necessary. We will not be the only country in that position. Other countries suffer from quota hoppers, and those countries' interests are similar to our own.

Mr. Garnier

Will my hon. Friend, to enhance transparency and democracy, have a word with the Leader of the House to arrange a debate on the White Paper before the IGC—not least because that would provide the Opposition with an opportunity to have their seventh, eighth, ninth or 10th European Union policy change?

Mr. Davis

I will relate my hon. and learned Friend's comments to my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. My hon. and learned Friend is right, although I am not sure that he was talking about seven, eight or nine changes of policy in a decade or—the way that it is looking now—in a few months.

Mr. Gapes

Does the Minister agree that Britain cannot stop or divert the rest of the Community taking what they believe to be the next logical steps"? Those were the words of the Deputy Prime Minister, writing in 1989.

Mr. Davis

The Maastricht treaty is clear. Any changes to it can be only by consensus—by unanimity. In that, every country has a veto and an equal say, but the group cannot change without the consensus of the whole European Union.

Mr. Riddick

Returning to the proposed new foreign affairs spokesman, does my hon. Friend agree that there are already enough people in the European Union speaking on a range of issues and that we do not need yet another supremo—whatever he or she may say or whatever his or her brief may be?

Mr. Davis

This is the first time in history that my hon. Friend has been on the same side as the European Commission, because it does not like the proposal. One reason is that the proposed spokesman will not be a supremo but will be subordinate to the nation states of Europe—and that is the way it is going to stay.