EMU (Documents) (Hansard, 25 November 1996)

§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 20 for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the content and scope of documents concerning economic and monetary union to be discussed at the Economic and Finance Council of the European Community on 2 December. The urgency is that scrutiny procedures have not been completed, although the meeting is to be held on Monday next. There is a clear possibility of political agreement being reached at that meeting, as we have heard. Indeed, the Leader of the House said in a letter that he expected a motion to be tabled today relating to the merits, under Standing Order 102(9).

As you know, Madam Speaker, that motion has not been tabled, nor has a date been given when it will be. Instead, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has promised an Adjournment debate some time after 2 December—it may be related to another meeting of the Heads of Government on 13 December. That debate will be on an Adjournment motion, however. There will be no immediate possibility of tabling an amendment and reaching a decision on it, unless the motion is linked with a motion tabled under Standing Order 102(9), on which such a decision could be reached.

Parliamentary procedure has effectively been circumvented, therefore, although within the Standing Orders. We need some form of focused debate before 2 December when that political decision can be taken. Despite the unanimous request of the Select Committee on European Legislation, backed by 150 Members of Parliament representing all points of view, we have failed to have that debate. I therefore hope that you will accept this motion, so that some debate can take place this week before those decisions are taken and a political agreement reached.