§ 11. Mr. Howard Flight (Arundel and South Downs)What recent discussions he has held with his European counterparts on the continuation of the national veto. [69430]
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ms Joyce Quin)The veto has not figured in recent discussions held by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary or by me. A decision will be taken at the European Council in Cologne in June on when and how to discuss institutional reform in preparation for enlargement. No proposals are on the table.
§ Mr. FlightIs it the Government's policy to resist absolutely to give an inch—or perhaps I should say a centimetre—in terms of our veto power? Can the Minister confirm that the Government are opposed to any attempts under the Amsterdam treaty to use the power of the courts, especially in the area of tax harmonisation and the common European withholding tax, to get around the powers of our veto to block such measures?
§ Ms QuinTaxation is one of the matters on which, as the hon. Gentleman knows, we believe that unanimity should remain. There are other matters too, which we have listed, such as treaty changes, defence and immigration. However, the hon. Gentleman's concern about the matter sits ill with the Conservative Government's record on both the Maastricht treaty and the Single European Act, whereby, as he knows, majority voting was extended dramatically.
§ Mr. Bill Rammell (Harlow)Does my right hon. Friend agree that, although the veto is the ultimate preserver of the national interest, threatening to use it at the start of any discussions with our European partners in intergovernmental negotiations actually serves to 728 undermine the British national interest? If any demonstration of that were wanted, we need only look back to the beef crisis, when the Conservative party in government threatened our European partners with everything bar nuking them and got absolutely nowhere—but, within 18 months, the Labour Government got the ban lifted.
§ Ms QuinMy hon. Friend makes a good point. Certainly, on issues such as tax harmonisation, on which we obviously have several allies, it is absurd to start from the presumption that we are in an isolated position.
§ Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)In an earlier answer, the Foreign Secretary was very dismissive of the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall) for implying that we might be less than firm in defence of the British rebate. Can the right hon. Lady reiterate, without any equivocation whatever, that, if the British rebate were to be reduced, Her Majesty's Government would forthwith issue a veto on that proposal?
§ Ms QuinI am always delighted to repeat guarantees given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.