§ 12. Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston)If he will make a statement on the progress of the intergovernmental conference. [137408]
§ The Minister for Europe (Mr. Denis MacShane)Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary and I updated the Standing Committee on the Intergovernmental Conference in detail on progress at the IGC. The IGC has so far met four times. In its latest discussion, it covered reform of the system of Council presidencies, the scope of qualified majority voting and non-institutional issues. The next meeting of the IGC will be on 18 November.
§ Ms StuartI am grateful for that reply. The assumption is that the IGC should be completed under the Italian presidency. Assuming that the Minister agrees that it is more important to get the text right than to finish it, and therefore that having to wait until the feast of the epiphany would not be a disaster, have there been any discussions with the Irish Government about how they might take the IGC over if it had to run on into their presidency?
§ Mr. MacShaneI am not sure that we should wait for three wise kings to solve the problem of the intergovernmental conference. We and our European partners would like to see it finished under the Italian presidency, but that will require compromise in respect of the acceptance of the positions that 25 sovereign states—including this one—are putting forward. We are, however, keeping our fingers crossed and aiming for completion under the Italian presidency.
§ Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)Following close examination of the text, is the Minister convinced that this country's energy supplies will be safe?
§ Mr. MacShaneArticle III-130 of the proposed constitutional treaty states:
the Council of Ministers shall unanimously adopt European laws or framework laws establishing … measures significantly affecting a Member State's choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply.In that sense, unanimity—or the veto rule—seems to be underlined. However, article III.157 states:Union policy on energy shall aim to … ensure the functioning of the energy market",which our energy companies want, because we want to open up Europe's energy market; that will happen under qualified majority voting. It also states that policy will aim toensure security of energy supply in the Union".There is some question on that clause, which we are looking at. I shall meet a delegation from the all-party British offshore oil and gas industry group, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has written to energy industry leaders about this issue. The matter was also discussed at length in the Standing Committee on the Intergovernmental Conference yesterday. The hon. Lady is right to draw the House's attention to it.
§ Mr. Wayne David (Caerphilly)Does the Minister agree that the proposals in the draft constitution to strengthen the Council of Ministers underline the fact that the EU is an association of independent sovereign states?
§ Mr. MacShaneThat is right. It is important to nail at the Dispatch Box the propaganda lies of those who talk about a European superstate. We are talking about 25 independent sovereign states coming together to strengthen the workings of Europe. For 500 years, it has been English, then British, policy not to allow a continental grouping to come together from which we would be isolated or in which we would have no influence. I find it odd that the isolationist tendency on the Conservative Front Bench has been strengthened in the reshuffle. We shall maintain Britain as an active partner in Europe and defeat the Tory isolationists.
§ Angus Robertson (Moray)In yesterday's Standing Committee on the Intergovernmental Conference, the Foreign Secretary gave an assurance that the UK Government would seek to rescind or amend the controversial energy chapters that have already been mentioned in this question. Will the Minister for Europe repeat the commitment of the UK Government to have those chapters removed entirely from the draft treaty? When will Government representatives be able to come to the House to confirm that that has happened?
§ Mr. MacShaneAs I have said, I shall receive a delegation of hon. Members on this issue. I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman is speaking for the energy industry when he seeks to remove any reference to the need for an open market in energy, because that is something that the British Government have always stressed in any discussions on this matter. A requirement for unanimity is contained in article III-130. However, I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman's persistence in the Standing Committee. The Committee, which was set up by the House, has had two sittings. Just one Conservative Member attended the first, and only two out of the 165 attended last night. They talk about the importance of Europe, yet they do not even turn up at the Standing Committee set up to discuss the issue. That is a disgraceful performance.