§ 2.41 p.m.
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government to state who will be representing the United Kingdom at the meeting of the European Council on 1st and 2nd April.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)My Lords, whatever the outcome of procedures at present under way elsewhere, I can 996 assure the House that the United Kingdom will be adequately represented at the European Council.
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord to know that for once the United Kingdom will be adequately represented. Could the noble Lord kindly confirm to the House that whoever goes to the European Council in Luxembourg will have the authority and the power to take all the necessary decisions at that meeting, and that the United Kingdom will not once again he seen to be backsliding in its obligations in European affairs?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, whoever represents this country and has represented this country in European meetings has given a very good account of himself and of this country, and there has never been any question of our backsliding on our obligations.