§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, in the light of the changes proposed in the Community rule regarding article 57 of the treaty of Rome under the Single European Act, he has any plans to seek an amendment to that article so as to delete the reference therein to the first stage of consideration; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe reference to the "first stage" in the third sentence of Article 57(2) is to be deleted as a result of the amendment in Article 6(7) of the Single European Act. Although the "first stage" is still referred to in a large number of provisions of the treaty including Article 57(1), these references no longer have any practical effect since the Community's initial transitional period (including the first stage) ended on 31 December 1969.