§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many opt-outs for the United Kingdom have been agreed with the European Union. [32037]
§ Mr. David Davis[holding answer 4 July 1995]: Under protocol No. 11 of the treaty on European union, the United Kingdom is not obliged or committed to move to stage three of European monetary union. Under protocol No. 14 of the same treaty, the member states can agree that all except the United Kingdom could, under a separate agreement between themselves, take acts and decisions to give effect to their agreement on social policy. No such act would be applicable to the United Kingdom, nor would the United Kingdom bear any consequent budgetary burden other than administrative costs of the institutions.