§ Lord Inglewoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the vote by British Labour Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market against the proposal for a Council regulation (EC) on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters at the committee's meeting on 28th March represents government policy. [HL1758]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)The Government will take careful note of the vote by the British Labour Members of the European Parliament referred to by the noble Lord, but the position taken by Labour MEPs does not represent government policy.
The Government support the current provision in the draft Council regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters relating to consumer transactions which was agreed by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of Ministers last May. However, if the terms of this provision are reconsidered by the Commission and other member states in the light of the forthcoming opinion of the European Parliament, the Government will do so as well, taking full accont of the responses to the consultation document on this issue which they intend to publish shortly.