§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Great Britain has 343W a right of veto in the EEC on questions involving her vital interests.
§ Mr. HattersleyYes. The practical understanding arrived at in the European Community on the question of majority voting on matters involving very important interests of a member State is set out in the so-called "Luxembourg Compromise" of 29th January 1966, the full text of which was reproduced in the OFFICIAL REPORT on 26th June.
§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the EEC report on the EEC budgetary system.
§ Mr. HattersleyAs I told the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) on 4th November—[Vol. 881, c.77]—a copy of this report, entitled "Inventory of the Community's Economic and Financial Situation since Enlargement and Survey of Future Developments", was placed in the Library of the House on 29th October. Copies have since been made available to Members through the Vote Office.
§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will change the nature of British representation at Brussels so that there is direct representation of Scottish interests at the European Commission's headquarters.
§ Mr. HattersleyNo. The office of the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the European Communities in Brussels represents the interests of the United Kingdom as a whole, both in relation to the Commission and in conducting business in the Council machinery. The members of the Commission itself are independent in the performance of their duties and are required neither to seek nor take instructions from any Government or from any other body.