HC Deb 17 March 1975 vol 888 cc337-8W
Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, in the light of his recent renegotiation of terms of entry to the EEC, those powers and rights which would be lost to Parliament if the United Kingdom remained in the EEC, which it possessed in 1972.

Mr. Hattersley:

Complex issues of parliamentary sovereignty cannot be usefully summarised in this way. The broad constitutional implications of merbership were set out in the White Paper (Cmnd. 3301) presented to Parliament in May 1967 entitled "Legal and Constitutional Implications of United Kingdom membership of the European Communities". In renegotiation it has been one of our aims to ensure the retention by Parliament of those powers needed to pursue effective regional, industrial and fiscal policies. The results will be included in the forthcoming White Paper on the outcome of renegotiation.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the points for renegotiation he set before the Council of Ministers of the EEC in April 1974, together with his conclusions concerning the success, or otherwise, of the renegotiation on each item.

Mr. Hattersley:

The text of my right hon. Friend's statement to the Council of Ministers on 1st April 1974 was published as a White Paper (Cmnd. 5593) and presented to Parliament in April 1974. A White Paper on the outcome of renegotiation will be presented to Parliament in the near future.