§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the treaty or other basis on which the European Council at Madrid adopted the principle of subsidiarity; for what purposes European Community legislation is to take precedence over that of members states; and what body of persons are to make the initial and financial decisions on whether or not national legislation is sufficient to achieve those purposes.
§ Mr. MaudeMy right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development explained the concept of subsidiarity in the Adjournment debate on EC institutions on 4 July. This is a general policy concept rather than a specific legislative proposal. It therefore has no specific treaty base although an example of the principle can be found in article 130r. It is for the Commission to take subsidiarity into account when proposing legislation, and the Council to do so when taking decisions.