§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list each of the provisions of the treaty of Rome which confer on the institutions of the Community a power(a) to pass legislation by regulation or by directive or (b) to incur expenditure, binding on member states, indicating in each case where applicable the principal United Kingdom Government Departments and areas of policy involved; and if he will give the same information in respect of the treaty on European Union.
§ Mr. NewtonI have been asked to reply.
It is clear from the wording of the articles of the treaty of Rome which of them authorise the Council or the Commission to adopt legislative measures. The same is true of the additional articles inserted into the treaty by title II of the treaty on European union. The articles do not, however, determine whether or not measures adopted under them are capable of involving expenditure from the Community budget. This depends on the nature of the individual measure concerned. Indeed, any measure is capable of having implications for the Community budget, even if only in terms of administrative costs. Nor is it possible to detail in advance which Government Departments will have principal responsibility for areas of Community legislation. This information is supplied in the explanatory memorandum submitted to Parliament in respect of each specific proposal for EC legislation.