§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they reconcile the Answer given by Lady Chalker of Wallasey in H.L. Deb. col. WA69 that the Queen would not be in contravention of her Coronation Oath to govern her subjects according to their laws as a result of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty with the Answer given by the Earl Ferrers in H.L. Deb. col. WA70 that whether the word "municipal" in article 8b of the treaty shall embrace general elections to Parliament is ultimately a matter for the European Court of Justice.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)There is no contradiction between my Answer and that given by my noble friend Lord Ferrers. Her Majesty The Queen gave her consent to the European Court of Justice interpreting the Treaty of 135WA Rome when she assented to the 1972 European Communities Act. This does not place her in contravention of the Coronation Oath.