§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the EC proposal for increasing the number of member states required to block a decision makes an exception in the case of decisions affecting the price of food.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe number of votes required for decisions taken by qualified majority voting in the Council is laid down in article 148 of the treaty of Rome. A decision on the amendment of article 148 in the context of enlargement is still under negotiation in the Council. Council decisions on prices under the common agricultural policy are decided by qualified majority voting under article 43. There has been no proposal to amend this practice.
§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his departmental policy on the use by Ministers of his Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Office letterheaded paper to correspond to hon. Members on the Conservative and Unionist party strategy for the forthcoming European elections; and if he has had any discussions with his departmental accounting officer on this issue.
§ Mr. HurdMy special adviser's office recently used Foreign and Commonwealth Office paper by mistake for a letter on the Conservative approach to the European elections. I have assured the permanent Under-Secretary that this will not happen again.