§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list by Department each occasion when Her Majesty's Government have entered a scrutiny reserve at Council of Minsters meetings, indicating the matter concerned. [7531]
§ The Prime MinisterArrangements exist to prevent items coming forward for decision in the Council of Ministers where a member state's parliamentary scrutiny procedures have yet to be completed. The presidency may, nonetheless, occasionally place an item on a Council agenda for decision which is still subject to parliamentary scrutiny in a member state. Information on the occasions when the United Kingdom has as a consequence maintained a scrutiny reserve at the Council of Ministers is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.