§ 18. Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy at the next intergovernmental conference to resist any extension of qualified majority voting and new EU competences. [108548]
§ Mr. VazThe Government have made it clear that they will adopt a pragmatic approach to the extension of qualified majority voting. Where it is in Britain's interests to support QMV, we shall do so. But where key national interests are at stake, we shall insist on retaining unanimity. As for competencies, The Helsinki European Council agreed that the ICG would concentrate on reforming the institutions, not giving them new tasks to perform.