HC Deb 21 November 2000 vol 357 cc131-2W
Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the provisions and amendments, by reference to each clause and article, set out in Chapter 7 of the Progress report on the IGC (Confer 4790/00) with particular reference to(a) removal of the veto or emergency brake mechanism, (b) the general principles, (c) the specific rules for cooperation under Title V of the EU Treaty and (d) the application of qualified majority in respect of (i) Article 40(2) and (ii) Titles V and VI of the Treaty on European Unity. [138563]

Mr. Vaz

Discussion continues on the proposed new enhanced co-operation arrangements. As the Prime Minister said in Warsaw, efficient decision-making in an enlarged EU will mean more enhanced co-operation. The Government are therefore open to amending the Treaty provisions provided that enhanced co-operation is open to all and does not undermine the single market.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement by reference to each article on his policy in respect of the provisions and proposed amendments set out in(a) Chapter 1, (b) Chapter 2, (c) Chapter 5, (d) Chapter 6, (e) Chapter 8 and (f) Chapter 9 of the Progress report (Confer 4790/00); [138565]

(2) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of (a) Chapter 3 and (b) Chapter 4 of the Progress report on the IGC (Confer 4790/00), indicating in each case the meaning of the phrase for the record; [138566]

(3) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of those issues which are under discussion in the IGC and are not included in the Progress report on the IGC (Confer 4790/00). [138564]

Mr. Vaz

The Government have made their policy clear on all the main IGC issues in the White Paper laid before the House on 15 February and on numerous occasions since then, most recently in their response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's Report on the IGC, which was published as a Command Paper on 27 October. I refer the hon. Member to these.

Mr. Cash

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on proposals in the Progress report on the IGC on Institutional Reform relating to(a) prevention of fraud in the field of taxation, (b) excise duties, (c) financial assistance for natural disasters, (d) the co-ordination of social protection among member states, (e) intellectual property, (f) social exclusion and (g) EU cultural policies; [138652]

(2) if he will make a statement on proposals in the Progress report on the IGC on Institutional Reform relating to (a) the appointment of a CFSP special representative, (b) students and (c) turnover tax. [138653]

Mr. Vaz

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood), on 30 October 2000,Official Report, column 238W.