§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting. [117231]
908W
§ Mr. BradshawThe Department does not hold information in the form requested prior to 1999. The information is not held centrally nor electronically and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.
On four occasions since 1999, this Department and its predecessors abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal, which was then passed by qualified majority voting. A list of the regulations and the dates the UK abstained are as follows:
April 1999:
Council Regulation 6422/99—amending Regulation (EC) No. 2200/96 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables.
December 1999:
Council Regulation 13613/99 amending Regulation (EC) No. 1251/99 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops.
Council Regulation 13255/99 (Corrigendum 1) laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector.
October 2001:
Council Regulation 11978/01 amending Regulation (EC) No. 723/97 on the implementation of member states' action programmes on control of EAGGF Guarantee Section Expenditure.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers; and if she will list the legislation by year. [117248]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Department does not hold information in the form requested prior to 1999. This information could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.
On three occasions since 1999 this Department and its predecessors has been outvoted by qualified majority voting. A list of the relevant legislation by year is as follows:
2000:
Council Regulation 8942/00—fixing certain sugar prices and the standard quality of beet for the 2000–01 marketing year.
Council Regulation 13657/00—amending Regulation (EC) No. 2200/96 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables, Regulation (EC) No. 2201/96 on the common organisation of the market in processed fruit and vegetables and Regulation (EC) No. 2202/96 introducing a community aid scheme for producers of certain citrus fruits.
2001:
Council Regulation 14442/00—amending Regulation (EC) No. 404/93 on the common organisation of the market in bananas.