HC Deb 11 July 2003 vol 408 c1032W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 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. [117224]

Alan Johnson

We are unable to provide statistics on the details of the Department's vote in the Council of Ministers for the period before 1999 as this information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Since January 1999, as far as we have been able to verify, the Department has not abstained from voting in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers; and if he will list the legislation by year. [117246]

Alan Johnson

We are unable to provide statistics on the details of the Department's vote in the Council of Ministers for the period before 1999 as this information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Since January 1999, as far as we have been able to verify, there have been no occasions where the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers.