§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he expects the changes made to the draft Constitutional Treaty to give the Commission strategic control over oil supplies; how he interprets strategic control in this context; and what he estimates the effect will be on the British oil industry. [174948]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe Government was content with the amendments to the Energy Chapter (Article III. 157) put forward by the Italian Presidency in document CIG 60/04 ADD 1 (published on 9 December and placed in the Library of the House). These made it clear that the member states retained the right to choose how to exploit their natural resources and to ensure security of supply during emergencies. The Irish Presidency's latest package of amendments (in document CIG 76/04 published on 13 May and placed in the Library of the House) proposed the deletion of the Energy Chapter and removed energy from the list of shared competences in the draft Constitutional Treaty. The Government are also content with this approach which would reflect the position in the existing Treaties.