European Communities (Definition of Treaties) (Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States and the Swiss Confederation to Combat Fraud) Order 2006

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the order and for his helpful explanation. Any action to reduce fraud or to make fraud in the European Union more difficult is to be welcomed. The hour is late and I do not wish to waste the time of the House by repeating arguments already made in the other place, but I would like to make one general comment. Admirable as is the desire to prevent the perpetrators of fraud from benefiting from their actions, does not the Minister think it more important to stop the fraud in the first place? The European Court of Auditors has now refused to sign off the European Union’s accounts for the 11th successive year. During that period, there has been much talk of the progress that is being made in cleaning up the abuse. Does the Minister agree that still to be saying that things are improving after 11 years is hopelessly inadequate? By now the accounts should be clean. No other institution, whether public or private, could get away with this sort of behaviour. It does not stop there. There is a record of aggression, either by intimidation or by dismissal, against employees of the European Union who draw attention to misdemeanours. If such behaviour—that is, the dismissal of employees—occurred in this country, any employer would be in the courts in no time at all. I find it incomprehensible that the Government would surrender any part of our rebate in order to swell the pool into which so many dishonest fingers are dipping. It seems to be entering the world of make-believe to permit the dishonesty but to ask if you could have the proceeds. Notwithstanding that, I welcome the order.