European Union (Amendment) Bill

Unfortunately, I have only two minutes left and I wish to conclude. The fact is that those amendments have consequence only in respect of Germany and German reunification, although I have no idea whether the Opposition have discussed in detail with their friend Angela Merkel whether she would wish the House of Commons to alter the treaty as it applies to Germany alone. In the limited time that I have left, let me deal with the points that my hon. Friends raised. They raised specific points about the role of the article 133 committee, which has existed since the treaty of Rome. The committee is not a conspiracy at the heart of the European Union, but my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Colin Burgon) raised some important points about European trade policy and the way trade negotiations are conducted. Decisions are ultimately taken not by the committee but by the Council of Ministers. However, my hon. Friend's point is important: we have to have more detailed discussion, and on occasion perhaps even scrutiny of the workings of that committee or other relevant committees, undertaken by this House and the European Parliament in particular, which has an increased role. My hon. Friends also raised the issue of health, but were fair enough to acknowledge that the consolidated text makes the matter absolutely clear:"““Union action, which shall complement national policies, shall be directed towards improving public health””." Public health was the important point in that text. The consolidated treaty continues:"““Union action shall respect the responsibilities of…Member States for the definition of their health policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care. The responsibilities of the Member States shall include the management of health services and medical care and the allocation of the resources assigned to them.””"