Treaty of Lisbon (No. 4)

The Lisbon treaty makes a stronger, clearer statement than ever before about the role of national Governments in organising the resources and funding of their national health services. We will discuss the issues in greater detail as the Bill goes through Parliament. On competition, the protocol has the same legal weight as other treaty texts. The Law Society, of which the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire is a member, said that"““a Protocol records that the EU's internal market includes a system which ensures that competition is undistorted. This does not change the current legal position””." The hon. Gentleman is a member of the Law Society; I suggest that he should pay more attention to his own organisation's reflections on the issues. This afternoon, the statements from the Opposition have made the situation very clear. My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North said that they have only one ally across Europe. Unusually, he is wrong. I met the Deputy Prime Minister from the ODS in the Czech Republic, Mr. Vondra, and he is strongly supportive of the Lisbon treaty. Conservative Members have had two weeks to name a single conservative party anywhere in Europe that supports their rejection of the treaty, and so far they have been unable to do so. Question put, That the amendment be made:— The House divided: Ayes 176, Noes 352.