European Union (Amendment) Bill

I am sorry to disappoint the right hon. Lady by disagreeing with her. As she will see, article 9 has preserved the word ““shall””. It states"““The European Parliament and national Parliaments shall together determine the organisation and promotion of effective and regular interparliamentary cooperation within the Union.””" The right hon. Lady may be surprised to learn that in the French text of article 9 the word ““doit””, or ““shall””, does not appear. It states, in exactly the same terms:"““Le Parlement européen et les parlements nationaux définissent ensemble l'organisation et la promotion d'une coopération interparlementaire efficace””." Although the ““shall”” was preserved—I hope the Minister will tell us in a moment why it was retained in this clause whereas, apparently on the Government's insistence, it was removed from the others—I should like to know why that has had absolutely no impact on the French text. In a context that is mandatory, it continues to use a form of words that appears to be simply definitional. I must tell the Minister, and the right hon. Lady, that I think that is because as far as the French draftsmen were concerned, it did not make any difference, it has never made any difference, and it still will not make any difference what the Government have done since then.