European Union (Amendment) Bill

Amendment No. 39, which was ably introduced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), would allow for all orders made under clause 3 to be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure rather than the negative resolution procedure, as the Government wish. It would thus improve the Bill by compelling the Government to lay all orders made under subsection (4) before Parliament and by instructing that such orders should all be positively approved by resolutions of both Houses. The amendment would thus improve parliamentary oversight of the implementation of the treaty’s details into UK law without, for better or worse, wrecking the Bill in the process. I hope that hon. Members from all parties, including the Liberal Democrats, who have expressed the wish to strengthen Parliament when outside this place, will join us in supporting the amendment. I understand that the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) said she would so as much—