European Union (Amendment) Bill

I heard the Foreign Secretary pray in aid the comments of the Foreign Affairs Committee, so it might be useful to put on the record the full and correct quote, which has been much abused, from the European Scrutiny Committee. The question is whether the new treaty produces the same substantial effect as the constitutional treaty. We said that that is the case only"““for those countries which have not requested derogations or opt-outs from the full range of agreements in the Treaty””," and we then referred readers to the table and the annexe in the report. In praying in aid for his case, my right hon. Friend might reflect on the wording of a defeated amendment proposed by the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash), which referred to the proposition that the reform treaty was"““substantially equivalent to the Constitutional Treaty, even if it is not the same.””"