European Union (Amendment) Bill

If the noble Lord is so nervous about the abolition of obligatory expenditure, why, during the convention—when, as the noble Lord, Lord Tomlinson, recalled, the idea was first discussed—were the French Government the Government who were most nervous of it and opposed it most strongly? The Governments who strongly supported it were the budget-disciplinarian Governments—that is, those of northern Europe. The only strong support the French had was from the Polish Government. Can he explain that?