UK Parliament / Open data

European Union (Amendment) Bill

Can the Minister help us a little by answering some questions? First, have any powers been returned to nation states since 1972 and, if so, can she identify them? Does she agree that the word competence is very unfortunate, because competence usually means an ability to do something and to do it well? We have come to use the French word ““competence””, which means power, so perhaps we should use the word ““power”” in future when we discuss these matters. What will be the procedure for returning those powers in future, which I maintain have never been returned in the past? Will that be by qualified majority voting or unanimity? Supposing that the other member states do not want to return powers that we might want returned, how will that work?
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
701 c832 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Back to top