European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, I appreciate that the noble Lord does not understand and I am worried that he is getting into a bit of a state about what is happening in another place, where I hope that the focus of our discussion will be on what happens in your Lordships’ House. Let me be absolutely clear: Standing Order 21 is for any vote under any Act and allows a 90-minute debate. It will be for the Government to table the Motion, as the Bill states. However, under the Act of Parliament that we are about to pass, the Government are not allowed to do anything. Remember what I said: no Minister can do anything—nod their head, shake their head or do anything—until Parliament has approved. The standing order that we are referring to is about the process that another place will undertake. I am absolutely clear that this means a 90-minute debate in government time, with a vote. For this House, the debate would be given time as normal, with a vote. The critical difference is that there is no convention governing this House on that vote. Any vote to oppose the Government’s proposal is a veto on the Government.