European Affairs

In a moment. The right hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz), in his memorable time as Minister for Europe, famously said that the charter would have no more legal weight than The Beano; and the former Prime Minister Tony Blair told this House in 2007 that it was""absolutely clear that we have an opt-out from both the charter and judicial and home affairs".—[Official Report, 25 June 2007; Vol. 462, c. 37.]" The Government were subsequently forced to admit that they had obtained not an opt-out but a clarification, and that admission was made in exchanges with the European Scrutiny Committee, as I recall. So we ought to expect the Government's support on this point, which is about establishing in reality what the Government wrongly claimed to have obtained in the first place. On that point, I give way to the Minister.