Official Report 202KB pdf
Item 2 on the agenda is the familiar briefing paper on pre and post-council analysis and scrutiny. At annex A, there is a table of recommendations on points from the Executive. I was not struck by anything that I want to highlight. Do members want to raise any points?
I will raise my traditional points. I question many of the issues that are raised in the papers because I understood that they were under national Government control. In so many papers it is clear that we are breaking into areas that I have always believed are still under our Government's control. Irrespective of constitutions, there is creeping Europeanisation.
I fear that we will hear more about that in the next few weeks. I note Phil Gallie's comments.
May I pick up on the broad economic policy guidelines? In what way will those affect the United Kingdom? Are we excluded from them?
Which page is that on?
It is in annex B to the paper. Would we be excluded simply because we have not adopted the euro?
I do not think so; some of the paper relates to the overall financial perspective and planning of the European Union, which affects every member state. The United Kingdom Government is very much to the fore in that dialogue. In addition, there is the Lisbon strategy and its implications for every aspect of economic policy, which features heavily in the sift paper that we are about to come to. I cannot imagine that we are excluded.
Perhaps Mr Gallie wants us to join the euro zone. Maybe that is where he was heading.
I did not pick up that hint.
How could Irene Oldfather reach that conclusion from a perfectly honest question?