Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Renton (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 6 June 2006.

EU: Council of Ministers

Question: My Lords, is not the real question that in any modern democracy the great mass of people is only concerned in the broadest terms about who is going to have power and that we must educate the people much more than they have been in order to get them to understand the real situation?

Answer: My Lords, I am wholly in favour of the widest possible understanding of the different powers that exist in Europe or, indeed, in our own parliamentary system. Alongside people's interest in that, there is real concern, as was demonstrated in the referendums in Europe, to know what Europe adds in value to the economy, employment, security and a wide range of other things. I am more fearful of a wholly inward-looking and constitutional debate that ignores the things that citizens make it plain that they regard as more important.

Secondary information