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European Communities (Finance) Bill

I am extremely grateful to the Chief Secretary for giving way again. There is a fundamental point. Sir John Major once went to Edinburgh and agreed certain finance arrangements, and it was claimed that the whole of Parliament was bound by the Prime Minister's undertaking to European leaders. That cannot ever be the position. Parliament is the authority through which the decision is made. The Government have entered into an agreement, but whether they can honour it or not is entirely dependent on how the House responds.