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European Union (Amendment) Bill

The point is that the case is put in such a way as to suggest that the European Scrutiny Committee said something but did not expect the Government to respond. What we said—I am quoting from under the heading ““the Constitutional Treaty and the Reform Treaty compared””—was that"““we are not convinced that the same conclusion does not apply to…the Reform Treaty.””" However, we continued:"““We look to the Government to make it clear where the changes they have sought and gained at the IGC alter this conclusion in relation to the UK.””" The Government came back and argued their case. We took a different view at different times, but let me put it on record that 48 amendments were tabled in the name of the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash) and his colleagues, and that all of them were defeated. Nine of those amendments proposed a referendum. The question of a referendum was defeated nine times in the process of preparing the European Scrutiny Committee’s report so, regardless of the—[Interruption.]