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European Union (Amendment) Bill

I was interested in what the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, and the noble Lord, Lord Williamson, said on increasing the power of national parliaments. It is simply not happening; it is just window dressing. I draw the Chamber’s attention to what the treaty says on national parliaments. It says: "““Where reasoned opinion on a draft legislative act’s non-compliance with the principle of subsidiarity represent at least one third of all the votes allocated to national Parliaments in accordance with””," various requirements; it continues, "““the draft must be reviewed””." That is fine. It goes on: "““After such review, the Commission or … the group of Member States…the Court of Justice, the European Central Bank or the European Investment Bank””—" or whoever it is— "““may decide to maintain, amend or withdraw the draft””." Reasons must be given for that. So actually it is business as usual. They do not have to do anything about it at all. National Parliaments can say exactly what they want. We have to get one-third of all national parliaments to agree to do this. The Commission can then decide to maintain the proposal anyway. How does that possibly increase the power of national parliaments? The answer is that it does not, so I hope that we will not hear any more about subsidiarity increasing the power of national parliaments. That bit was in the earlier Maastricht and Nice treaties. The new treaty says that under the ordinary legislative procedure—I will not read the whole thing, it is too boring—half of national Parliaments would have to get together. They can then put a reasoned objection to the Commission. Yet again the Commission may decide to maintain, amend or withdraw the draft. Even assuming that you can get half the national parliaments to consider the proposal—a proposal that has already of course been signed up to by the relevant Government—there is absolutely zero chance of anything happening at all. There is no further power to national parliaments whatever. I hope that whatever else comes out of this brief discussion on the amendment of my noble friend Lord Pearson, the measure cannot possibly be construed as giving more power to national parliaments. It simply is not the case. It is damaging to national parliaments and to the European Union—although I do not really mind it damaging the latter body—because it gives the impression of accountability without the reality of accountability. It is selling the pass doing this. Therefore, I strongly support the amendment of my noble friend.