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European Union (Amendment) Bill

Does my noble friend remember that Mr Major said that 25 per cent of all EU legislation was going to be repatriated to member states as a result of his brilliant negotiating skills at Maastricht? The noble Baroness has just confirmed that not one such power has since been returned. Finally, I put this to the noble Baroness. She says that these powers are conferred by treaty on the European Union by the nation states. If she cannot tell us how those powers are eventually to be returned, and if no powers ever have been returned, does this not confirm that we are dealing with a one-way ratchet? We are dealing with the acquis communautaire. The treaties, the protocol on subsidiarity and all the rest confirm that once a power has been passed, it cannot be given back without unanimity in the Council, which is unrealistic. I do not think that it helps to say that these are merely conferred powers.