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European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, the last thing that anyone will criticise Her Majesty’s Opposition for is taking insufficient account of every nightmare, frisson and other possibility that is around, because the list of amendments that we have discussed runs through the whole gamut and beyond. The noble Lord, Lord Howell, can feel confident that no one will ever accuse him of that. However, as the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, said, the treaty itself is extremely explicit so far as the responsibilities of the President of the Commission are concerned, in a way that seriously and totally precludes the sort of nightmare scenario suggested in this amendment. I would have thought—the noble Baroness the Leader of the House can no doubt confirm this—that in order for this to come about, you would have to change the treaty. In which case you do not need this amendment, because if you change the treaty you will have to have the full ratification procedure as laid down, and as we are now painfully but enjoyably undergoing in this House. If the noble Lord receives sufficient satisfaction from the Leader of the House I hope that he will feel able to withdraw the amendment.