---

European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, we started this debate talking about the problems and pleasures of herding cats but I found myself thinking more and more of the problems and pleasures of herding weasels. I have never heard so many weasel words being used—inform, concede, consult, listen, debate, vote and take into account. I hope that what we are discussing today is not parliamentary consultation and influence but parliamentary control over the Government. I say that for two big reasons. First, I was lucky enough to be a member of the committee chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Grenfell, and I am now a member of the committee chaired by my noble friend Lord Jopling. How often have we seen that great phrase ““scrutiny override”” used? What is the reason for that? It is not so much that Ministers are ill intentioned but that they are often powerless. Alan Clark’s Diaries state under the entry for 18 February 1986: "““Not that it makes the slightest difference to the conclusions of a meeting what Ministers say. Everything is decided, horse-traded off, by officials at Coreper … The Ministers arrive on the scene at the last minute, hot, tired, ill or drunk (sometimes all of these together), read out their piece and depart””." It is to enable Ministers to control Brussels that I believe we need to vote in favour of this measure.