European Affairs

Part of Business of the House – in the House of Commons at 12:45 pm on 3 June 2010.

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Photo of William Hague William Hague The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 12:45, 3 June 2010

I was just coming to that point. The Bill will ensure that primary legislation will be required before the British Government may authorise the use of ratchet clauses in treaties-as some of us have called them-some of which result from the Lisbon treaty. Such clauses allow for a modification of treaties or provide options for existing EU powers to expand, which is my hon. Friend's point. The proposed use of a major ratchet clause-for example, the abolition of vetoes over foreign policy-would also be subject to a referendum. That will be built into our legislation. Taken together, those measures will ensure that unlike under the Labour Government, the European Union can increase its powers vis-à-vis the United Kingdom only with the agreement of the British people. That is a major step towards rebuilding popular trust in the EU.