Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 10:43 pm on 3 June 1991.
Mr Tony Marlow
, Northampton North
10:43,
3 June 1991
I have no desire or intention to debate the issue now. I am saying that certain powers have been given with regard to the labelling of tobacco products. The document also contains a power to ban a certain product—oral snuff. Another document, by a qualified Majority vote, could ban the sale of alcohol. This is nothing to do with trade between countries in the Community or with the internal market; it is to do with stopping the people of this country doing something in this country. The House has not given such powers to the European Community.
The Government's view is that, if the matter were taken to the European Court, the issue might be defeated. We know that the European Court is a political court. The Government have decided not to pursue the issue, but the powers of the House are being removed from the House. It is no good voting against a take-note motion. I ask for your advice, Mr. Deputy Speaker, about what the House can do to retrieve its original powers which it never intended to give to the European Community institutions but which are now daily being acquired by stealth.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.