Commencement (Protocol on Social Policy)

Part of Orders of the Day — European Communities (Amendment) Bill – in the House of Commons at 5:15 pm on 22 April 1993.

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Photo of Mr Nicholas Budgen Mr Nicholas Budgen , Wolverhampton South West 5:15, 22 April 1993

Sometimes jobbing lawyers have to cross-examine the accused by reference to the statement that he has made to the police. Jobbing lawyers are quite good at using the pompous phrases of the court. I would respectfully suggest that what the accused said on that occasion amounted to an admission of guilt in that he said it was a political court. In his extensive statement to the police he said: The European Court has, perhaps, traditionally been a centralising institution, expanding the powers and scope of the Community with what I might call purposive interpretations of the treaty. I contend, however, that there have recently been clear signs that the court is sensitive to the change of mood in the Community—even in advance of the ratification of the Maastricht treaty, which itself sends out a clear signal through article 3b; that article concerns subsidiarity, which we shall discuss later.The court is showing itself to be increasingly sensitive to states' rights, and is giving increasing weight to the national arrangements."—[Official Report, 27 January 1993; Vol. 217, c. 1057.]