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European Union Bill

My Lords, perhaps it will help the House if I read the wording in Section 6 of the European Union (Amendment) Act 2008. It states: "““A Minister of the Crown may not vote in favour of or otherwise support a decision under any of the following unless Parliamentary approval has been given in accordance with this section””." In addressing that clause and in resisting the amendment of the MP for Wells, Mr Jim Murphy said: "““If the European Council sought to come to a decision based on consensus, the provision in clause 6 would mean that we would have to vote to break that consensus by not abstaining. That is the important protection contained in clause 6(1)””.—[Official Report, Commons, 4/3/08; col. 1669.]" All that we are doing is repeating what the previous Government put in the Act that ratified the Lisbon treaty. Perhaps it will help if I go on to explain that this does not in any way mean that a Minister or their officials cannot express support for a decision in principle, pending the completion of the process of approval provided in Clause 6.