EU: Membership

Lord Tomlinson Excerpts

Monday 11th February 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Warsi]

I assure my noble and learned friend that we think about these matters all the time. A new treaty has not been ruled out; it is being actively discussed in the corridors of Brussels and many capitals across the EU. The Prime Minister agrees with those who believe that, in the next few years, the EU will need to agree on treaty change to resolve the crisis in the eurozone, to which my noble and learned friend referred, while protecting the interests of those outside the eurozone and driving forward reform for all.

[Lord Tomlinson]

Would the Minister agree if I suggested to her that in all these requests that we are making for renegotiating the relationship with the European Union, some of them must be abundantly clear without waiting for the balance of competences review? Can she give us a list of some of the imperative items on that shopping list?

[Baroness Warsi]

This Government do not believe in pre-empting decisions without consulting experts and the public.