Libya/European Council

John Bercow Excerpts

Monday 28th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I just remind the House that, in keeping with the convention, Members who entered the Chamber after the Prime Minister started his statement should not expect to be called.

[Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle) (Con)]

On the economic aspect of the Prime Minister’s statement, does he agree that the recent election in Germany shows that the German people have lost patience with the European Union, as have the British electorate?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

I am fast coming to the view that Mrs Bone is quite literally insatiable. I will—[Laughter.] I will certainly do my best, but there are some things of which it is quite difficult to persuade one’s European colleagues. I take to heart the compliments that Mrs Bone paid in the early part of my hon. Friend’s question.

[Mr Speaker]

I feel rather left out not to have met Mrs Bone.

[Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD)]

Will the Prime Minister confirm that France and the other allied countries will take part in military action only through the NATO command structure, and will not prosecute separate campaigns outside that structure?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

I do agree. As I said, completing the single market can sound rather technical and dull, but when one considers how much our economies are dominated by services—80% on average—and the fact that there are still so many abuses of the single market by services in so many countries, it is clear that there is a real opportunity to enlarge the whole EU economy if we take these steps.

[Mr Speaker]

I must thank the Prime Minister and colleagues for their succinctness. Everybody got in, and we did not even take up the hour that I had it in mind to allocate.