Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the legal effect is of registering the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council on 18 and 19 February 2016, with the UN.
Answered by David Lidington
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government is a treaty between the 28 Member States. Article 102 of the UN Charter and Article 80 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provide that every treaty and every international agreement shall be registered with the UN Secretariat. Registration with the UN is a clear indicator that the document is a treaty.
Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assurances or opinions has he received from the government or constitutional bodies in (a) France and (b) Germany on whether the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016, would require a vote in the parliament of that country.
Answered by David Lidington
It is for the relevant national authorities in France and Germany to determine their parliamentary proceedings.
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016 was agreed to by all Member States and is now a legally binding document that has been registered with the United Nations as an international treaty.
Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what notification he has received on whether there are (a) constitutional requirements and (b) potential legal proceedings in other EU member states related to the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016.
Answered by David Lidington
It is for the relevant national authorities in other Member States to determine their constitutional requirements and potential legal proceedings.
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016 was agreed to by all Member States and is now a legally binding document that has been registered with the United Nations as an international treaty.
Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compliance of the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016 with Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Lidington
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016 is not subject to the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016, meets the definition of a treaty under Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Answered by David Lidington
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, on 18 and 19 February 2016, meets the definition of a treaty under Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The Decision was registered at the United Nations Treaty Office on 24 February 2016.
Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on the options circulated by the President of the European Council on the UK's relationship with the EU.
Answered by Lord Hammond of Runnymede
As The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) made clear in his statement to the House yesterday, the renegotiation deal delivers on the Government’s commitment to fix the problems with the EU that have frustrated people in the UK. It is legally binding, irreversible and delivers for the UK. The deal gives the UK the best of both worlds: in to the parts of Europe that work for us and out of those parts which don’t.Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department has provided to the European Commission on whether criteria for triggering the proposed emergency brake on EEA welfare payments have been met.
Answered by David Lidington
The Government has had detailed technical talks with the European Institutions, during which information was shared across a range of issues including the nature of the United Kingdom's welfare system.