Lord Inglewood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2014-04-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the timetable for the negotiations on the United Kingdom’s opt-in to the European Arrest Warrant and other European Union Justice and Home Affairs measures; whether they agree with the statement made by the Presidency of the European Union in note 7519/14 that they will need to finalise their position by June 2014 so that national internal procedures can take place before the summer recess; and if so, whether those procedures will include a debate in the House of Lords on the final text of the instruments.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary stated to Parliament on 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 27, ‘Detailed and constructive discussions are taking place with the European Commission and other member states. The Government is keen to avoid the possibility of an operational gap that will ensue if we have not settled the matter before 1 December when the UK’s opt-out takes full effect.

Our aim is therefore to reach an "in principle" deal well ahead of that date.’ As I stated to the House on 23 January 2014, Official Report, column 846, the Government remains committed ‘to holding another vote on the final package of measures that we will apply to rejoin.’ We remain of the view that Parliament should be given the opportunity to scrutinise this matter fully.