Tuesday, 18 December 2007

The House met at 11.00am for the final sitting day of 2007. Questions dealt with UK membership of the EU, a question put by the euro-sceptic Lord Pearson of Rannoch. Lord Malloch-Brown revealed that "Britain’s trade with the European Union has grown from just over 40 per cent of our total trade in 1973 when we joined to around 55 per cent today" and "that the single market, which is a product of Brussels, boosted the EU GDP by €225 billion in 2006 alone, and we were major beneficiaries of that"

Other questions dealt with the bringing into force of ss32-36 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (taxi accessibility regulations); the cost of government funded research into organophosphates and human health; and Bolivia. The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill was given its second reading. At its conclusion a statement on the Bali Conference on Climate Change was repeated. Before the adjournment the Chief Whips of the three parties and Baroness D'Souza for the Crossbenchers spoke about retirees and all those who serve the House.

The House adjourned at 2.22pm

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