1
DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE
DSR 11C
NA
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the Pousoudy. pure, then is folt a
ifer parániment
A
to bo consulted
even before. signature,
in
the case of very important
treaties
By virtue of the Royal Prerogative,
The
the authority to ratify,
accept, approve or accede to a treaty is vested in the brown No fast at the Royal Prerogative, it serviced on behalf of in thrown by the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. However, in order
that Parliament may be afforded the opportunity of debate,
it is long established practice under what is known as the
'Ponsonby Rule' for the Government to lay before both
the Coach
Houses of Parliament by means of a Command Paper all treaties
which require ratification, acceptance, approval or accession,
for at least 21 sitting-days before ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession takes place. Failure to comply with
the full requirements of the 'Ponsonby Rule' would
certainly expose the Government to severe Parliamentary
criticism.
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The normal method of coutlying with this rule is to The last of the agreement
Part of th diger
but before atulive lidar
0.
outroring of the negotiations on
me
For this reason the draft treaty of British accession to
default
the European Communities was laid before Parliament in
1972 and fully debated before signature in
[month]
December 1972.
A "Sitting-day" excludes Saturdays and Sundays, and any
period when the House is in Recess (eg Summer recess from
about the beginning of August to probably the third week of
October) or prorogued (between Sessions, usually 3-4 days
text co in early November). This means that although the Command-
Paper containing the draft Agreement may be laid during
should be smen by window of
by rundown of with the towerby poule, September when Parliament is in Recess, Parliament/has at
least until the end of November in which to debate it.
It would be politically unacceptable for the Government to
frejused
[sign] the agreement until a debate had taken place in the
House of Commons ever after the expiry of the constitutionally
acceptable period of 21 gitting-days.
/Parliament
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