Mr. Nicholas Soames (Mid-Sussex) (Con): May I remind the Foreign Secretary that my party is wholly and unswervingly in favour of the enlargement of the European Union? Will the right hon. Gentleman therefore encourage the Prime Minister to use this moment of reflection to consider those rules that are not subject to treaty amendment and would enable the Union to function more effectively and more efficiently along the lines proposed by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), at the same time as genuinely seeking a leadership role in the European Union when we assume the chairmanship and ensuring that it puts forward a plan for economic growth and for lower unemployment that will command the support of the greater number of the countries of the European Union?

Mr. Straw: The simple answer is yes, we are doing that. Indeed, on enlargement, as we flagged up in the Queen's Speech, a Bill will come before this House for ratifying the enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania, and we are not proposing to have a referendum in respect of that Bill.

6 Jun 2005 : Column 1001, Hansard Volume 434 No 11 Click here for publications