Mr William Cash MP Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee

Rt Hon MP Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee

Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP Chairman of the Justice Select Committee

House of Commons 7 Milbank London SW1P 3JA

6 April 2014

Dear Bill, Keith and Sir Alan

Government response to the Joint Report from the European Scrutiny, Home Affairs and Justice Select Committees: The Government’s response to the Committees’ Reports on the 2014 block opt-out decision

We would again like to express our gratitude for the continued work of your Committees on the 2014 opt-out decision.

We have noted and considered your joint report. We deeply regret your collective view that the Government’s engagement has not been satisfactory on this matter. However, our view on the Government's engagement with Parliament has not changed. We have supported Parliament to scrutinise this matter throughout this process, including through regular correspondence and appearances before your Committees, statements and debates in both Houses and responses to over 300 Parliamentary Questions.

However, we have considered carefully and are keen to further demonstrate our commitment to allowing for proper scrutiny. As you will know, we intend to hold a general debate on Government time on 7 April. This will provide Parliament with a further opportunity to debate the 35 measures we are seeking to rejoin in the national interest, as set out in Command Paper 8671.

For the avoidance of doubt, we reaffirm our commitment to hold a second vote in both Houses of Parliament before making a formal application to rejoin any measures. We continue to believe that in order for this vote to be as informed as possible, it should be held after we have reached an ‘in principle’ agreement on those measures we will seek to rejoin.

We look forward to engaging further with you on this important matter.

We are copying this letter to Lord Boswell, Chair of the Lords , Jake Vaughan, Clerk to the Lords EU Committee; Sarah Davies, Clerk to the European Scrutiny Committee; Tom Healey, Clerk to the Home Affairs Committee; Nick Walker, Clerk to the Justice Select Committee; Arnold Ridout, Legal Adviser to the Commons Committee; Les Saunders (Cabinet Office); Deborah Maggs, Home Office Departmental Scrutiny Coordinator; and Patricia Zimmermann, Ministry of Justice Departmental Scrutiny Coordinator.

The Rt. Hon Theresa May MP The Rt. Hon MP