To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department's vote in the Council of Ministers against a legislative proposal (a) was and (b) was not sufficient to achieve with other member states a blocking minority. [117213]

Information for the period before 1999 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Since January 1999, as far as we have been able to verify, the Department has not voted against any legislative proposals at any Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department abstained in the Council of Ministers on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting. [117236]

Information for the period before 1999 is available only at disproportionate cost.Since January 1999, there have been no occasions where the Department has abstained on a legislative proposal which was passed by qualified majority voting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers broken down by legislation and year. [117240]

Information for the period before 1999 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Since January 1999, there have been no occasions where the Department has been outvoted by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions since May 1997 the Department indicated dissent from a proposal in the Council of Ministers but did not register a vote or abstention. [117255]

The information for the period before 1999 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Since January 1999, there have been no occasions where the Department has indicated dissent from a proposal in the Council of Ministers but did not register a vote or abstention.