To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the Government have (a) voted against and (b) abstained on a proposal at the Council of Ministers for which a qualified majority has been obtained. (277097)

The Council of the European Union publicises these figures on their website. These can be found at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.aspx?id=551&lang=EN

The figures for 2008 are eight abstentions and zero votes against. The same report shows that 270 legislative acts were adopted in 2008.