Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)

I welcome the announcement by the Government of a referendum. We had several heated moments in this House on whether a referendum would occur. The Attorney General has moved in a swift fashion to give the people this decision, and we will look forward to a robust debate in the weeks ahead. No date has been set, from what we can understand from the announcement, but it gives people the chance to support the work that has been happening and to support the progress that has been made by the Government in the year since it was elected. It will provide an opportunity for everybody to have a debate about our place in Europe and the way our relationship has developed and strengthened with Europe, not just in the last year but since we became members of the European Union.