Er  indeed the directive was promulgated as the minister said but I don't think it was a bolt out of the blue, it was of course something that we around for some considerable time before that and of course that excuse hardly applies  to the delay in establishing the European parliamentary constituency committees, er as the minister er will know very well, it was merely a matter of seven weeks, er the excuse being that had they had another seven weeks  they could have had the public inquiry stage, the reality of course was that there was plenty of time to do this in good time and in good order and without the confusion that exists now er around the candidatures and the boundaries of the existing European boundaries.