European Parliament: Committees (Hansard, 28 February 1994)

HL Deb 28 February 1994 vol 552 cc805-7 805

§ Lord Bruce of Donington asked Her Majesty's Government:

§ Whether, at the next meeting of the European Council, they will put forward proposals for the meetings of all committees and sub-committees of the European Parliament to be open to the public and to the media, subject to their right to private deliberations as and when necessary.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)
My Lords, as I advised the noble Lord on 11th October, open sessions of committees of the European Parliament are a matter for the Parliament itself to decide.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the European Council, which is comprised of the heads of state, can affect amendments to the treaties and can lay down the conditions under which the institution and its members work? Is it not the case that during the Maastricht debate the leaders of all political parties in this place and in another place agreed that the European Parliament could look after the European finances? In view of the fact that neither this place nor another place bothered about the 1994 budget, would it not be wise to have the meetings of the Budget Committee and other committees of the European Parliament thrown open so that we know exactly how our interests are safeguarded in that organisation?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, I have much sympathy with his view. Perhaps I may say how grateful I am for the comments that he made in a forceful intervention at a European Parliament seminar last week on fraud, money and controlling the Commission. That was the intention of the Maastricht Treaty and will be the way in which it is carried out. We in the councils of the European Union, and in particular the European Council, will make sure that all parts of that budget are subject to scrutiny. But I agree with the noble Lord that it could have had more debate.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, I am grateful for that favourable reply. Will the Minister ensure that the sentiments expressed in the Maastricht debates by all three Front Benches— that the European Parliament should be regarded as a safeguard of European finances — are openly and transparently carried out by Members of the European Parliament? On the basis of what we 806 read about the Parliament's plenary sittings, which I have read many times, their contributions so far have largely been insignificant.

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, there is a clear message for all would-be candidates who wish to have the support of the noble Lord in the June elections: that all Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg will be expected by their parties to scrutinise far more than some Members have done in the past and to make sure that what is set by the European Council is carried through by the Commission.

§ Lord Richard
My Lords, the Minister referred to what can be expected of candidates in the European Parliament elections in June. What can be expected from the candidates of her party? Will they support the manifesto of their Christian Democrat allies? Is there any truth in the fact that they are being threatened with being expelled from the European People's Party if they do not back those policies? Can we expect that from her colleagues?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I thought that the noble Lord, Lord Richard, knew that the British Conservatives are allied members of the EPP in Strasbourg. They are not bound by its policies or its manifesto and I am not answerable for them at this Dispatch Box. However, I point out, as I have on many previous occasions, that this argument seems to be about the dreaded word "federalism" and it has different meanings in different places. That is exactly why we were right to insist that it should not be included in the Maastricht Treaty. We were clear that we were opposed to centralisation, but some regard federalism as being a decentralised Community. Some of those are in the Community and some are even on the Liberal Democrat Benches.

§ Lord Richard
My Lords, the Minister asked whether I was aware of something. Is she not aware that Mr. Martens, the former Belgian Prime Minister, said in relation to Conservative MEPs: All other objectives of this manifesto have to be accepted for collaboration in the future group of the EPP. Conservative MEPs will be obliged to accept the commitment". Is that true?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, the noble Lord is going very wide of the Question. All I shall say to him is that Mr. Martens is but one Member.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, perhaps I may return to the Question. Does the noble Baroness agree that the European Parliament is agreeing to expenditure of large sums of money which are raised by the House of Commons and British taxpayers? Therefore, we should be able to see exactly what it is doing and spending. Is it not necessary that the British and European public should be able to see what those people are doing at the cost of £ 1 million per head per annum?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I know that noble Lords are well aware of the scepticism of the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, on this issue and he knows that I share some of that scepticism. It is 807 absolutely crucial that "own resources" are decided not by the European Parliament, although it makes frequent attempts to increase the amounts involved. We can see quite clearly from the European Parliament conference on own resources that it is not in line with any of the 12 national governments and I believe that future debates on finance in this House, in another place and in the European Parliament must make transparent the whole business of European finance.