§ Q2. Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Prime Minister how many letters he has received urging that, following British entry to the European Community, he should recommend that Parliament should decide, as it is entitled to do under the Community Treaties, that Great Britain's delegations to the European Parliament should be directly elected by the British electorate.
§ The Prime MinisterNone, Sir. The present procedure for selecting delegates to the European Parliament is by nomination by the national Parliaments from among their members. Article 138(3) of the Treaty of Rome provides for the drawing up of proposals for elections by direct universal suffrage. As a member of the Community, we would participate in the work towards agreement on such proposals, which must meet with the unanimous approval of the Council of Ministers of the Community.
§ Mr. ClarkeI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. As the Council of Ministers seems likely to put forward recommendations in 1972, are any consultations to take place between the British Government and the Council on the question of strengthening the European Parliament? Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the British Government are fully committed to taking a leading part in strengthening the democratic nature of the European Community once Britain becomes a member? Does he envisage direct elections as being part of that strengthening process?
§ The Prime MinisterOn the second part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, he is perfectly correct. The first part is covered by the arrangements for consultation between the Community and ourselves on any action which it may wish to take during the interim period before full membership is achieved.
§ Sir G. de FreitasWill the Prime Minister make a deep study of the problems, especially the financial problems, which will arise if we have in this country constituencies of about 1½ million people?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree with the right hon. Gentleman, who has much experience of these matters, that that would produce very real problems. But they would not be limited to this country. It would produce real problems for all members of the Community. But this is looking rather far ahead. I know that some members of the Community, particularly the Italians, have always supported direct election to the European Parliament. On the other hand, there are very powerful democratic bodies in the world which have achieved their position through indirect elections, such as the American Senate.
§ Mr. PeelDoes my right hon. Friend agree that it is very important that for some considerable time to come the Parliamentarians in the European Parliament should be members of their own sovereign Parliaments as well?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a major question on which the arguments can be fairly finely balanced. As far as one can foresee, the members of the European Parliament will come from their national Parliaments. But there is a provision in the Treaty of Rome which enables the European Parliament to move towards direct election if the Council of Ministers agrees.
§ Mr. John MendelsonWith reference to the original Question, is it not far more important that before the Prime Minister considers direct election by the British electorate to the European Parliament, the British electorate should be given the opportunity to pronounce on the actual entry and the entry terms, and now that one of the two main parties in the State is opposed to the Prime Minister's policy on this matter, is there 1840 not a clear and urgent case for a general election before this House is asked to vote upon the matter?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.