HC Deb 31 July 1975 vol 896 cc2041-3
Q1. Mr. Beith

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his discussions in Brussels on 16th July, so far as they related to direct elections to the European Parliament.

Q9. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the public speech he made at the meeting of Heads of EEC Governments in Brussels on 16th July.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Edward Short)

I have been asked to reply.

It is not the practice to make set speeches at these meetings and details of the discussions are confidential. The question of direct elections arose in the context of discussions on the future development of the Community. The Heads of Government decided that various ideas should be looked at by the Council of Foreign Ministers. The Council will set up a working group.

Mr. Beith

Why are the Prime Minister and the Government so unwilling to make a statement of principle in favour of direct elections? Are they afraid of allowing the British people to choose their representatives to the European Community? Might the answer be that the system of election used might be much fairer than our system?

Mr. Short

Not at all. Direct elections appear in the Treaty of Rome, as an objective. We accept that treaty. The Prime Minister told the House on 3rd July—we repeated it at the meeting of Heads of Government—that we should examine the matter very carefully. We are doing so now, as there are complicated constitutional issues involved. The Prime Minister also welcomed the decision of the Heads of Government to ask the Council of Foreign Ministers to look into this and to report back to the Heads of Government.

Mr. Hamilton

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it would be pointless to accept the principle of direct election of members of the European Parliament without a considerable increase in the powers of the Parliament to which they are being elected? Otherwise, the electorate will not be interested in voting for such people. Will my right hon. Friend create machinery between the Government and the current representatives of Britain at Strasbourg to devise ways acceptable to Britain of increasing the powers of the current Assembly? Until we do that, the principle of direct elections seems irrelevant.

Mr. Short

That is a wider question. The Government will be happy to talk to the present representatives, to hear their views and to discuss with them the powers of the present Assembly.

Mr. Marten

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that there will be no decision about direct elections to a European Parliament until we know what powers that Parliament will have, if any? Will he give an assurance that there will be no changes in those powers without the consent of each national Parliament?

Mr. Short

Yes. I can give a complete assurance. There will be no change in the method of selecting or electing our representatives without the consent of this Parliament?

Mr. Fernyhough

Will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that if the Government agree to direct elections to the European Parliament it will be made clear that candidates will not be confined to members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords, and that any British citizen on the electoral roll will be entitled to stand as a candidate for that Parliament?

Mr. Short

I repeat that as we accept the Treaty of Rome we accept the principle of direct elections as a long-term objective. The second point raised by my right hon. Friend is exactly the kind of matter that has to be considered. It has to be considered very carefully. That is why we have made a study of it in addition to the study being made by the Foreign Ministers.