HC Deb 31 March 1976 vol 908 cc1297-8
27. Mr. Body

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement about the progress being made for direct elections to the European Assembly.

32. Mr. David Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the attitude to be taken by Great Britain at the forthcoming EEC meeting on the subject of direct elections.

33. Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on direct elections to the European Parliament.

35. Mr. Jay

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further examination of the constitutional consequences of direct elections to the EEC Assembly the Government propose to undertake before committing the United Kingdom to this innovation.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Roy Hattersley)

I have nothing to add to the speeches made by Ministers during the two-day debate on this subject which ended yesterday.

Mr. Body

As the right hon. Gentleman has insisted that he feels under a Treaty obligation to make progress towards direct elections, should he not warn his right hon. Friends, particularly this week, that he feels under a similar Treaty obligation to make progress towards a common competitive policy founded on the principles of a market economy?

Mr. Hattersley

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary dealt with the subject of a common competitive policy in a statement two days ago. I have nothing to add to what he then said.

Mr. Jay

As the Government have wisely decided that a Select Committee should be set up to consider these matters, does my right hon. Friend agree that the setting up of that Committee and its terms of reference are matters to be decided by this House and not by the Government?

Mr. Hattersley

The fact is that the terms of reference must be submitted to this House, but I am sure that my right hon. Friend will agree that the Government should give some guidance on those terms.

Mr. Skeet

Does the right hon. Gentleman concede that the whole course of British history lies in giving powers first to Parliament and to come to universal suffrage later, as instanced in 1832, 1864 and 1884? What is the point in giving universal suffrage to Europe without political powers being available for that purpose?

Mr. Hattersley

I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman was in the House yesterday afternoon. If he was, he will recall that I explained that the powers granted to Europe could not be more precise, in that they are stipulated in the Treaty of Rome.