Direct Elections (Hansard, 19 May 1976)

§ 50. Mr. Dykes
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Council of Ministers on preparations for direct elections to the European Parliament prior to the next European Council meeting.

§ Mr. Hattersley
Foreign Ministers discussed direct elections at the Council of Ministers meeting on 3rd and 4th May and at their informal meeting in Luxembourg on 14th and 15th May. These discussions have been useful in clarifying the different positions of member States but have not yet led to agreement on outstanding points.

§ Mr. Dykes
How confident is the Minister that the July summit will conclude all the principal decisions on this subject?

§ Mr. Hattersley
I cannot be confident about that, but I hope that colleagues in the Community will understand the needs of a variety of interests and will come to some conclusion which is acceptable to all members. I am also confident that the House of Commons will want to move with the Government side by side, and will give its advice in sufficient time to enable us to incorporate its wishes into our eventual position.

§ Mr. Fernyhough
Does my right hon. Friend recall that, when the EEC legislation was going through the House, we were assured that the Government would always have the right to veto any proposal with which they did not agree? Will my right hon. Friend assure us that on this issue the Government will not be weak-kneed, and that if they cannot get what they have told the House they would like they will exercise the veto that we were told they would not hesitate to use?

§ Mr. Hattersley
There is no question but that what has been called the veto still exists for essential national interests and that it will be preserved. My right hon. Friend may rest assured that the Government have a lively appreciation of what is necessary for British interests in these matters and will not be budged by advocacy from that position.

§ Mr. Goodhew
As the Government have already said that they cannot—despite our long history of democratic elections—agree to some form of direct elections to the European Parliament by 1978, how is it that the same Government are urging Mr. Smith to organise majority rule in two years?

§ Mr. Hattersley
The second part of the question is irrelevant. The first part is a diametrically wrong statement of the Government's position.

§ Mr. MacFarquhar
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the best course for right hon. and hon. Members who are worried about the stream of directives and other matters from the Commission is to put their backs behind the drive to get direct elections for a directly-elected European Parliament?

§ Mr. Hattersley
asked I am sure that that is right. I am sure that the numbers which I have quoted today will not be quoted on a future occasion when a Parliament is directly elected. However, two provisos must follow. First, the new Parliament would not have powers in excess of what the present Parliament possesses. Therefore, a good deal of work would remain in present institutions. In fact, much of the work that I described in answer to an earlier Question is not legislation but administration. We would not expect to weary the Parliament with that.

§ Mr. Marten
Does not the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Belper (Mr. MacFarquhar) reveal his federal intentions in the ultimate? Will the right hon. Gentleman say how many options are being discussed about the numbers to go to the directly-elected European Assembly, which countries are saying what and who is objecting to what? Are we to know about those matters?

§ Mr. Hattersley
I cannot say whether my hon. Friend's question revealed his enthusiasm for greater powers for the European Parliament, but my answer revealed that the Government do not share any such enthusiasm. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be comforted by that reply.
It would be impossible for us at this stage to list specific numbers, as advocated by specific Governments. Our object is to get a size and shape for the European Parliament which is not only acceptable to all our colleagues but meets Britain's needs. I am not sure that that result can best be achieved by our calling the odds from different nations' points of view.

§ Mr. Heffer
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the widest possible consultation should take place? Is he aware that the Labour Party has not yet decided on its attitude towards direct elections? The matter will have to come before the Labour Party conference. Will he therefore assure the House that the views of the Labour Party conference will be taken into the fullest consideration prior to any firm commitment one way or the other on the part of the Government?

§ Mr. Hattersley
asked My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already explained that we are most anxious to take advice from all parties. Naturally, those of us who have long-standing membership of the Labour Party are particularly enthusiastic to hear the Labour Party's views. A number of letters have gone to my hon. Friend and his colleagues on the National Executive asking for their opinions. We shall do our best to take those opinions within the proper time scale. However, my hon. Friend will understand that, as the Prime Minister said, the programme of the European Community requires us to act swiftly in the national interest. I am sure that that is what the Labour Party would expect us to do.