§ 32. Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met his counterparts in the European Union to discuss initiatives to reduce the number of civil servants across the Union.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science (Mr. David Davis)I shall resist the temptation to guess who the counterparts of the Duchy of Lancaster in the European Union are, but I have not discussed with them initiatives to reduce the number of civil servants in the Union.
§ Mr. SteenDoes my hon. Friend agree that there is no way that the numbers of civil servants will be decreased in the European Community as long as there emerge from Brussels daft and expensive directives such as the one being enforced in the Palace of Westminster, under which all filing cabinets will be scrapped this summer because they do not contain anti-tilt mechanisms? What will the cost to the nation be if all our filing cabinets have to be scrapped? Is not that a crazy example of these daft directives?
§ Mr. DavisI shall also resist the idea of a European anti-tilt mechanism. The European Commission produced a report on subsidiarity which proposed a reduction of 25 per cent. in the quantity of legislation and regulation emerging from Europe. The directive to which my hon. Friend referred may be a good candidate for that.
§ Mr. SkinnerHow on earth can the number of civil servants in the European Union be reduced if every man and his dog, in the Tory Government and on the Tory Back Benches alike, is calling for God knows how many different varieties of referendum? And while we are about it, will the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to tell us where he stands on the issue?
§ Mr. DavisThe answer to the hon. Gentleman's last question is no, I certainly shall not, but I have no doubt where he stands on the issue of a referendum.