HC Deb 02 March 1998 vol 307 cc696-7
8. Mr. Walter

How many different electoral systems will be in operation in the United Kingdom by May 2002. [30346]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. George Howarth)

Taking into account all existing proposals, five.

Mr. Walter

I have been involved in a number of discussions with constituents over recent weeks about proposals for the European Parliament elections. My constituents are mesmerised when I go on to tell them about all the other proposed electoral systems. Will the Minister reassure the House that, if the Government bring forward proposals for this House, the essential link between a Member and an individual constituency will be preserved? Perhaps he could do the decent thing and reassure my constituents that there will be no change in the electoral arrangements for the House.

Mr. Howarth

The hon. Gentleman must have missed the fact that Lord Jenkins's commission is currently looking at what might be an alternative system for electing the House of Commons. Once he has deliberated and come up with a proposal, we are committed to a referendum. The hon. Gentleman's constituents will then have the opportunity to look at what systems are on offer and, instead of listening to him, make up their own minds, which in my opinion would be wise.

Mr. Linton

Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be a disaster if the Government tried to impose the same voting system on every tier of government? The different systems have not been introduced for any reason of self-interest—quite the reverse. It is the Conservative party which might otherwise be seriously underrepresented in the European Parliament and, indeed, not represented at all in the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh assembly.

Mr. Howarth

My hon. Friend is right. There are several proposals to change the constitution of this country in line with public opinion and, in respect of electoral systems, we are committed to an appropriate electoral system for each layer of government. At the end of the day, people appreciate that that is the best way of achieving these things.

Mr. Beith

Will the Minister remind the hon. Member for North Dorset (Mr. Walter) that three of those five systems were introduced by the Conservatives, including both the single transferable vote and the regional list system in Northern Ireland? Will he recognise that, in the next few days, his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has the opportunity to ensure that, in the European elections, there is a combination of fairness to voters in terms of the outcome of the election and the retention of a role for the voter in deciding which individual is elected by going for an open list system?

Mr. Howarth

The right hon. Gentleman is right to remind the House that the Conservative party introduced a number of different systems, most recently the d'Hondt system for the Northern Ireland peace forum. He will also remember that, until 1923, his own party was in favour of the first-past-the-post system. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has made it clear that we are still listening to the debate on to the most appropriate divisor for the European Parliamentary Elections Bill and, in due course, he will make an announcement.

Ms Abbott

Does the Minister accept that the closed list system of proportional representation proposed for the forthcoming European elections is possibly the worst conceivable system of PR, combining as it does breaking the link between Members and their constituencies and taking away powers from local parties? Will he give the House an assurance that this is the first and last time that system will be used in the United Kingdom?

Mr. Howarth

The hon. Lady has to understand—[HON. MEMBERS: "Hon. Friend."] My hon. Friend has to understand that parliamentary constituencies do not apply to the European Parliament in same way as, for example, she represents a parliamentary constituency. Increasingly, Europe is a Europe of the regions and the new proposed system will respond to that. As for the specific system, I have already pointed out that we are listening to representations—not least to those made in the House—and an announcement on the result of that will be made in due course.