HL Deb 26 November 1975 vol 366 cc273-5
Baroness TWEEDSMUIR of BELHELVIE

My Lords, on behalf of the Chairman of Committees, I beg leave to move the Motion standing in his name on the Order Paper.

Moved, that a Select Committee be appointed to consider Community proposals, whether in draft or otherwise, to obtain all necessary information about them, and to make reports on those which, in the opinion of the Committee, raise important questions of policy or principles and on other questions to which the Committee consider that the special attention of the House should be drawn;

That, as proposed by the Committee of Selection, the Lords following be named of the Committee:—

That the Committee have power to appoint Sub-Committees and to refer to such Sub-Committees any of the matters within the terms of reference of the Committee; that two be the quorum of such Sub-Committees and that they have power to appoint their own Chairmen;

That the Committee have power to co-opt any Lord for the purpose of serving on a Sub-Committee;

That the Committee and any Sub-Committees have power to adjourn from place to place;

That the Committee have leave to report from time to time;

That the Reports of the Select Committee from time to time shall be printed, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House;

That the Committee or any Sub-Committee appointed by them have leave to confer and to meet concurrently with any Committee of the Commons on European Secondary Legislation &c. or any Sub-Committee of that Committee for the purpose of deliberating and of examining witnesses; and have leave to agree with the Commons in the appointment of a Chairman for any such meeting; and

That my Lord requested by the Committee on Secondary Legislation &c. of the House of Commons to attend as a Witness before them or before any Sub-Committee appointed by them shall have the leave of this House so to attend, if his Lordship think fit.—(Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie.)

Lord BLYTON

My Lords, can the noble Baroness tell me, on the appointment of this Committee which has such a preponderance of Common Marketeers and none who take the "anti" view, how we can be protected? Everybody on this Committee agrees with the Common Market and those who do not agree with it are not included.

Baroness TWEEDSMUIR of BELHELVIE

My Lords, we examined the merits of legislation and, as the noble Lord will know, after a large vote in this House on the question of entry into the Communities, the majority among your Lordships was very largely in favour. I can assure the noble Lord that certain Members were specifically appointed at one time because they were anti-Market, but I am glad to say that their views have now changed.

On Question, Motion agreed to.