HL Deb 22 December 1982 vol 437 cc1063-5

11.6 a.m.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to introduce legislation to give a postal vote to United Kingdom citizens residing in other European Community countries for elections to the European Assembly.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)

My Lords, the Council of Ministers of the European Community is currently considering the European Parliament's proposals for a uniform electoral system under which nationals of member states would be able to vote in elections to the Parliament, irrespective of their place of residence in the Community. The Government do not propose to introduce legislation, changing the franchise at European Parliament elections, before the council has reached agreement on this issue. It is still not clear when this will happen.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, in thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether it means that if in fact the Council of Ministers does not reach agreement in good time for the next European Assembly election, up to 300,000 British citizens will be disfranchised at the election?

Lord Elton

My Lords, since they are not now enfranchised, they will not be disfranchised. But in answer to the substance of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I would say that we would not intend to legislate before agreement is reached.

Baroness White

My Lords, is the noble Lord not aware that six of our fellow member states in the European Community have been able to make arrangements for their citizens living in other parts of the Community to vote? Why should British citizens be at such a great civic disadvantage? Cannot the Government find a way, even if subsequent legislation might have to modify it, to enable these persons to vote in the forthcoming election, in 1984?

Lord Elton

My Lords, as I have been at pains to explain, it is not our intention to legislate ahead of agreement reached in the Council of Ministers on this matter. To do so would in the end prove nugatory.

Baroness White

But, my Lords, six other member states have not waited for the council; they took action several years ago.

Lord Elton

My Lords, the variety of provisions within Europe is considerable. Different countries have different arrangements, and the question is: Which is the best arrangement? It is the best arrangement to which we wish to subscribe. That will be the arrangement that is agreed by the Council of Ministers.

Lord Underhill

My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether there are not three important considerations that must be kept in mind? First, the proposal in the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Greenwich, for absent voting, extends facilities for persons overseas far beyond those given to British citizens overseas for parliamentary elections. Secondly, if there is to be no national list system, would not the question of allocation to a parliamentary constituency be a very important matter in registration? Thirdly, if there was to be registration in a constituency, should there be a maximum period for overseas residents beyond which they would not qualify? Otherwise, persons who had been away for 30 or 40 years could qualify in a European constituency in this country.

Lord Elton

My Lords, the noble Lord is quite right; there are many important and difficult considerations, all of which are at present with the European Council and which Her Majesty's Government will have to consider when the matter comes to us.

Lord Paget of Northampton

My Lords, can the noble Lord give us an assurance that nothing will be done to increase the already gross expenses to which we are put to elect this absurd assembly?

Lord Elton

My Lords, I would not join the noble Lord in any such description of the assembly, but I would endorse the point that Her Majesty's Government are always sensitive to issues of economy.

Lord Harris of Greenwich

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord what has changed since his honourable and right honourable friends in another place tried to amend the Act relating to the European Assembly, when they advocated precisely the change that I am suggesting in this Question? Secondly, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware of a sense of burning injustice felt by many hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are not getting the vote in these elections? Could not the noble Lord at least ask his right honourable friend the Home Secretary to pass on the views of these people? As I have indicated, they do not understand why, when in many cases they are doing urgent work, promoting British trade, they do not get the vote in these elections.

Lord Elton

My Lords, as to the sense of burning injustice, my right honourable friend is aware of all the representations that have been made, and I shall draw his attention to the representation that the noble Lord has made. As for the rest of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I can only revert to my original Answer: that it is our view that it would be untimely to legislate in advance of a decision that might render entirely out of context and improper the legislation that we passed.