HL Deb 30 October 1990 vol 522 cc1775-6

2.58 p.m.

The Chairman of Committees

My Lords, I beg to move that the 4th Report from the Select Committee on House of Lords Offices be agreed to.

There was only one item on the agenda for this meeting, namely, the conference of the parliaments of the European Community. The committee met last week to consider a memorandum from the Leader of the House proposing that the costs of travel and accommodation incurred by representatives of the House of Lords attending this conference should be paid from the House of Lords Vote. The conference is to be held in Rome at the end of November before the inter-governmental conference to be held in December. It will consider proposals concerning economic and monetary union and political integration in the Community with particular reference to the role of national parliaments and the European Parliament. Two hundred and fifty-eight parliamentary representatives have been invited to attend the conference of which two-thirds will be members of national parliaments and one-third members of the European Parliament. Eight of the 26 seats allocated to the United Kingdom Parliament will be taken by Members of this House.

The committee duly authorised the appropriate expenditure from the Vote with one dissentient voice. I beg to move.

Moved, That the 4th Report from the Select Committee be agreed to. (HL Paper 89)—(The Chairman of Committees.)

Following is the report referred to:

Conference of the Parliaments of the European Community

The Committee have considered a proposal by the Leader of the House that the costs of travel and accommodation incurred by representatives of the House attending a Conference of the Parliaments of the European Community should be paid for from the House of Lords Vote.

The Committee were informed that the Conference had been convened by the President of the European Parliament and the Presidents of the two Chambers of the Italian Parliament. It will be held in Rome from 27th to 30th November and will consider proposals concerning Economic and Monetary Union and political integration in the Community prior to the Intergovernmental Conference to be held in December under Article 236 of the EEC Treaty. 258 representatives have been invited to attend the Conference of which two-thirds will be members of national parliaments and one-third members of the European Parliament. Eight of the twenty-six seats allocated to the United Kingdom Parliament will be taken by Members of the House of Lords.

The Committee agreed to the proposal and accordingly authorised the appropriate expenditure from the House of Lords' Vote.

On Question, Motion agreed to.