§ Ms QuinTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the criteria for determining(a) the political and (b) the geographical balance of membership on the EC Committee of the Regions; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heatcoat-AmoryIn selecting nominees, we took account of the provision in the EC (Amendment) Act 1993 that all nominees should be elected members of local authorities; the relative strengths of the political parties in local government and the desirability of ensuring a broad spread of political opinion from each part of the United Kingdom; the views of the local authority associations and of the political parties; the need for an equitable distribution of seats between the four parts of the United Kingdom; the personal qualities that members and alternative members will need.