Members of the European Parliament (By-elections)

HC Deb 31 October 2000 vol 355 cc425-6W

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to provide for by-elections when UK seats in the European Parliament fall vacant. [134661]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The European Parliamentary Election Regulations 1999 set out the arrangements for filling vacancies in the European Parliament. Any vacancy must be filled by the next available candidate on the list of the registered party to whom the vacancy has fallen, thus preserving the proportional nature of the representation for that region. Only if that list is exhausted can a by-election take place. We have no plans at this time to alter these arrangements.