HC Deb 04 August 1976 vol 916 cc802-3W
Mr. Jim Marshall

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement about the procedures for scrutiny and debate of EEC legislation and other documents.

Mr. Foot

In the debate on 19th May I promised to make a statement before the Summer Recess and I welcome this opportunity to do so pending a suitable occasion for debate.

The Government have reviewed the procedures for scrutiny and debate of Community documents in the light of the First Special Report by the Select Committee on European Secondary Legislation and of the views expressed in the debate on 19th May, and our proposals for immediate change are set out below.

We share the views of the Select Committee and the House on the desirability of reducing the backlog of recommendations for debate and of debating proposals at an early stage. Debates will be arranged accordingly within the limits of the parliamentary time available.

Amendments will be tabled to Standing Order 73A to allow two and a half hours for debates in Standing Committee in the first instance, with provision for a Sittings motion to be moved in Committee by a member of the Government to enable it to sit again for a further two and a half hours on another day. Whenever possible a reasonable interval of time will be allowed between debates in Standing Committee and subsequent motions taken on the Floor of the House, as recommended by the Select Committee.

Improved arrangements are being made to ensure that the House is informed of changes of substance in proposals involving major policy developments so that the Select Committee can report further on them. Amendments will also be tabled to the Select Committee's Order of Reference to enable it to report on all documents published for submission to the Council or to the European Council, whether or not these originate from the Commission; and to omit the description of EEC legislation as "secondary" since some of it is of primary importance in the view of both the Government and of the House.

More generally, debates on EEC documents will be arranged as far as possible on dates which avoid Plenary Sessions of the European Assembly. Ministers will seek to be brief in their contributions to these debates so far as the subject matter permits, and will be prepared to make oral statements following Council meetings whenever this seems appropriate.

Finally, it seems desirable to clarify the practice which the Government have undertaken to follow in arranging debates on recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee. Ministers will not give agreement to any legislative proposal recommended by the Scrutiny Committee for further consideration by the House, before the House has given it that consideration, unless the Committee has indicated that agreement need not be withheld, or the Minister concerned is satisfied that agreement should not be withheld for reasons which he will at the first opportunity explain to the House. This clarification is intended to remove any confusion there may be as to the nature of the practice which we are following.

The consideration of the necessary motions to amend Standing Orders will provide an opportunity for debate in the autumn. I am sure the House will wish to return to this subject subsequently, and to consider further our procedures for the scrutiny and debate of EEC matters.