Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Heaton-Harris Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd December 2013 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of the recent decision by the European Parliament to meet in a single location.

[Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of the recent decision by the European Parliament to meet in a single location.

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

We have been clear that there should be a single seat for the European Parliament. The current arrangements are indefensible, ludicrously expensive, impractical and one of the most striking illustrations of EU waste.

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

If there is one thing that unifies this House more than any other, it is that the European Parliament’s commute between Brussels and Strasbourg once a month, at a massive cost of over £10 million a time, is a waste of money. Is he not surprised, therefore, that one British political party abstained in the parliamentary vote and failed to protect the British interest and the taxpayer interest—the UK Independence party?

[Mr Lidington]

I am afraid that I am not surprised, because that party’s representatives are often absent in key votes in the European Parliament when significant British interests are at stake. I congratulate those Members of the European Parliament, from all political families, who supported the initiative that our colleague, Ashley Fox, led and co-ordinated.