European Union Committee

Lord Brabazon of Tara Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 Lords Chamber

Moved By

[The Chairman of Committees]

European Union Committee

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Stoddart of Swindon]

In the absence of the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, I think I ought to act as his deputy, although I am not a member of his party. I am quite sure that he would want to ask whether the European Union Committee is not rather imbalanced in that it does not represent opinion in the country, which is relatively Eurosceptic, with 52 per cent of the population wishing to leave the European Union completely. However, my real question is whether, in these straitened times, we need so many sub-committees of the European Union Select Committee. Would the committee consider whether we could dispense with one of the sub-committees of the Select Committee and instead meet the demand from this House that we should have a Select Committee on foreign affairs? I think there is a demand for that, and if we cut down on the number of EU committees, we could have a Select Committee of real value to consider foreign affairs.

[The Chairman of Committees]

As I said, I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, is not here. I recognise that the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, sympathises with him in his views. He said that 52 per cent of the population apparently wishes to leave the European Union. I do not think that the vote in the recent general election, where UKIP got 3 per cent, reflects that, but it is not for me to say.

[A noble Lord]

You said it!

[The Chairman of Committees]

I exceeded my brief in that case, and I apologise to the House. The noble Lord, Lord Stoddart, unfortunately must have missed the debate we had last week when I brought forward the Liaison Committee’s report, which looked at whether we should have a foreign affairs committee, and rejected that proposal. It also looked at the structure of the European Union Committee and decided that it does a valuable job and there is no need to change the main committee or the structures of the sub-committees. I think that, on the whole, that reflects the view of the House.

[Lord Kilclooney]

My Lords, in deciding the membership of this committee, were any members of UKIP consulted by the normal channels?

[The Chairman of Committees]

The noble Lord asked whether UKIP was consulted. The answer is no. I beg to move.

Motion agreed.