Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Nigel Mills Excerpts
Thursday 8th March 2012

(12 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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We have just had questions to Department of Energy and Climate Change Ministers, where I understand these issues may have been raised. My hon. Friend will know that the subsidy to the wind farms is being reduced. I will pass on to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer the points that he has raised, which may be relevant to his Budget statement.

Nigel Mills Portrait Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)
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Could the Leader of the House find time for a debate on reforming our rotten system for European elections? On three occasions, it has left my constituents, who voted on a closed party list, with an MEP who switched parties halfway through a Parliament and was still allowed to retain the seat—that is a disgraceful situation.

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I hate to disappoint my hon. Friend, but I cannot promise an early debate on the electoral system for the European Parliament. Speaking from memory, I believe that once we had opted out of the old system, whereby we had MEPs for seven or eight constituencies, into the new one, there was no going back. The issue that he has raised is one more for party management than for the House of Commons.