Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the merits of the UK continuing to send representatives to sit on the Committee of the Regions.

The Committee of the Regions can make a significant contribution to the decision making processes of the European Union on issues such as transport, the economy, social and territorial cohesion, and it is right that there is a UK delegation to the Committee whilst the UK is a member of the European Union. There is no direct cost to the UK taxpayer.

Members of the Committee of the Regions who participate in plenary sessions, Bureau meetings, commission meetings and meetings of working parties or joint committees are entitled to travel expenses, a flat-rate travel allowance and a flat-rate meeting allowance; with the costs met by the European Union’s Committee of the Regions.

Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, we do not anticipate that the UK would continue to be members of the Committee of the Regions, nor would we have a mandate to remain within this body.