Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 27 February (HL Deb, col 242) that the legislation no longer exists on the UK statute book to hold European Parliament elections, what is the statutory basis for this.

Once the UK leaves the European Union, the legislation that provides for the holding of European Parliamentary elections will no longer be necessary.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“the 2018 Act”) repeals the underlying pieces of legislation providing for the holding of European Parliamentary elections. The repeal of these provisions will come into effect on such a day as is set out in commencement Regulations. The European Parliamentary Elections Etc. (Repeal, Revocation, Amendment and Saving Provisions) (United Kingdom and Gibraltar) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 were made on 3rd December 2018 under powers in the 2018 Act. These Regulations make further provision as a result of the UK no longer participating in European Parliamentary elections, and will come into force on the day that the UK leaves the European Union.