The Select Committee on European Legislation is appointed under
Standing Order No.127, viz:
Select Committee on European Legislation
127.-(1) There shall be
a select committee, to be called the Select Committee on European
Legislation, to examine European Community Documents and-
(a) to report its opinion
on the legal and political importance of each such document and,
where it considers appropriate, to report also on the reasons
for its opinion and on any matters of principle, policy or law
which may be affected;
(b) to make recommendations
for the further consideration of any such document pursuant to
Standing Order No.102 (European Standing Committees); and
(c) to consider any
issue arising upon any such document or group of documents.
The expression "European
Community Documents" means-
(i) any proposal
under the Community treaties for legislation by the Council of
Ministers;
(ii) any document
which is published for submission to the European Council or the
Council of Ministers;
(iii) any document
(not falling within (ii) above) which is published by one Community
institution for or with a view to submission to another Community
institution and which does not relate exclusively to consideration
of any proposal for legislation;
(iv) any other
document relating to European Community matters deposited in the
House by a Minister of the Crown.
(2) The committee shall
consist of sixteen members.
(3) The committee and any
sub-committee appointed by it shall have the assistance of the
Counsel to the Speaker.
(4) The committee shall
have the power to appoint specialist advisers for the purpose
of particular enquiries, either to supply information which is
not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within
the committee's order of reference.
(5) The committee shall
have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House; to adjourn from place to place;
and to report from time to time.
(6) The quorum of the committee
shall be five.
(7) The committee shall
have power to appoint sub-committees and to refer to such sub-committees
any of the matters referred to the committee.
(8) Every such sub-committee
shall have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit
notwithstanding any adjournment of the House; to adjourn from
place to place; and to report to the committee from time to time.
(9) The committee shall
have power to report from time to time the minutes of evidence
taken before such sub-committees.
(10) The quorum of every
such sub-committee shall be two.
(11) The committee or any
sub-committee appointed by it shall have leave to confer and to
meet concurrently with any committee of the Lords on the European
Communities or any sub-committee of that committee for the purpose
of deliberating and of examining witnesses.
(12) Unless the House otherwise
orders, each member nominated to the committee shall continue
to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.
Friday 5 June 1992
The following were nominated
as members of the Select Committee on European Legislation:
Mr Harry Barnes
Mr William Cash
Mr Hugh Dykes
Mr Derek Enright
Mrs Margaret Ewing
Dr Norman A Godman
Mr David Harris
Mr Alan Haselhurst |
Mr Robert Hicks
Mr Jimmy Hood
Mr David Knox
Mrs Jacqui Lait
Mr David Madel
Mr Nigel Spearing
Mr Tony Marlow
Mr Jimmy Wray
|
Subsequent changes in the membership
have been:
Friday 12 June 1992:
Mrs Jacqui Lait discharged; Mr Hartley Booth appointed.
Friday 30 October 1992:
Mr Jimmy Wray discharged; Mr Jimmy Boyce appointed.
Friday 4 December 1992:
Mr Hartley Booth discharged; Mr Peter Atkinson appointed.
Tuesday 25 January 1994:
Mr Jimmy Boyce died.
Thursday 17 February 1994:
Mr Kevin Hughes appointed.
Friday 13 January 1995:
Dr Norman A Godman discharged; Ms Rachel Squire appointed.
Tuesday 31 October 1995: Mr
Derek Enright died.
Tuesday 28 November 1995:
Mr George Stevenson appointed.
Mr Jimmy Hood was elected Chairman,
17 June 1992.
Monday 11 November 1996:
Mr Kevin Hughes discharged; Mr John McAllion appointed.
Resolution of the House of 24 October 1990[1]
Resolved,
That, in the opinion of this House:-
(1) No Minister of the Crown
should give agreement in the Council of Ministers to any proposal
for European Community legislation-
(a) which is still subject
to scrutiny (that is, on which the Select Committee on European
Legislation has not completed its scrutiny) or
(b) which is awaiting
consideration by the House (that is, which has been recommended
by the Select Committee for consideration pursuant to Standing
Order No.102 (European Standing Committees) but in respect of
which the House has not come to a Resolution, either on a Resolution
reported by a European Standing Committee or otherwise).
(2) In this Resolution,
any reference to agreement to a proposal includes, in the case
of a proposal on which the Council acts in co-operation with the
European Parliament, agreement to a common position.
(3) The Minister concerned
may, however, give agreement:-
(a) to a proposal which
is still subject to scrutiny if he considers that it is confidential,
routine or trivial or is substantially the same as a proposal
on which scrutiny has been completed;
(b) to a proposal which
is awaiting consideration by the House if the Select Committee
has indicated that agreement need not be withheld pending consideration.
(4) The Minister concerned
may also give agreement to a proposal which is still subject to
scrutiny or awaiting consideration by the House if he decides
that for special reasons agreement should be given; but he should
explain his reasons-
(i) in every such
case, to the Select Committee at the first opportunity after reaching
his decision; and
(ii) in the case
of a proposal awaiting consideration by the House, to the House
at the first opportunity after giving agreement.
(5) In relation to any proposal
which requires adoption by unanimity, abstention shall, for the
purposes of paragraph (4), be treated as giving agreement.
1 C.J., 1989-90, p.646. Back
