Letter from Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister
of State for Europe, to the Chairman of the Committee
Thank you for your letter of 30 May to the Foreign
Secretary expressing the Committee's concerns about FCO Ministers
providing oral evidence on the Future of Europe. I take those
concerns very seriously, and wanted to repeat why I have been
unable to appear before the Committee.
During our informal meeting in April, I readily
agreed to appear before the Committee, at a mutually convenient
time, to give evidence on the Future of Europe. Despite informally
discussing possible dates in the week beginning 21 May, my office
had to inform the Committee Clerk that a session would not be
possible in that week due to Ministerial travel commitments. On
21 May, I visited Paris for a meeting with the new French Foreign
Minister, and travelled on to Strasbourg for a longstanding commitment
to visit the European Parliament. On 23 May I visited Ljubljana
for meetings with the Slovenian Foreign and Europe Ministers,
ahead of Slovenia's Presidency of the EU in 2008.
I was, however, very willing to appear before
the Committee in the week of 28 May. I also asked my office to
offer a variety of dates in June to the Committee. However, the
Committee's own travel plans meant that a mutually convenient
date could not be found. I remain very happy to appear before
the Committee and to have the opportunity to debate this important
dossier.
In these circumstances I was therefore somewhat
surprised to be subject to your criticism.
Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
Minister of State for Europe, to the Chairman of
the Committee
6 June 2007
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