The European Scrutiny Committee
The European Scrutiny
Committee is appointed under Standing Order No.143 to examine
European Union 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. 119 (European Committees); and
c) to consider any
issue arising upon any such document or group of documents, or
related matters.
The expression "European
Union document" covers —
i) any proposal under
the Community Treaties for legislation by the Council or the Council
acting jointly with the European Parliament;
ii) any document
which is published for submission to the European Council, the
Council or the European Central Bank;
iii) any proposal
for a common strategy, a joint action or a common position under
Title V of the Treaty on European Union which is prepared for
submission to the Council or to the European Council;
iv) any proposal
for a common position, framework decision, decision or a convention
under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union which is prepared
for submission to the Council;
v) any document (not
falling within (ii), (iii) or (iv) above) which is published by
one Union institution for or with a view to submission to another
Union institution and which does not relate exclusively to consideration
of any proposal for legislation;
vi) any other document
relating to European Union matters deposited in the House by a
Minister of the Crown.
The Committee's powers
are set out in Standing Order No. 143.
The scrutiny reserve
resolution, passed by the House, provides that Ministers should
not give agreement to EU proposals which have not been cleared
by the European Scrutiny Committee, or on which, when they have
been recommended by the Committee for debate, the House has not
yet agreed a resolution. The scrutiny reserve resolution is printed
with the House's Standing Orders, which are available at www.parliament.uk.
Current membership
Mr William Cash MP (Conservative, Stone) (Chair)
Mr James Clappison MP (Conservative, Hertsmere)
Michael Connarty MP (Labour, Linlithgow and East
Falkirk)
Jim Dobbin MP (Labour/Co-op, Heywood and Middleton)
Julie Elliott MP (Labour, Sunderland Central)
Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat, Westmorland and
Lonsdale)
Nia Griffith MP (Labour, Llanelli)
Chris Heaton-Harris MP (Conservative, Daventry)
Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour, Luton North)
Chris Kelly MP (Conservative, Dudley South)
Tony Lloyd MP (Labour, Manchester Central)
Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative, Portsmouth North)
Stephen Phillips MP (Conservative, Sleaford and
North Hykeham)
Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Conservative, North East Somerset)
Henry Smith MP (Conservative, Crawley)
Ian Swales MP (Liberal Democrat, Redcar
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