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)
Publications
The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published
by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications
of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet
at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/european-scrutiny-committee/.
Committee staff
The staff of the Committee are Alistair Doherty (Clerk),
David Griffiths (Clerk Adviser), Terry Byrne (Clerk Adviser),
Leigh Gibson (Clerk Adviser), Peter Harborne (Clerk Adviser),
Paul Hardy (Legal Adviser) (Counsel for European Legislation),
Lis Partridge (Assistant to the Clerk), Hannah Lamb (Senior Committee
Assistant), Shane Pathmanathan (Committee Assistant), Jim Camp
(Committee Assistant), Anna Browning (Committee Assistant), Mark
Kendrick (Committee Support Assistant), and Paula Saunderson (Office
Support Assistant).
Contacts
All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk
of the European Scrutiny Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank,
London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is
(020) 7219 3292/5465. The Committee's email address is escom@parliament.uk.
| 
