European Scrutiny CommitteeLetter from the Committee of Selection, House of Commons to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee (ESI 22)

RE: MEMBERSHIP OF EUROPEAN COMMITTEES

Thank you for your letter dated 12 June reporting that Members on the European Scrutiny Committee who volunteer to serve on European Committees are dissatisfied when their expressions of interest are not carried through into nominations tabled by the Committee of Selection.

My understanding has been that the system whereby Committees send names of their Members who are interested in serving on particular European Committees to the party Whips is generally working well. Given the number of factors that the Committee needs to take into account when making its nominations, some Members on some occasions may not be nominated to the European Committee of their choice. Having said that, I can appreciate that Members on your Committee are likely to be disappointed in being nominated to a European Committee in which they had expressed no interest.

The Committee of Selection at its meeting today discussed this matter thoroughly and it was agreed on all sides that we would use our best endeavours to ensure that wherever possible Members on the European Scrutiny Committee who volunteer for European Committees are chosen to do so.

19 June 2013