The UK's block opt-out of pre-Lisbon criminal law and policing measures: Government Response to the Committee's Twenty-first Report of Session 2013-14 - European Scrutiny Committee Contents

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)

Andrew Bingham MP (Conservative, High Peak)

Mr James Clappison MP (Conservative, Hertsmere)

Michael Connarty MP (Labour, Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

Geraint Davies MP (Labour/Cooperative, Swansea West)

Julie Elliott MP (Labour, Sunderland Central)

Stephen Gilbert MP (Liberal Democrat, St Austell and Newquay)

Nia Griffith MP (Labour, Llanelli)

Chris Heaton-Harris MP (Conservative, Daventry)

Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour, Luton North)

Chris Kelly MP (Conservative, Dudley South)

Stephen Phillips MP (Conservative, Sleaford and North Hykeham)

Jacob Rees-Mogg MP (Conservative, North East Somerset)

Mrs Linda Riordan MP (Labour/Cooperative, Halifax)

Henry Smith MP (Conservative, Crawley)

Mr Michael Thornton MP (Liberal Democrat, Eastleigh)

The following members were also members of the committee during the parliament:

Mr Joe Benton MP (Labour, Bootle)

Jim Dobbin MP (Labour/Co-op, Heywood and Middleton)

Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat, Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Penny Mordaunt MP (Conservative, Portsmouth North)

Sandra Osborne MP (Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)

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/publications/.

Staff

The staff of the Committee are Sarah Davies (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), Joanne Dee (Assistant Legal Adviser) (Assistant Counsel for European Legislation), Hannah Finer (Assistant to the Clerk), Julie Evans (Senior Committee Assistant), Jane Lauder (Committee Assistant), Beatrice Woods (Committee Assistant), Paula Saunderson and Ravi Abhayaratne (Office Support Assistants).

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 [phone]/5465. The Committee's email address is [e-mail]

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Prepared 16 January 2014