Will Cameron’s nominee for EU Commissioner be grilled by MPs?

Following the nomination of Lord Hill to be the UK’s next EU Commissioner, Labour’s Shadow Europe Minister Gareth Thomas has written to the Conservative peer, asking whether he will face questions from MPs. The European Parliament will hold its commissioner-designate hearings in September, and Labour want to give MPs a chance to grill him before then. Cameron has previously said that he would be “absolutely prepared to consider” allowing select committees to put questions to potential candidates.

The full letter is below:

Dear Lord Hill,

During a recent European Committee, I raised with the Europe Minister, David Lidington, the question of whether the Prime Ministers nominee for the UK’s next European Commissioner would face scrutiny in our Parliament before they are confirmed in post.

In response, the Minister said:

“On the hon. Gentleman’s point about hearings, the Commissioner-designate is not a Government officeholder. It is not a matter of the Government deciding to require the nominee to appear in front of the Committees of the two Houses. It is for Lord Hill himself to decide how he wishes to respond to those invitations.” 

This follows a question my colleague Nia Griffiths MP asked during the Prime Minister’s statement on the EU Council meeting on 30^th June, in response the Prime Minister expressed his support for the idea of UK Parliamentary scrutiny of his nomination for European Commissioner.

In response to her question: “What opportunity will this Parliament have to scrutinise his proposed choice of the next UK Commissioner to Europe?”

The Prime Minister replied, “The hon. Lady asks an important question. As has happened on some other occasions, asking a potential candidate to see Members on certain Select Committees is something I am absolutely prepared to consider.”

As I’m sure you are aware, the European Parliament will begin holding hearings with all Commissioners-designate on 22^nd September. It would be disappointing if the European Parliament was given the opportunity to scrutinise your nomination, but the UK Parliament was not.

As such, in light of the Europe Minister’s comments, I would be grateful if you would indicate whether you would be willing to appear before the relevant Committees of the two Houses before the hearings in the European Parliament begin?

Given the public interest in this issue, I am releasing this letter to the media.

Yours sincerely

Gareth Thomas MP

Shadow Minister for Europe