Asked by: Mike Weatherley (Conservative - Hove)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to bring about reform of the two seat operation of the European Parliament.
Answered by David Lidington
The UK’s position is well known among other Member States; we are in favour of a single seat. The current arrangements are expensive, impractical and indefensible on environmental grounds. A move to a single seat would require Treaty change and the common accord of all Member States. We welcome the support from within the European Parliament for the move to a single seat. Pressure from Members of the European Parliament themselves to make this change should help push this issue up the political agenda throughout the European Union.