Scrutinising European Laws

Since 1998 I have been a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee and am now the Chair. This committee is responsible for looking at many controversial European issues that require an input from British Government ministers.

If our committee feels that the government's position is not clear or in line with the political or economic interests of the UK they can call the policy into question while "reserving" the government's position. The committee has been deeply involved in scrutinising the ENLARGEMENT of the EU and the EU CONVENTION and CONSTITUTION. Some of the other major issues currently on the European agenda which we are involved in are:- Qualified Majority Voting on Europe Wide Issues; Common Foreign and Security Policy; European Court of Justice; Fisheries policies; European Charter of Fundamental Rights; Competition Policies (e.g. for Post & Telecoms); Hallmarking; Cross Border Co-operation on Policing and Anti - Drug trafficking; Chemical Testing; Future size of the European Commission; Number of votes per country in the Council of Ministers; The EU Financial Perspectives for 2007- 2013; Cohesion and Structural Funds etc.

Just as on the European Directives Committee I tried to influence and make changes to policies from Europe and cut through Euro-babble on Agriculture, Fishing, the Environment, Transport, Forestry, Road Networks, Farm Animal Transport and Recycling, so the work continues on a wider range of issues.

From 1997 until 2001 I volunteered to be a member of the Information Select Committee of the Commons. Through this committee I tried to increase the scope and quality of the Information & Computer Technology used by both the Houses of Parliament and elected Members. Some progress has been made with all MP's now provided with high quality computers, linked using the internet (and the parliament's own Intranet) to communicate and access information by MP's and their staff. The Parliamentary On-line Information System (POLIS) is accessible at different levels to MP's and the Public, with a very good Young Peoples' Guide to the workings of parliament. We now use Broadband links and can even table questions by email. The committee broke new ground by holding a "paperless" committee. All documents were sent out via the Intranet and members brought their laptop computers to the Boothroyd committee room in the new Portcullis House. The committee clerk displayed the text from his laptop on a linked screen, and amendments were tabled, and typed by each member into their own machines. A first for the UK parliament, but possibly a glimpse of the future?

Through the Information Committee I was delegated to an ongoing project to develop more even access to computer technology across Europe, both for government and for the wider population. Concern is being expressed at the potential growth of " the Digital Divide" as appears to have developed in the USA, with increased opportunity and wealth going to those who are "information rich" with ICT skills and the increased impoverishment of those who miss opportunities to gain ICT skills. I contributed to the European (EPRI) debates which created the framework for the agreement reached at the Barcelona European Summit in 2000 on how to tackle this problem.

On the Select Committee for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration from 1994-97(the OMBUDSMAN) I tried to increase openness and high standards in your government services by quizzing the officials of Social Security, Employment, Health, the C.S.A., Tax & Prisons, etc. I continue to pursue the same issues with our government.

From January 1996, up to the May 1997 Election as co-ordinator of Labour's Crime and Drugs Campaign, I discussed these serious problems with every police force in Scotland and many specialist groups. Many crime issues are devolved but the Anti - Drugs campaign is UK wide. I pursue that and general crime issues both through the UK Home Office back - bench Labour committee and working with Cathy Peattie MSP for Falkirk East.

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