How should the EU spend your money?
The House of Lords is to debate the European Commission's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) which will set the spending priorities for the EU from 2014 to 2020 on Tuesday 19 June.
The debate follows a report on the MFF from the Lords EU Select Committee, which concluded that the EU must show budgetary restraint to reflect the austerity measures in place across Member States. The Committee called for cuts to the budget proposals, in particular in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and also concluded that the EU had failed to make the case for the introduction of a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT).
The debate will start at around 3.30pm on Tuesday 19 June and will take place in Grand Committee in the Moses Room of the House of Lords. Lord Boswell of Aynho, Chairman of the House of Lords EU Select Committee, will open the debate and Lord Sassoon will respond for the Government.
Other Members scheduled to speak in the debate include:
- Lord Hannay of Chiswick - former British Ambassador to the European Community and the United Nations;
- Lord Williamson of Horton – former Secretary General of the European Commission;
- Lord Liddle – former special advisor to Prime Minister Tony Blair and Principle Advisor to the President of the European Commission;
- Lord Teverson – former MEP and current Chairman of the Lord EU Sub-Committee on External Affairs;
- Lord Carter of Coles – Chairman of the House of Lords EU Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment and Energy;
- Lord Dykes – former Member of the European Parliament and MP for Harrow East;
- Lord Maclennan of Rogart - former member of the Convention on the Future of Europe; and
- Baroness Young of Hornsey – former Chairman of the Lords EU Sub-Committee on Social Policies and Consumer Protection.
A full list of speakers to date can be found at www.lordswhips.org.uk. A list in the order in which Members will speak will be available on the day.
The debate can be watched live at www.parliamentlive.tv and a transcript will be available approximately three hours from the start of the debate at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldtoday/home.htm.
You can read the EU Select Committee report on the Multiannual Financial Framework on the Committee's website.
