Lords quiz Government on future EU justice and home affairs plans
In the final evidence session of its inquiry into future plans for the EU's justice and home affairs programme, the House of Lords Home Affairs, Health and Education EU Sub-Committee will question Ministers from the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office
At 11.00 am, the Committee will speak to James Brokenshire MP, Minister for Crime Prevention at the Home Office, and Shailesh Vara MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
The Committee will ask the Ministers questions which are likely to include:
- Has there been support among other Member States and Members of the European Parliament for both the letter sent by the UK and other Member States calling for a strategic approach to the next set of guidelines, and the UK Government's priorities set out in written evidence to the inquiry?
- Should the new guidelines recommend the consolidation of any overlapping justice and home affairs legislation currently in place?
- Should the new guidelines recommend reviews of the functioning of various agencies, including Eurojust and Europol?
- To what extent do you consider it achievable to reach political consensus on the future shape of the areas of freedom, security and justice to underpin the new strategic guidelines by June 2014?
- Are there any areas of future direction upon which there are clear areas of agreement and disagreement, and what are they?
- Do you anticipate the timing of agreeing new guidelines in the Council meeting of June 2014 to be problematic, given the forthcoming European Parliament elections and appointment of a new Commission?
The evidence session will take place at 11.00 am on Wednesday 5 February in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
