HUHNE SAYS REGIONAL COMMITTEE IS "RIGGED" (Eastleigh Liberal Democrats)

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HUHNE SAYS REGIONAL COMMITTEE IS "RIGGED"

March 4, 2009 11:00 AM

Chris Huhne in the House of Commons Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne has criticised the Government's plans for new select committees of the House of Commons to represent the interests of regions and oversee Hampshire matters.

Chris Huhne said that the new committee was "unfairly rigged so that it will act as a ministerial poodle when what we need is a tough watchdog to look after Hampshire's interests".

Chris Huhne said that the regional committees - which are meant to defend local interests in the way Government operates - should reflect the members of parliament in the region, not the country as a whole.

"If the Government was represented in line with its MPs in the South East, it would be in a minority on the new South East committee. Instead, it has ruled that there will be a Labour majority in every region regardless of the local situation" said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne said that the new South East committee which will oversee Hampshire matters will have 5 Labour members, 3 Conservatives and 1 Liberal Democrat.

"This is completely unjustified. If the committee was in line with the MPs in the region, it would have 6 Conservatives, 2 Labour and 1 Liberal Democrat. And if it was in line with our regional votes, there would be 4 Conservatives, 3 Liberal Democrats and 2 Labour MPs.

"It is surely ludicrous to set up local committees that do not reflect the number of local MPs or the way local people have voted" said Mr Huhne.

The vote in the House of Commons on the issue was won by the Government by 257 votes to 190 votes with both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives voting against.