To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the accountability of Commissioners of the EC to the Council of Ministers.

European Community Commissioners are appointed by common accord of the member states, but the main responsibility for ensuring the accountability of the Commission rests with the European Parliament. We believe that that role should be strengthened. We have put forward a number of proposals to this effect in the political union intergovernmental conference. They have received a broad measure of support.

Is the Minister not concerned about the Commission's power to investigate various nooks and crannies of our national life? Does he agree that, if the Dutch treaty and article 103A are adopted by a qualified majority of the Council of Ministers—which is a procedure that the Government apparently accept—the Commissioners will have the power to issue secret instructions commanding the economy of another member state? Does the Minister oppose that, or will the road to Maastricht be littered with hypocrisy?

The hon. Gentleman is of course a great expert in hypocrisy, and in the Community too—because he served as a European Member of Parliament when he was last defeated as a Member of the House of Commons; no doubt he will have to return there after the next general election. The hon. Gentleman referred to the nooks and crannies of the Dutch text. It may have escaped his notice that that text was removed from the negotiations about two months ago.

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of us believe that there must be no further transfer of accountability from the Westminster Government or Westminster Parliament to any institutions in Europe, unless that is approved by the British people in a referendum?

The views of this Government and of previous Governments on referendums are well known. We held a referendum on Britain's membership of the Community in order to extract the Labour party from the difficulty that it was in at the time. The result was overwhelming. I see no purpose in a further referendum on that matter—we are a parliamentary democracy.

rose——

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the Government's unsatisfactory reply, I intend to raise that matter again on the Adjournment.

That loses the opportunity for the hon. Member for Antrim, East (Mr. Beggs) to ask a supplementary question.