If you are to comment on the presence or absence o...

2004-12-04T19:43:00.000Z

If you are to comment on the presence or absence of individual members then you should point out that few members stay for all parts of the committees. One of the reasons for this is, as I am sure the poster well knows, that many MEPs sit on 2 or more committees that meet at precisely the same time. This means that most MEPs miss committees. Full transcripts of the committee sessions are made available at a later date and tapes are available shortly after the meetings.

Unlike committees in the UK debate is not allowed. MEPs have to book set amounts of time - usually one or 2 minutes. They therefore work from prepared scripts or notes to make their points. Once the point is made and the answers given MEPs of all parties frequently leave. It is not unusual to see half empty committee rooms and Parliament itself can have 'debates' where less than 10% of members are present. I watched an Irish MEP talking on Internet porn the other day and when the cameras panned out there were less than a dozen members present suggesting that well over 200 Socialists had buggered off for a critical discussion on something that concerns many of their constituents. I'll bet Corbett wanders in and out, but he is not picked up on this site. I might just clock him in and out as I hope to be spending quite a few hours in committees in the New Year. In fact, why don't I do just that? Hypocrisy - whoever posted is having a cheap shot at one of the harder working MEPs from the political group in question.

Mote's usual acusations relate to ABAC, the modernisation of the accounting system. Anybody who has read any of the earlier papers on this or seen the Price Waterhouse report or read Schreyer's comments will know that there is virtually no chance of the EU's accounting system functioning properly in the New Year. Mote just happens to be the person pointing this out, although it ought to be a matter of concern for members of all parties.

Comments on UKIPwatch: Not there again...

If you are to comment on the presence or absence o...