asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he proposes to have discussions with all political parties at Westminster on the question of direct elections to the EEC Parliament.

My right hon. Friend has written to the parliamentary parties offering to discuss this question with them either before or after the publication of the Paper, and is holding discussions with those who have requested them. He wrote to the SNP on 16th January. Other parties have replied, but the SNP has not yet done so.