To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason arrangements for the redrawing of the European parliamentary boundaries were not initiated shortly after the decision on extra seats at the Edinburgh summit.

We thought it right to give careful consideration to the distribution of the extra seats to the various parts of the United Kingdom before bringing our proposals before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he sought from the boundary commissions on their ability to redraw the European Parliament constituency boundaries in time for the 1994 elections; and what correspondence was exchanged.

We have no doubts about the ability of the boundary commissioners to carry out this work, if they had both the time and the necessary statutory powers. Consequently, no correspondence has been exchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of boundaries for European parliamentary constituencies in Wales to be completed; and what consultations he proposes to hold on the membership of the committee to conduct the review.

We expect the European Parliamentary Constituencies Committee for Wales to complete its review as soon as possible after the European Parliamentary Elections Bill receives Royal Assent. It is our intention that the Opposition parties in the House of Commons will be consulted about the membership.