MPs CONDEMN 'CORNWALL-LITE' COMMITTEE FOR SOUTH WEST

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Jul 2007

Cornwall's five Liberal Democrat MPs have condemned Government proposals to establish a south west regional select committee which risk leaving Cornwall completely unrepresented. Although the MPs have long argued for increased Parliamentary scrutiny of how Government policy affects the county they say that the current plans are ill thought through and undemocratic.

Traditionally the party of Government has the majority of members on a Select Committee with the opposition parties making up a minority; potentially this could see only one space for a Liberal Democrat MP with no guarantee of Cornish representation. Cornwall's MPs have also argued that there is a danger that the South West select committee will disproportionately represent the urban areas of Bristol and Swindon.

Commenting Julia Goldsworthy MP for Falmouth and Camborne said,

"The Government has clearly failed think through these proposals. The plans to create a 'regional' select committee for the South West, which may not include any representatives from Cornwall, sums up this Government's approach to our county. Gordon Brown must now go back to the drawing board and come-up with proposals which really will allow Cornwall's MPs to hold ministers to account."

North Cornwall's MP, Dan Rogerson, added,

"A regional select committee which reflects the balance of party representation in the UK as a whole, rather than for the region concerned is patently absurd and will cause anomalies all over the country. Its worst effects could be in the South West where the Committee will, at best, be 'Cornwall-lite' and, at worst, could have no representation for Cornwall at all."

ENDS