Letter: House of secrets

Sir: It is curious that Simon Carr (The Sketch, 26 January) refers to me, and the other MEPs giving evidence to the House of Commons Scrutiny Committee last week, as "functionaries".

He also mentions the question of EU legislation being discussed in public, but he is less than clear about the current situation. May I recap?

The European Parliament meets and deliberates in public. Under the terms of the new EU constitution, the EU Council of Ministers will also meet and deliberate on legislation in public. Yet the House of Commons EU Scrutiny Committee almost always sits in secret!

But this is a decision which they can choose to reverse at any moment. Will those MPs who criticise alleged lack of transparency in EU institutions be the first to put their own House in order?

RICHARD CORBETT MEP

(Lab, Yorkshire & the Humber)

Leeds