Mandelson may face regular quiz by MPs

Peter Mandelson could be forced to appear regularly before MPs to explain how he is defending British interests in Brussels, a Cabinet minister revealed today.

Commons Leader Peter Hain said Britain's new European commissioner would have to give evidence every three months before a new joint committee of peers, MPs and MEPs.

The plan is being worked on by the Commons Modernisation Committee in an attempt to make the EU more accountable to Parliament, he announced.

Mr Hain admitted there was a "chasm between the British people and the Brussels institutions" because the UK was not properly scrutinising ministers or the European-Commission. He said: "I would like to see commissioners, and the UK commissioner in particular, giving evidence and answering questions. It would be of great benefit.

"It is crucial that the British Parliament, the cockpit of democracy, acts as a a proper link between Europe and British citizens and that is not happening now."

The prospect of Mr Mandelson being forced to justify himself before hostile Eurosceptic Tories and even his Labour enemies is likely to be seized on by many MPs. But Mr Hain's remarks underline Government fears that the forthcoming-referendum on the EU constitution will be difficult to win unless Tony Blair can show radical reform in the way Brussels is controlled by national Parliaments.

The appointment of Mr Mandelson as a commissioner was seized on by Eurosceptics as possibly their best weapon in fighting for a "no" vote in a referendum.

The controversial former Cabinet minister will be portrayed by the Tories as a federalist crony of Mr Blair who will do little to stop the tide of creeping integration across the EU.

Mr Hain said the Commons European scrutiny committee, which meets in secret and sifts EU documents "does an excellent forensic job".