Environment in 1989. In the same year, he introduced in his name, and saw passed, a private members' bill (the Parking Act 1989) which was designed to help motorists use new methods like debit cards to pay for their parking needs. He became a Government Assistant Whip in 1990, then a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury in 1992, and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in 1995 reporting on the business of the House of Commons directly to HM The Queen, whilst serving as whip. In October 1995 Kirkhope received promotion to be Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office responsible for immigration, border controls, gambling and licensing policy, and horseracing, among other things. He was defeated at the 1997 general election, his constituency attracting some interest because its majority had placed it at the point where a Labour gain would indicate that that party was likely to win an overall majority, which it did. Kirkhope then returned to legal practice and also went into business. He was a non-executive director of the Bournemouth and West Hants Water Company for some years, and then more recently has been, and remains, a member on the board of a company pension trust. European Parliament In June 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber becoming the Conservative spokesman on justice and home affairs and the Chief Whip of the delegation that year. He also served on the Culture, Media, Arts Education and Youth Committee between 1999 and 2002. Then, in 2002, he became the Conservative Party representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe, established to consider the future course for Europe. In the course of that work he was one of those responsible for the proposal of what would become Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2005. In 2002, he was re-selected by Conservative members in Yorkshire and The Humber to head the list of candidates in the European elections in June 2004. In spring 2003, Kirkhope was asked by the then Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin to look into the workings of the UK asylum system and to make proposals for future party policy. The Kirkhope Commission worked for several months and produced a comprehensive report with 20 specific recommendations. In July 2004, Kirkhope was elected as the first Vice-Chairman of the EPP/European Democrats Parliamentary Group with which the UK Conservatives were in alliance