A
BILL
TO
Amend the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 so as to make
provision about the membership of the House of Commons Commission, so
as to confer a new strategic function on the Commission, and so as to make
provision about the exercise of functions on behalf of the Commission or its
members.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
(1)
Section 1 of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (the House of
Commons Commission) is amended as follows.
(2) After subsection (1) insert—
“(1A)
5The Commission is to consist of seven parliamentary members, two
external members and two official members.”
(3) In subsection (2) (members of the Commission)—
(a)
for “Commission shall consist of” substitute “parliamentary members
are to be”, and
(b)
10in paragraph (d) (members appointed by the House of Commons) for
“three” substitute “four”.
(4) After subsection (2) insert—
“(2A) An external member may not be—
(a) a member of the House of Commons,
(b) 15a member of the House of Lords,
(c) a member of staff in the House Departments, or
(d) a member of staff of the House of Lords.
(2B)
An external member is to be appointed by resolution of the House of
Commons.
House of Commons Commission BillPage 2
(2C) The official members are—
(a)
the Clerk of the House of Commons or, if that office is vacant, a
member of staff in the House Departments who is appointed as
an official member by the Commission, and
(b)
5the Director General of the House of Commons or, if that office
is vacant or no longer exists, a member of staff in the House
Departments who is appointed as an official member by the
Commission.”
(5) In subsection (4) after the definition of “Leader of the Opposition” insert—
10““member of staff of the House of Lords” means a person who is
employed under a contract of employment with the Corporate
Officer of the House of Lords.”
(6)
The Schedule (further provision about members and procedure of the
Commission) has effect.
In section 2 of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (functions of
the Commission) before subsection (1) insert—
“(A1)
The Commission must from time to time set strategic priorities and
objectives in connection with services provided by the House
20Departments.”
(1) This section comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.
(2)
Section 1 and the Schedule come into force, for the purposes of making
appointments, on the day on which this Act is passed.
(3)
25Section 1 and the Schedule come into force for other purposes, and section 2
comes into force, on the day after the making of the appointments required by
section 1(2)(d) of the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 as
amended by section 1 (or, where those appointments are made on different
days, the making of the last of them).
(4)
30Appointments made before this Act is fully in force, by virtue of subsection (2),
take effect on the first day on which this Act is fully in force.
(5) This Act extends to the whole of the United Kingdom.
(6) This Act may be cited as the House of Commons Commission Act 2015.
House of Commons Commission BillPage 3
Section 1
1
Schedule 1 to the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978 (the
Commission) is amended as follows.
2 5After paragraph 1 insert—
1A
(1)
A motion for a resolution appointing an external member may be
made only with the agreement of the Commission.
(2)
A person who is the subject of a motion must have been selected
10by the parliamentary members on merit on the basis of fair and
open competition.”
3
(1)
Paragraph 2 (members other than ex officio members) is amended as
follows.
(2)
In sub-paragraphs (1) and (2), for “member of the Commission” substitute
15“parliamentary member”.
(3)
In sub-paragraph (4) at the end insert “, subject to any resolution of the
House of Commons”.
(4) In sub-paragraph (5)—
(a) for “and the” substitute “, the”, and
(b)
20at the end insert “, the Clerk of the House of Commons or the
Director General of the House of Commons”.
4 (1) Paragraph 3 is amended as follows.
(2)
In sub-paragraphs (1) and (3) for “member of the Commission” substitute
“parliamentary member”.
(3)
25In sub-paragraph (2) for “members of the Commission” substitute
“parliamentary members”.
5
In paragraph 5(2) (power to delegate to head of House Department or
Accounting Officer)—
(a)
in paragraph (a) for “the head of any House Department” substitute
30“a member of staff in the House Departments”, and
(b) omit paragraph (b).
6
In paragraph 6(3) (power of Commission to appoint Commissioner to act as
chairman) for “in the absence of” substitute “in place of”.