Votes and Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 1999-2000
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House of Commons Votes and Proceedings
Thursday 17th February 2000

The House met at half-past Eleven o'clock.

PRAYERS.

1 Kent County Council Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Kent County Council Bill [Lords];

    Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.

2 Medway Council Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Medway Council Bill [Lords];

    Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.

3 Mersey Tunnels Bill,—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Mersey Tunnels Bill;

    Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.

4 Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation,—Mr Eric Illsley reported from the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation the draft Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2000.

    Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.

5 Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation,—Mr Mike Hancock reported from the Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation the draft African Development Fund (Eighth Replenishment) Order 1999.

    Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.

6 Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords];

    And a Motion being made, and the Question being proposed, That the Bill be now read a second time;

    An Amendment was proposed to the Question, to leave out from the word 'That' to the end of the Question and add the words 'this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] because it adds unnecessary administrative burdens and costs to Her Majesty's Forces, proposes hasty and impractical solutions to the administration of military law for forces on active service, transfers to civilians powers which rightly lie with the chain of military command, and, furthermore, because it fails to address urgent issues affecting the fundamental human rights of military personnel and their dependants, including deficiencies in the provision of legal aid and delays in the processes of military law, such as redress of grievance procedures, and because it has the effect of postponing yet again both consolidation of the Army, Navy and Air Force Discipline Acts and consideration of a single tri-service Discipline Act', instead thereof.—(Mr Robert Key.)

    And the Question being put, That the Amendment be made:

    The House divided.

    Tellers for the Ayes, Mr John Randall, Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: 134.

    Tellers for the Noes, Mrs Anne McGuire, Mr Don Touhig: 298.

    So the Question was negatived.

    And the Main Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 62 (Amendment on second or third reading);

    The House divided.

    Tellers for the Ayes, Mrs Anne McGuire, Mr Don Touhig: 276.

    Tellers for the Noes, Mr John Randall, Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: 131.

    So the Question was agreed to.

    The Bill was accordingly read a second time and stood committed to a Standing Committee.

7 Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] [Money],—Her Majesty's Recommendation having been signified to the proposed Motion relating to Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] [Money];

    A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 52 (Money resolutions and ways and means resolutions in connection with bills), That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords], it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of—

    (a) any expenditure incurred in consequence of the establishment by the Act of summary appeal courts; and

    (b) any additional expenditure on the armed forces which is attributable to the Act—(Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.

8 London Government,—A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118 (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation), That the draft Greater London Authority (Disqualification) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 3rd February, be approved—(Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.

9 The 1999 Review of Telecommunications Legislation and Radio Spectrum Policy,— A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 119 (European Standing Committees), That this House takes note of European Union Documents Nos. 12838/99, the Commission's Fifth Report on the implementation of the telecommunications regulatory package, 12839/99, Commission Communication: Towards a new framework for electronic communications infrastructure and associated services: the 1999 Communications Review, 14320/98, Commission Green Paper on radio spectrum policy in the context of European Community policies such as telecommunications, broadcasting, transport and research and development, and 12840/99, Commission Communication, The next steps in radio spectrum policy—Results of the public consultation on the Green Paper; welcomes these Communications; and supports the Government's proposed response to them— (Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.

10 Business of the House,—Ordered, That the Sessional Orders [25th October 1999] relating to Thursday sittings and Meetings of standing committees and the Sessional Order [24th May 1999] relating to sittings in Westminster Hall shall apply to times of sitting on Tuesday 22nd February as if that day were a Thursday.—(Mr Tony McNulty.)

11 Adjournment,—Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mr Tony McNulty.)

    And accordingly the House, having continued to sit till ten minutes to Eight o'clock, adjourned till Monday 21st February.

[Adjourned at 7.50 p.m.

Betty Boothroyd
Speaker

Madam Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock on Monday next.

APPENDIX I

Papers presented or laid upon the Table:

Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:

1 Education,—Draft Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2000 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Blunkett].

2 Local Government Finance,—Local Government Finance (England) Special Grant Report (No. 51), on 1999-2000 Special Grant for Asylum Seekers' Support (Adults and Families of Asylum Seekers) [by Act]; to be printed [No. 255] [Mr Secretary Straw].

Papers subject to Negative Resolution:

3 Weights and Measures,—(1) Weighing Equipment (Automatic Gravimetric Filling Instruments) Regulations 2000 (S.I., 2000, No. 388), and

    (2) Weighing Equipment (Filling and Discontinuous Totalising Automatic Weighing Machines) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (S.I., 2000, No. 387),

dated 15th February 2000 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Byers].

Other Papers:

4 Air Force (Constitution),—Regulations of the Defence Council amending Air Publication 1269A: Royal Air Force Manual of Assessment of Medical Fitness (3rd Edition) [by Act] [Mr Secretary Hoon].

5 Biological Standards,—Report and Accounts of the National Biological Standards Board for 1998-99, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act] [Mr Secretary Milburn].

6 Food,—Accounts of the Home Grown Sugar Beet (Research and Education) Fund for 1998-99, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 267] [Clerk of the House].

7 Security Commission,—Report of the Security Commission on the case of Steven John Hayden [by Command] [Cm. 4578] [The Prime Minister].

APPENDIX II

Standing Committees

1 Postal Services Bill,—(1) The Speaker has allocated the Bill to Standing Committee B, and has appointed Mr John Maxton and Mr John Butterfill Chairmen; and

    (2) the Committee of Selection has nominated eighteen Members to serve on the Committee, viz.: Mr Tony Baldry, Mr Clive Betts, Mr David Borrow, Mr Colin Breed, Mr Russell Brown, Mr Ben Chapman, Mr David Chidgey, Mr Tony Colman, Mr David Drew, Mr Alan Duncan, Mr Lindsay Hoyle, Mr Alan Johnson, Mr Bob Laxton, Mrs Diana Organ, Mr Richard Page, Mr John Randall, Miss Geraldine Smith and Dr George Turner.

Grand Committees

2 Scottish Grand Committee,—The Speaker has appointed Mr John Maxton and Mr Jimmy Hood Chairmen of the Scottish Grand Committee in respect of its meeting on Tuesday 29th February.

European Standing Committees

3 European Standing Committee B,—The Speaker has appointed Mrs Ray Michie Chairman of European Standing Committee B in respect of European Union Documents Nos. 10705/99, 10497/99 and 11203/99, relating to European Community Humanitarian and Development Aid, and the Unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum submitted by the Department for International Development on 5th November 1999.

APPENDIX III

Reports from Select Committees

1 Culture, Media and Sport,—(1) First Special Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee [Government Response to the Second Report from the Committee, on The Future of Professional Rugby]; to be printed [No. 268]; and

    (2) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee [Libraries]; to be printed [No. 241-ii]

[Mr Gerald Kaufman].

2 Health,—Minutes of Evidence taken before the Health Committee [Winter Pressures in the NHS]; to be printed [No. 266-i] [Mr David Hinchliffe].

Supplement to the Votes and Proceedings Thursday 17th February 2000 Minutes of Proceedings of the Sitting in Westminster Hall
[pursuant to the Order of 24th May 1999]

The House met at half-past Two o'clock.
PRAYERS.
1	Adjournment,—A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That the sitting be now adjourned—(Mr David Clelland);
	And the sitting having continued for three hours, it was adjourned without Question put, till Tuesday 22nd February.
[Adjourned at 5.30 p.m.
*Sir Alan Haselhurst* *Deputy Speaker*

The House met at half-past Eleven o'clock.
PRAYERS.
1	Kent County Council Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Kent County Council Bill [Lords];
	Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.
2	Medway Council Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Medway Council Bill [Lords];
	Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.
3	Mersey Tunnels Bill,—The Order of the day being read, for Second Reading of the Mersey Tunnels Bill;
	Ordered, That the Bill be read a second time on Thursday 2nd March.
4	Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation,—Mr Eric Illsley reported from the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation the draft Social Security (Contributions) (Re-rating and National Insurance Funds Payments) Order 2000.
	Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.
5	Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation,—Mr Mike Hancock reported from the Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation the draft African Development Fund (Eighth Replenishment) Order 1999.
	Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.
6	Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords],—The Order of the day being read, for the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords];
	And a Motion being made, and the Question being proposed, That the Bill be now read a second time;
	An Amendment was proposed to the Question, to leave out from the word 'That' to the end of the Question and add the words 'this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] because it adds unnecessary administrative burdens and costs to Her Majesty's Forces, proposes hasty and impractical solutions to the administration of military law for forces on active service, transfers to civilians powers which rightly lie with the chain of military command, and, furthermore, because it fails to address urgent issues affecting the fundamental human rights of military personnel and their dependants, including deficiencies in the provision of legal aid and delays in the processes of military law, such as redress of grievance procedures, and because it has the effect of postponing yet again both consolidation of the Army, Navy and Air Force Discipline Acts and consideration of a single tri-service Discipline Act', instead thereof.—(Mr Robert Key.)
	And the Question being put, That the Amendment be made:
	The House divided.
	Tellers for the Ayes, Mr John Randall, Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: 134.
	Tellers for the Noes, Mrs Anne McGuire, Mr Don Touhig: 298.
	So the Question was negatived.
	And the Main Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 62 (Amendment on second or third reading);
	The House divided.
	Tellers for the Ayes, Mrs Anne McGuire, Mr Don Touhig: 276.
	Tellers for the Noes, Mr John Randall, Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: 131.
	So the Question was agreed to.
	The Bill was accordingly read a second time and stood committed to a Standing Committee.
7	Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] [Money],—Her Majesty's Recommendation having been signified to the proposed Motion relating to Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords] [Money];
	A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 52 (Money resolutions and ways and means resolutions in connection with bills), That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Armed Forces Discipline Bill [Lords], it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of—
	(a) any expenditure incurred in consequence of the establishment by the Act of summary appeal courts; and
	(b) any additional expenditure on the armed forces which is attributable to the Act—(Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.
8	London Government,—A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118 (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation), That the draft Greater London Authority (Disqualification) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 3rd February, be approved—(Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.
9	The 1999 Review of Telecommunications Legislation and Radio Spectrum Policy,— A Motion was made, and the Question being put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 119 (European Standing Committees), That this House takes note of European Union Documents Nos. 12838/99, the Commission's Fifth Report on the implementation of the telecommunications regulatory package, 12839/99, Commission Communication: Towards a new framework for electronic communications infrastructure and associated services: the 1999 Communications Review, 14320/98, Commission Green Paper on radio spectrum policy in the context of European Community policies such as telecommunications, broadcasting, transport and research and development, and 12840/99, Commission Communication, The next steps in radio spectrum policy—Results of the public consultation on the Green Paper; welcomes these Communications; and supports the Government's proposed response to them— (Mr Tony McNulty):—It was agreed to.
10	Business of the House,—Ordered, That the Sessional Orders [25th October 1999] relating to Thursday sittings and Meetings of standing committees and the Sessional Order [24th May 1999] relating to sittings in Westminster Hall shall apply to times of sitting on Tuesday 22nd February as if that day were a Thursday.—(Mr Tony McNulty.)
11	Adjournment,—Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—(Mr Tony McNulty.)
	And accordingly the House, having continued to sit till ten minutes to Eight o'clock, adjourned till Monday 21st February.
[Adjourned at 7.50 p.m.
*Betty Boothroyd* *Speaker*
Madam Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock on Monday next.
APPENDIX I
Papers presented or laid upon the Table:
Papers subject to Affirmative Resolution:
1	Education,—Draft Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2000 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Blunkett].
2	Local Government Finance,—Local Government Finance (England) Special Grant Report (No. 51), on 1999-2000 Special Grant for Asylum Seekers' Support (Adults and Families of Asylum Seekers) [by Act]; to be printed [No. 255] [Mr Secretary Straw].
Papers subject to Negative Resolution:
3	Weights and Measures,—(1) Weighing Equipment (Automatic Gravimetric Filling Instruments) Regulations 2000 (S.I., 2000, No. 388), and
	(2) Weighing Equipment (Filling and Discontinuous Totalising Automatic Weighing Machines) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (S.I., 2000, No. 387),
	dated 15th February 2000 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Byers].
Other Papers:
4	Air Force (Constitution),—Regulations of the Defence Council amending Air Publication 1269A: Royal Air Force Manual of Assessment of Medical Fitness (3rd Edition) [by Act] [Mr Secretary Hoon].
5	Biological Standards,—Report and Accounts of the National Biological Standards Board for 1998-99, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act] [Mr Secretary Milburn].
6	Food,—Accounts of the Home Grown Sugar Beet (Research and Education) Fund for 1998-99, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 267] [Clerk of the House].
7	Security Commission,—Report of the Security Commission on the case of Steven John Hayden [by Command] [Cm. 4578] [The Prime Minister].
APPENDIX II
Standing Committees
1	Postal Services Bill,—(1) The Speaker has allocated the Bill to Standing Committee B, and has appointed Mr John Maxton and Mr John Butterfill Chairmen; and
	(2) the Committee of Selection has nominated eighteen Members to serve on the Committee, viz.: Mr Tony Baldry, Mr Clive Betts, Mr David Borrow, Mr Colin Breed, Mr Russell Brown, Mr Ben Chapman, Mr David Chidgey, Mr Tony Colman, Mr David Drew, Mr Alan Duncan, Mr Lindsay Hoyle, Mr Alan Johnson, Mr Bob Laxton, Mrs Diana Organ, Mr Richard Page, Mr John Randall, Miss Geraldine Smith and Dr George Turner.
Grand Committees
2	Scottish Grand Committee,—The Speaker has appointed Mr John Maxton and Mr Jimmy Hood Chairmen of the Scottish Grand Committee in respect of its meeting on Tuesday 29th February.
European Standing Committees
3	European Standing Committee B,—The Speaker has appointed Mrs Ray Michie Chairman of European Standing Committee B in respect of European Union Documents Nos. 10705/99, 10497/99 and 11203/99, relating to European Community Humanitarian and Development Aid, and the Unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum submitted by the Department for International Development on 5th November 1999.
APPENDIX III
Reports from Select Committees
1	Culture, Media and Sport,—(1) First Special Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee [Government Response to the Second Report from the Committee, on The Future of Professional Rugby]; to be printed [No. 268]; and
	(2) Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee [Libraries]; to be printed [No. 241-ii]
	[Mr Gerald Kaufman].
2	Health,—Minutes of Evidence taken before the Health Committee [Winter Pressures in the NHS]; to be printed [No. 266-i] [Mr David Hinchliffe].



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