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The House met at half-past Eleven o'clock.
PRAYERS.
1 Private Bills (Standing Orders not previously inquired into complied with),-The Speaker laid upon the Table a Report from one of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, That in the case of the following Bill, referred after the Second Reading thereof, the Standing Orders not previously inquired into, which are applicable thereto, have been complied with:
2 Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation,-Mr Win Griffiths reported from the Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation the Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd) (Establishment) Order 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 505) and the Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd) Regulations 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 506).
Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee to lie upon the Table.
3 Smoking (Restaurants) Bill,-The Order for reading the Smoking (Restaurants) Bill a second time on Friday 11th July was read and discharged.
4 Standards and Privileges,-Resolved, That this House takes note of the Eighth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cm. 5663), the Response to that Report by the House of Commons Commission (House of Commons Paper No. 422), and the Second Report of the Committee on Standards and Privileges (House of Commons Paper No. 403); and agrees with the recommendation in paragraph 50 of that Report that, in appropriate cases, the House should impose a penalty of withholding a Member's salary for a specified period without suspending the Member.-(Peter Hain.)
5 Standards and Privileges: Amendments to Standing Orders,-Ordered, That-
(1) Standing Order No. 149 (Committee on Standards and Privileges) be amended in line 39, after second 'time', by inserting ', to appoint legal advisers'; and
(2) Standing Order No. 150 (Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards) be amended as follows:
(a) line 33, at end add 'unless the provisions of paragraph (2A) apply.
(2A) No report shall be made by the Commissioner if, in any case where the Member concerned has agreed that he has failed to register or declare an interest, it is the Commissioner's opinion that the interest involved is minor, or the failure was inadvertent, and the Member concerned has taken such action by way of rectification as the Commissioner may have required within any procedure approved by the Committee for this purpose.
(2B) The Commissioner may at any time in the course of investigating a complaint, and if so requested by the Committee on Standards and Privileges shall, appoint an Investigatory Panel to assist him in establishing the facts relevant to the investigation.
(2C) An Investigatory Panel shall-
(a) consist of the Commissioner, who shall be Chairman of the Panel, and two assessors, one of whom shall be a legally qualified person appointed by the Commissioner and the other shall be a Member, who shall not be a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, appointed by the Speaker; and
(a) shall determine the procedures of the Panel, subject to the provisions of this Order; and
(b) may appoint counsel for the purpose of assisting the Panel.
(2E) Any report that the Commissioner may have made to the Committee on Standards and Privileges in relation to the complaint before the appointment of the Panel shall be made available to the Panel by the Committee.
(2F) Any Member who is the subject of the complaint under investigation shall, if he so requests, be heard by the Panel; may call witnesses; and may examine other witnesses.
(2G) When the Panel has completed its proceedings-
(a) the Commissioner shall report as in paragraph (2)(e);
(b) the legal assessor shall report to the Committee on Standards and Privileges his opinion as to the extent to which its proceedings have been consistent with the principles of natural justice; and
(c) the Member assessor may report to the Committee on Standards and Privileges his opinion as to the extent to which its proceedings have had regard to the customs and practice of the House and its Members.
(2H) The Commissioner shall report each year to the House on the exercise by him of his functions.'.
(b) line 34, leave out paragraph (3) and add-
'(3) The Commissioner may be dismissed only following a resolution of the House, moved for by a Member of the House of Commons Commission, after the Committee on Standards and Privileges has reported to the House that it is satisfied that the Commissioner is unfit to hold his office or unable to carry out his functions; and any such report shall include a statement of the Committee's reasons for its conclusion.'.-(Mr Phil Woolas.)
6 Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards: Term of Office,-Resolved, That this House agrees with the proposals of the House of Commons Commission in paragraphs 8 to 10 of its response to the Eighth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life (House of Commons Paper No. 422), that-
(a) any future appointment to the office of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards shall be for a period of five years, and shall not be renewable; and
(b) notwithstanding the Resolution of the House of 13th February 2002, the appointment of the current Commissioner shall expire on 25th June 2008, and shall not be renewable.-(Mr Phil Woolas.)
7 Adjournment,-Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Jim Fitzpatrick.)
And accordingly the House, having continued to sit till twenty-three minutes past Four o'clock, adjourned till Monday 30th June.
[Adjourned at 4.23 p.m.
Michael J. Martin
Speaker
Mr 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 Negative Resolution:
1 Education,-(1) Merrist Wood College (Dissolution) Order 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 1611), and
(2) Rycotewood College, Oxford College of Further Education and North Oxfordshire College and School of Art (Dissolution) Order 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 1610)
dated 18th June 2003 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Clarke].
2 Merchant Shipping,-Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 1636), dated 24th June 2003 [by Act] [Mr Secretary Darling].
3 Tax Credits,-Tax Credits (Provision of Information) (Functions Relating to Health) (No. 2) Regulations 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 1650), dated 25th June 2003 [by Act] [Dawn Primarolo].
Other Papers:
4 Industrial Development,-Report for 2002-03 by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the First Minister of the Scottish Executive and the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales under the Industrial Development Act 1982 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 852] [Ms Secretary Hewitt].
5 Northern Ireland Office Executive Agencies,-Report of Forensic Science Northern Ireland for 2001-02 [by Act]; to be printed [No. 744] [Mr Secretary Murphy].
6 Police (Northern Ireland),-Report of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for 2002-03 [by Command] [Mr Secretary Murphy].
APPENDIX II
Standing Committees
1 Retirement Income Reform Bill,-The Speaker has appointed Mr Peter Atkinson Chairman of Standing Committee C in respect of the Bill.
2 Courts Bill [Lords],-The Speaker has appointed Mr Eric Illsley an additional Chairman of Standing Committee D in respect of the Bill.
3 Draft Asylum (Designated States) (No. 2) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Mr Peter Pike Chairman of the First Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Order.
4 Draft Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003:
(1) The Speaker has appointed Miss Anne Begg Chairman of the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Regulations and
(2) The Committee of Selection has discharged Ann Coffey and Gillian Merron from the Second Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (nominated in respect of the draft Regulations); and nominated in substitution Charlotte Atkins and Mr David Borrow.
5 Draft Community Care Plans (Disapplication) (England) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Mrs Marion Roe Chairman of the Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Order, in place of Mr Bill Olner.
6 Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd) (Establishment) Order 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 505) and the Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd) Regulations 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 506),-The Committee of Selection has discharged Hugh Bayley, Mr Russell Brown, Bridget Prentice and Mr Graham Stringer from the Third Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (nominated in respect of the Order and Regulations); and nominated in substitution Tony Cunningham, Dr Brian Iddon, Mr Kelvin Hopkins and Mr Kevin Hughes.
7 Draft Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 and draft Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Mr Roger Gale Chairman of the Fourth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Regulations.
8 Draft Electricity and Gas (Modification of Standard Conditions of Licences) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Derek Conway Chairman of the Fourth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Order.
9 Draft Contracting Out (Function in relation to management of Crown Lands) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Miss Anne Begg Chairman of the Fifth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Order.
10 Value Added Tax (Finance) Order 2003:
(1) The Speaker has appointed Mr Alan Hurst Chairman of the Sixth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the Order; and
(2) The Committee of Selection has discharged Mr David Ruffley from the Sixth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (nominated in respect of the Order); and nominated in substitution Mr Jonathan Sayeed.
11 Draft Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003:
(1) The Speaker has appointed Mr Roger Gale Chairman of the Eighth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Regulations.
(2) The Committee of Selection has discharged Shona McIsaac from the Eighth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (nominated in respect of the draft Regulations); and nominated in substitution Mr Tom Harris.
12 Draft Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Canada) Order 2003 and the draft Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Mauritius) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Derek Conway Chairman of the Ninth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Orders.
13 Draft Greater London Authority Elections (Election Addresses) Order 2003,-The Committee of Selection has discharged Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown from the Tenth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (nominated in respect of the draft Order); and nominated in substitution Mr Philip Hammond.
14 Draft Insolvency Act 1986 (Amendment) (Administrative Receivership and Urban Regeneration etc.) Order 2003,-The Speaker has appointed Mr Win Griffiths Chairman of the Eleventh Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation in respect of the draft Order.
Grand Committees
15 The Speaker has appointed Mr John McWilliam Chairman of the Northern Ireland Grand Committee in respect of its meeting on Thursday 3rd July.
16 The Speaker has appointed Mr John McWilliam Chairman of the Northern Ireland Grand Committee in respect of its meeting on Tuesday 8th July.
APPENDIX III
Reports from Select Committees
1 Health,-Minutes of Evidence taken before the Health Committee [Obesity]; to be printed [No. 755-ii] [Mr David Hinchliffe].
2 Public Administration,-Fourth Report from the Select Committee on Public Administration [Government by Appointment: Opening up the Patronage State], together with the Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 165-I and -II] [Tony Wright].
[W.H., No. 75]
Minutes of Proceedings of the Sitting in Westminster Hall
The sitting commenced at half-past Two o'clock.
Adjournment (Humanitarian Crisis in Southern Africa-Third Report from the International Development Committee, and the Government's response thereto),-Resolved, That the sitting be now adjourned.-(Hilary Benn.)
And accordingly the sitting was adjourned till Tuesday 1st July.
[Adjourned at 5.09 p.m.
Sir Alan Haselhurst
Deputy Speaker
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