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Mr. Winnick: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
Finance Bill (Allocation of Time)
3.35 pm
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Dawn Primarolo) rose--
Mr. Norman Baker (Lewes): On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am sorry to interrupt the Minister, but I want to raise a serious matter.
Last Wednesday, I introduced a debate on freedom of information. I was given an assurance by the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, that the Government would issue a White Paper very shortly and that it remained
Will you, Madam Speaker, require the Government to come to the House and correct that information, so that we know where we are with the legislation? Civil servants have been blamed for the delay, but some of us think that some part of the Government may be responsible.
Madam Speaker:
I should be much obliged if the hon. Gentleman would give me an opportunity to look at the Hansard to which he referred, so that I can make myself familiar with the exchange that took place. I shall take appropriate action if I find that to be necessary.
Dawn Primarolo:
I beg to move,
It is regrettable that we should have to move this motion, but I make absolutely no apology for doing so. I will explain the reasoning behind it, because it is important that not only the House but people outside understand what is at stake and why it is vital that the Finance Bill be on the statute book before the summer recess.
The Budget represents the people's priorities, and the guillotine motion is necessary to protect those priorities. The British people voted for a cut in VAT on fuel to 5 per cent., and the Finance Bill cuts VAT on fuel to 5 per cent. We promised that the cut would be in time for winter bills, and this Finance Bill introduces it by 1 September. The British people voted for a windfall levy on the excess profits of the privatised utilities to help us to move people
back into work. They voted for this Government because we said that education would be our No. 1 priority, and we meant it--£1.3 billion from the windfall levy will be used to rebuild our crumbling schools.
We are as keen as anyone to ensure that the provisions of the Finance Bill are properly aired and scrutinised, both within this House and beyond. It was possible to reach an agreement through the usual channels on the number of days to be allocated to the Budget debate. It was possible to reach agreement through the usual channels on the start date for the Committee stage. It was also possible to reach agreement through the usual channels on the size of the Standing Committee, and to agree the Opposition's request on what it should be. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reach agreement through the usual channels on the timing of the Committee stage.
We asked the Opposition what they wanted, but they could not tell us, and were not prepared to discuss the matter. It was therefore not possible to agree on an end date for the Committee stage. Such a result is highly regrettable, but it leaves the Government with no choice but to act responsibly in ensuring that--as soon as reasonably possible in the financial year--taxpayers are certain where they stand. It is in absolutely no one's interest that uncertainty over the precise terms of tax legislation should continue into the autumn.
I do not need to remind hon. Members that we are already more than a quarter of the way through the current financial year, or that, if the motion is adopted, almost one third of the financial year will have elapsed before the Bill is enacted. Any risk of delay into the autumn would be grossly unfair to taxpayers, who might not know precisely where they stand when they are more than halfway through the financial year.
Uncertainty might, of course, be a price worth paying if it were absolutely necessary to ensure that the measures in the Bill were properly scrutinised. It is not at all necessary, however, to keep taxpayers in a state of suspense by risking delay into the autumn. Furthermore, our Finance Bill will receive more generous scrutiny than that provided by the previous Government.
We have ensured that the four main issues that the Opposition wanted to be debated on the Floor of the House will be debated on the Floor of the House. Last Thursday, we even assisted the Opposition in amending their own motion, so that it was absolutely correct.
"my right hon. Friend's intention to do this before the House rises in a few weeks' time."--[Official Report, 9 July 1997; Vol. 297, c. 907.]
Barely was that debate concluded than we heard through the media, not through the House, that there was no such intention. For reasons that are not clear, the proposal to publish a White Paper has now been delayed indefinitely yet again. Therefore, the information given to the House on Wednesday was incorrect.
That the following provisions shall apply to the remaining proceedings on the Finance Bill:--
Committee of the whole House
1.--(1) The proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be completed in two allotted days.
(2) The proceedings to be taken on each of those days shall be as shown in the second column, and shall be brought to a conclusion at the times specified in the third column, of the following Table:--
TABLE
Allotted day Proceedings Time for conclusion of proceedings
First day Clause 1 7:00 p.m.
Clause 15 10:00 p.m.
Second day Clause 17 7:00 p.m.
Clause 19 10:00 p.m.
(3) When the Order of the day is read for the House to resolve itself into a Committee on the Bill, the Speaker shall leave the chair without putting any Question and the House shall resolve itself into a Committee forthwith whether or not notice of an instruction to the Committee has been given; and Standing Order No. 66 (Committee of the whole House on bill) shall not apply.
(4) No Motion shall be made as to the order in which proceedings are to be considered in Committee of the whole House.
(5) Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) shall not apply in relation to the proceedings to which this paragraph applies.
Standing Committee
2.--(1) The Standing Committee to which the remainder of the Bill is allocated shall report the Bill not later than 23rd July.
(2) The Standing Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on which it shall meet.
(3) Proceedings in the Standing Committee on 23rd July may continue until Ten o'clock whether or not the House is adjourned before that time, and if the House is adjourned before those proceedings have been brought to a conclusion, the Standing Committee shall report the Bill to the House on 24th July.
Report and Third Reading
3.--(1) Proceedings on consideration and Third Reading shall be completed in two allotted days and shall be brought to a conclusion at Ten o'clock on the second of those days.
(2) The Third Reading may be proceeded with at the conclusion of the proceedings on consideration, notwithstanding the practice of the House as to the interval between stages of a Bill brought in on Ways and Means resolutions.
Business Committee
4.--(1) For the purposes of Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) paragraph 3 of this Order shall be taken to allot to the proceedings on consideration such part of the allotted days as the Resolution of the Business Committee may determine.
(2) The Business Committee shall report to the House its Resolution as to the proceedings on consideration of the Bill, and as to the allocation of time between those proceedings and proceedings on Third Reading, not later than 25th July.
(3) Any resolution of the Business Committee may be varied by a further Report of the Committee under Standing Order No. 82, whether before or after the date on which the Committee is to report under this paragraph and whether or not that Resolution has been agreed to by the House.
(4) No Motion shall be made as to the order in which proceedings are to be taken on consideration, but the Resolutions of the Business Committee may include alterations to that order.
Procedure in Standing Committee
5.--(1) At a sitting of the Standing Committee at which any proceedings on the Bill are to be brought to a conclusion under a Resolution of the Business Sub-Committee, the Chairman shall not adjourn the Committee under any Order relating to the sittings of the Committee until those proceedings have been brought to a conclusion.
(2) No Motion shall be made in the Standing Committee relating to the sitting of the Committee except by a Minister of the Crown, and the Chairman shall permit a brief explanatory statement from the Member who moves, and from a Member who opposes, the Motion, and shall then put the Question thereon.
(3) No Motion shall be made as to the order in which proceedings are to be considered in the Standing Committee, but the Resolutions of the Business Sub-Committee may include alterations in that order.
Report of proceedings in Committee
6. On the conclusion of the proceedings in any Committee on the Bill, the Chairman shall report such of the Bill's provisions as were committed (or re-committed) to that Committee to the House without putting any Question.
Dilatory Motions
7. No dilatory Motion with respect to, or in the course of proceedings on, the Bill shall be made in the Standing Committee or on an allotted day except by a Minister of the Crown; and the Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.
Exempted business
8. On an allotted day paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall not apply by virtue of paragraph (a) of that paragraph to any proceedings on the Bill after the conclusion of all the proceedings on the Bill which, under this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee, are to be brought to a conclusion on that day.
Private business
9.--(1) Any private business which has been set down for consideration at Seven o'clock on an allotted day shall, instead of being considered as provided by Standing Orders, be considered at the conclusion of the proceedings on the Bill on that day.
(2) Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to the private business for a period of three hours from the conclusion of the proceedings on the Bill or, if those proceedings are concluded before Ten o'clock, for a period equal to the time elapsing between Seven o'clock and the conclusion of those proceedings.
Conclusion of proceedings
10. For the purpose of bringing to a conclusion any proceedings which are to be brought to a conclusion at a time appointed by this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee or the Business Sub-Committee and which have not previously been brought to a conclusion, the Chairman or the Speaker shall forthwith put the following Questions (but no others)--
(a) any Question already proposed from the Chair;
(b) any Question necessary to bring to a decision a Question so proposed (including, in the case of a new Clause or new Schedule which has been read a second time, whether before the time so appointed or in pursuance of paragraph (a), the Question that the Clause or Schedule, or the Clause or Schedule as amended, be added to the Bill);
(c) the Question on any amendment moved or Motion made by a Minister of the Crown;
(d) any other Question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded;
and on a Motion so made for a new Clause or new Schedule, the Chairman or the Speaker shall put only the Question that the Clause or Schedule be added to the Bill.
11.--(1) Proceedings under paragraph 10 of this Order shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House.
(2) If an allotted day is one on which a Motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) would, apart from this Order, stand over to Seven o'clock and proceedings to which this Order applies have begun before that time--
(a) that Motion shall stand over until the conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which, under this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee, are to be brought to a conclusion at or before that time;
(b) the bringing to a conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which, under this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee, are to be brought to a conclusion after that time shall be postponed for a period equal to the duration of the proceedings on that Motion.
(3) If an allotted day is one to which a Motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 stands over from an earlier day, the bringing to a conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which, under this Order or a Resolution of the Business
Committee, are to be brought to a conclusion on that day shall be postponed for a period equal to the duration of the proceedings on that Motion.
Supplemental orders
12.--(1) The proceedings on any Motion made in the House by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order (including anything which might have been the subject of a report of the Business Committee or the Business Sub-Committee) shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion one hour after they have been commenced.
(2) Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to those proceedings.
(3) If on an allotted day on which any proceedings on the Bill are to be brought to a conclusion at a time appointed by this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee the House is adjourned, or the sitting is suspended, before that time no notice shall be required of a Motion made at the next sitting by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order.
Saving
13. Nothing in this Order or a Resolution of the Business Committee or the Business Sub-Committee shall--
(a) prevent any proceedings to which the Order or Resolution applies from being taken or completed earlier than is required by the Order or Resolution; or
(b) prevent any business (whether on the Bill or not) from being proceeded with on any day after the completion of all such proceedings on the Bill as are to be taken on that day.
Recommittal
14.--(1). References in this Order to proceedings on consideration or proceedings on Third Reading include references to proceedings at those stages respectively, for, on or in consequence of, recommittal.
(2) On an allotted day no debate shall be permitted on any Motion to recommit the Bill (whether as a whole or otherwise), and the Speaker shall put forthwith any Question necessary to dispose of the Motion, including the Question on any amendment moved to the Question.
Interpretation
15. In this Order--
"allotted day" means any day (other than a Friday) on which the Bill is put down as first Government Order of the Day, provided that a Motion for allotting time to the proceedings on the Bill to be taken on that day either has been agreed on a previous day, or is set down for consideration on that day;
"the Bill" means the Finance Bill;
"Resolution of the Business Committee" means a Resolution of the Business Committee as agreed to by the House; and
"Resolution of the Business Sub-Committee" means a Resolution of the Business Sub-Committee as agreed to by the Standing Committee.
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