VIII FUTURE PROGRESS
OF THE BILL
94. It is clear that, depending on the outcome of
the public consultation and Government reaction to this Report,
it is currently intended that the Bill be introduced formally
shortly after the Easter recess.[151]
The expectation is then that the Bill will become law before the
end of the Session.[152]
As for the passage of the Bill through the House, the Minister
for Food Safety in evidence to us claimed that "there would
be no attempt to rush" the Bill through Parliament, but also
added that "the present timetable is very restricted",[153]
and that the Government is "intent on legislating as soon
as possible".[154]
It is clear that the Government will be keen for proceedings to
be taken with some sort of expedition, mindful of the need for
the Bill to become law before the end of the Session.
95. Given that we undertook at our first meeting
not to debate the principle of the Agency, and given that the
proposed Agency will be a very important body whose establishment
all Members of the House should have the opportunity to debate,
we believe the Bill must receive a full and proper second reading
debate. Moreover, we expect that before any second reading debate,
the Government will reply to this report in the same way in which
it is required to reply to other select committee reports. It
is however possible that the wide parliamentary and general public
consultation on the draft Bill might permit a shortening of standing
committee stage. The Report of the Modernisation Committee refers
to pre-legislative scrutiny influencing the Chairmen's (and the
Speaker's) selection of amendments,[155]
and we would certainly be in favour of that selection reflecting
the fact the Bill has been produced following long and extensive
consultation. We would not however like to see the progress of
the Bill so expedited as to preclude any detailed deliberation
on its scope or provisions.
96. It will be in the interests of the House for
the explanatory notes accompanying the Bill when finally introduced
to specify in some detail what changes have been made to the Bill
since its publication in draft. This information could perhaps
also usefully be set out in the Government's reply to our Report.
151 Q.1. Back
152 QQ.
3-5. Back
153 Q.1. Back
154 Q.2. Back
155 First
Report from the Modernisation Committee, The Legislative Process,
Session 1997-98, HC 190, para 2. Back
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