Forms of Motion
19. The rules of the House dictate the form of the
motion to be used when particular Estimates are debated under
Standing Order No. 54. For example, in the following example taken
from the Home Office, the motion, which must be moved by a Minister,
takes the following form:
"That a sum, not exceeding
£2,299,414,000 be granted to Her Majesty out of the Consolidated
Fund, on account, for or towards defraying the charge for the
year ending on 31st March 2000 for expenditure by the Home Office
on police; the Forensic Science Service; registration of forensic
practitioners; emergency planning; fire services; the Fire Service
College; criminal policy and programmes including offender programmes;
the prevention of drug abuse; crime reduction and prevention;
provision of services relating to the Crime and Disorder Act;
criminal justice service planning and other services related to
crime; support to the voluntary sector; family policy issues;
research; criminal injuries' compensation; organised and international
crime; control of immigration and nationality; issue of passports;
community and constitutional services; firearms compensation and
related matters; and on administration (excluding the provision
for prisons administration carried on Class IV, Vote 2)".[18]
It will be seen that the ambit of the Vote is set
out in full, but that ambit covers a wide variety of programmes.
The form of the motion is invariable; it is not possible to select
part of an ambit, or part of a Vote for approval, even though
to do so might more clearly indicate the subject of debate.
20. The principle of the financial initiative of
the Crown has led to amendments to increase the amount of money
voted in total, or to vire (switch money) between different lines
being ruled out of order. Argumentative motions are not in order.[19]
It is, however, possible to move a "motion to reduce"
which proposes a reduction of a certain sum, without, in itself,
setting out the reasons for such a reduction. The Votes are broken
down into lines showing expenditure on various items which fall
within the ambit concerned. The motion to reduce can be directed
at the entire Vote, or at an individual line within it.
21. A select committee which secures an Estimates
Day debate thus has to choose between a debate on a motion to
approve, in which it has itself put nothing before the House,
or a debate on a motion to reduce, which is confrontational, in
that it exposes the government to acute financial embarrassment,
at best, and may even lead to its fall. Given the nature of the
public expenditure rounds, both motions must be directed at budgets
which have already been fixed.[20]
We cannot think of a better means to ensure a Government resists
select committee proposals, however well founded, while also ensuring
that committees, which, after all, contain a majority of Members
from the governing party, refrain from pressing their case to
a vote in the House. Moreover, although the motion to reduce has
always been a blunt instrument, since 1996-97 the Estimates have
been simplified, and much of the detail they formerly contained
has been transferred to the departmental annual reports.[21]
This has made it more difficult for a committee to put down a
motion to reduce a particular line which will clearly identify
the expenditure to which it objects.
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