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Standing Orders of the House of Commons - Public Business 1997- continued
Standing Committees - continued
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Northern Ireland Grand Committee (sittings)     116. - (1) A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown providing (or varying previous provision) for the Northern Ireland Grand Committee-
 
 
    (a) to sit on not more than two specified days in Northern Ireland (at places to be named by the Member appointed chairman), the sitting commencing, and proceedings being interrupted, at such hours as shall be specified;
 
    (b) to sit on other specified days at Westminster at such hours as shall be specified;
 
    (c) to take questions under Standing Order No. 110 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (questions for oral answer)) on certain of the days specified under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) above;
 
    (d) to hold short debates under Standing Order No. 111 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (short debates)) on certain of the days so specified;
 
    (e) to consider specified bills which shall have been referred to it under Standing Order No. 113 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (bills in relation to their principle)) on certain of the days so specified;
 
    (f) to consider legislative proposals and other specified matters which shall have been referred to it under Standing Order No. 114 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (legislative proposals and other matters relating exclusively to Northern Ireland)) on certain of the days so specified;
 
    (g) to consider specified instruments (whether or not in draft) which shall have been referred to it under Standing Order No. 115 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (delegated legislation)) on certain of the days so specified; and
 
    (h) to consider motions for the adjournment of the committee made under paragraph (5) below on certain of the days so specified;
  and the Speaker shall put forthwith the question on such a motion, which may be decided at any hour, though opposed:

Provided that nothing in this order shall prevent the committee from considering further at a sitting at Westminster business adjourned at a previous sitting in Northern Ireland, nor from considering at a sitting in Northern Ireland business adjourned at a sitting at Westminster.
 

      (2) The provisions of Standing Order No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees), so far as they relate to the naming of a day in respect of business by the Member appointed chairman and the committee's appointment of future days in respect of business not completed at a sitting, shall not apply to the Northern Ireland Grand Committee.
 
      (3) The chairman shall interrupt proceedings (other than on a motion made under paragraph (5) below) at the time specified in relation to the sitting by an order made under paragraph (1) above or, in the absence of such provision, at one o'clock, subject to paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees).
 
      (4) At the moment of interruption, proceedings under consideration and not disposed of shall stand adjourned.
 
      (5) On a day specified in an order made under paragraph (1) above, after the interruption of proceedings, or on the completion of the business appointed for consideration at that sitting, whichever is the earlier, a motion for the adjournment of the committee may be made by a Minister of the Crown, and, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees) the chairman shall, not later than half an hour after the motion has been made, adjourn the committee without putting any question; and in respect of business taken under this paragraph, the quorum of the committee shall be three.
 
Standing Committee on Regional Affairs     117. - (1) There shall be a standing committee to be called the Standing Committee on Regional Affairs which shall consider any matter or matters relating to regional affairs in England which may be referred to it.
 
      (2) All Members sitting for constituencies in England shall be members of the standing committee, together with not more than five other Members to be nominated by the Committee of Selection, which shall have power from time to time to discharge the Members so nominated by it and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged, and the provisions of Standing Order No. 87 (Attendance of law officers and ministers in standing committees) shall not apply.
 
      (3) A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business to the effect that a specified matter or matters relating to regional affairs in England be referred to the standing committee for its consideration, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, the Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.
 
      (4) The Committee shall consider the matter or matters referred to it on a motion "That the Committee has considered the matter or matters"; and the Chairman shall put any question necessary to dispose of the proceedings on such a motion, if not previously concluded, when the Committee has sat for two and a half hours after the commencement of those proceedings; and the Committee shall thereupon report to the House that it has considered the matter or matters without any further question being put.
 
      (5) Six shall be the quorum of the Committee.
 
Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation     118. - (1) There shall be one or more standing committees, to be called Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation, for the consideration of such instruments (whether or not in draft) as may be referred to them.
 
      (2) Any Member, not being a member of such a standing committee, may take part in the deliberations of the committee, but shall not vote or make any motion or move any amendment or be counted in the quorum.
 
      (3) Where a Minister of the Crown has given notice of a motion to the effect that an instrument (whether or not in draft) upon which proceedings may be taken in pursuance of an Act of Parliament (other than a draft deregulation order) be approved, the instrument shall stand referred to a Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation, unless-
 
 
    (a) notice has been given by a Minister of the Crown of a motion that the instrument shall not so stand referred, or
 
    (b) the instrument is referred to the Scottish Grand Committee or to the Northern Ireland Grand Committee.
      (4) Where a Member has given notice of-
 
 
    (a) a motion for an humble address to Her Majesty praying that a statutory instrument be annulled, or a motion of a similar character relating to a statutory instrument, or to any other instrument (whether or not in draft) which may be subject to proceedings in the House in pursuance of a statute, or a motion that the House takes note of a statutory instrument, or
 
    (b) a motion that a measure under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 be presented to Her Majesty for her Royal Assent, or a motion relating to an instrument made under such a measure,
  a motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, that the instrument be referred to such a committee, and the question thereon shall be put forthwith; and if, on the question being put, not fewer than twenty Members rise in their places and signify their objection thereto, the Speaker shall declare that the noes have it.
 
      (5) Each committee shall consider each instrument referred to it on a motion, "That the committee has considered the instrument"; and the chairman shall put any question necessary to dispose of the proceedings on such a motion, if not previously concluded, when the committee shall have sat for one and a half hours (or, in the case of an instrument relating exclusively to Northern Ireland, two and a half hours) after the commencement of those proceedings; and the committee shall thereupon report the instrument to the House without any further question being put.
 
      (6) If any motion is made in the House of the kind specified in paragraphs (3) or (4) of this order, in relation to any instrument reported to the House in accordance with paragraph (5) of this order, the Speaker shall put forthwith the question thereon and such question may be decided at any hour, though opposed.
 
European Standing Committees     119. - (1) There shall be two standing committees, called European Standing Committees, to which shall stand referred for consideration on motion, unless the House otherwise orders, such European Community documents as defined in Standing Order No. 143 (Select Committee on European Legislation) as may be recommended by the Select Committee on European Legislation for further consideration.
 
      (2) If a motion that specified European Community documents as aforesaid shall not stand referred to a European Standing Committee is made by a Minister of the Crown at the commencement of public business, the question thereon shall be put forthwith.
 
      (3) Each European Standing Committee shall consist of thirteen Members nominated for the duration of a Session by the Committee of Selection; and in nominating such Members, the Committee of Selection shall-
 
 
    (a) have regard to the qualifications of the Members nominated and to the composition of the House; and
 
    (b) have power to discharge Members from time to time, and to appoint others in substitution.
      (4) The quorum of a European Standing Committee shall be three, excluding the chairman.
 
      (5) Any Member, though not nominated to a European Standing Committee, may take part in the committee's proceedings, but such Member shall not make any motion, vote or be counted in the quorum; provided that a Minister of the Crown who is a Member of this House but not nominated to the committee may make a motion as provided in paragraphs (7) and (8) below; and the Government may appoint the precedence of notices of motion to be considered in each committee.
 
      (6) The European Standing Committees, and the principal subject matter of the European Community documents to be referred to each, shall be as set out below; and in making recommendations for further consideration, the Select Committee on European Legislation shall specify the committee to which in its opinion the documents ought to be referred; and subject to paragraph (2) of this order, the documents shall be referred to that committee accordingly.
 
 
 
European Standing Committees
 
Principal subject matter
 
 
Matters within the responsibility of the following Departments-
 
A
 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; Transport; Environment; and Forestry Commission (and analogous responsibilities of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices)
 
B
 
Other Departments
      (7) The chairman may permit a Minister of the Crown to make a statement and to answer questions thereon put by Members, in respect of each motion relative to a European Community document or documents referred to a European Standing Committee of which a Minister shall have given notice; but no question shall be taken after the expiry of a period of one hour from the commencement of the said statement.
 
      (8) Following the conclusion of the proceedings under the previous paragraph, the motion referred to therein may be made, to which amendments may be moved; and, if proceedings thereon have not been previously concluded, the chairman shall interrupt the consideration of such motion and amendments when the committee shall have sat for a period of two and a half hours, and shall then put forthwith successively:
 
 
    (a) the question on any amendment already proposed from the chair; and
 
    (b) the main question (or the main question, as amended).
     
      The chairman shall thereupon report to the House any resolution to which the committee has come, or that it has come to no resolution, without any further question being put.
      (9) If any motion is made in the House in relation to any European Community document in respect of which a report has been made to the House in accordance with paragraph (8) of this order, the Speaker shall forthwith put successively-
 
 
    (a) the question on any amendment selected by her which may be moved;
 
    (b) the main question (or the main question, as amended);
  and proceedings in pursuance of this paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration of the time for opposed business.
 
      (10) With the modifications provided in this order, the following Standing Orders shall apply to European Standing Committees:

No. 85 (Chairmen of standing committees);

No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees); and

No. 89 (Procedure in standing committees).
 

 


 
 

 
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Prepared 6 May 1997