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Programming of Bills
[Relevant documents: The Second Report from the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons, Session 1999-2000, HC 589, on the Programming of Legislation and the Timing of Votes. First Report from the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons, Session 1997-98, HC 190, on the Legislative Process. Report from the Select Committee on Sittings of the House, Session 1991-92, HC20.]
Mr. Speaker: Before I call the Leader of the House to move the motion, I shall read out a statement. It may assist the House if I indicate how the debate on the motions relating to the programming of Bills and deferred Divisions will now proceed. There will be a joint debate on the two motions and on the amendments which I have selected. If proceedings are not concluded before 10 pm, I shall call Members formally to move the selected amendments (d) and (g) to the first motion, before the House decides on that motion.
I shall then call the Leader of the House formally to move the second motion and the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth) formally to move his amendment (d) to it, before the House decides on the motion itself. I hope that that will assist the House.
Mr. Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wonder whether you could guide me. We have just had a Division on a closure motion to curtail debate on motion No. 1, but on the Order Paper--the Government's own Order Paper--it clearly states that debate on that motion may continue until any hour; that is marked on the top right-hand corner. What is the relevance of the markings that suggest that debate can continue until a certain time if they can be overridden so easily by a closure motion?
Mr. Speaker: That would have arisen only if the 10 o'clock motion had been agreed to. "Until any hour" applies only if the 10 o'clock motion is agreed to. I hope that that helps the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Having read the Order Paper earlier, I was confused. Under "Main Business", we have the business of the House motion, which we have just discussed. Then the Order Paper says:
- At 10.00 pm
Business of the House
- That, at this day's sitting, the Motion on Business of the House relating to Programming of Bills . . . may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour.
Mr. Speaker: The 10 o'clock motion that the hon. Gentleman sees on the Order Paper is no longer necessary.
We will stop at 10 o'clock. That is why I have made the statement. I will call for the amendments that I have selected to be put before the House at 10 o'clock.
Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Will you clarify one point about which we were not entirely sure? I take it that you have selected no amendment to motion No. 3. Is that correct?
Mr. Speaker: Amendment (d) has been selected. Is that clear?
Sir Patrick Cormack indicated assent.
6.26 pm
The President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mrs. Margaret Beckett): I beg to move,
- That in the next Session of Parliament Orders A to I below shall have effect:
A. Programme Motions
(1) If, before Second Reading of a Bill, notice of a motion providing for--
(a) committal of the Bill, and
(b) an allocation of time to proceedings in Committee on the Bill,
is given by a Minister of the Crown, the motion may be made immediately after Second Reading and Standing Order No. 63 (Committal of Bills) shall not apply to the Bill.
(2) Such a motion is to be called a programme motion.
(3) An order made by the House as the result of a programme motion is to be called a programme order.
(4) A motion to vary or supplement a programme order is also to be called a programme motion.
(5) The question on a programme motion to vary or supplement a programme order shall be put forthwith unless paragraph (7) applies.
(6) Otherwise, any question necessary to dispose of proceedings on a programme motion shall be put not later than three-quarters of an hour after the commencement of the proceedings.
(7) This paragraph applies to a programme motion to--
(a) reduce the amount of time allocated under a programme order for any proceedings on the Bill (whether or not it also increases the amount of time allocated for other proceedings on the Bill);
(b) bring forward the date on which the bill is to be reported to the House in accordance with a programme order; or
(c) add to the proceedings to which a programme order applies.
(8) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) applies to proceedings on a programme motion.
(9) Standing Order No. 83 (Allocation of time) does not apply to a programme motion.
(10) If a programme order applies to a Bill, neither Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) nor Standing Order No. 120 (Business Sub-Committee) applies to the Bill.
B. Programming Committees
(1) This order applies if a Bill is subject to a programme order which makes provision for proceedings in Committee of the whole House or on consideration and third reading.
(2) There is to be a Committee for the Bill consisting of--
(a) the Chairman of Ways and Means (who is to be chairman of the Committee); and
(b) not more than eight other Members, nominated by the Speaker.
(3) The Committee is to be called the Programming Committee.
(4) The quorum of the Programming Committee is four.
(5) The Programming Committee shall--
(a) consider the allocation of periods of time to such of the proceedings in Committee of the whole House (or on consideration and third reading) as it thinks appropriate to designate; and
(b) report any resolution which it makes to the House.
(6) On a motion being made in the House in the terms of a resolution of the Programming Committee, any question necessary to dispose of proceedings on the motion shall be put not later than half an hour after the commencement of those proceedings.
(7) If such a motion is agreed to, its provisions shall have effect as if they were included in the programme order for the Bill.
(8) Proceedings on a motion made under paragraph (6) may be entered upon and decided, though opposed, at any hour.
(9) Resolutions of the Programming Committee--
(a) may be reported from time to time; and
(b) subject to the powers of the Speaker or Chairman to select the amendments, new clauses and new schedules to be proposed, may include alterations in the order in which designated proceedings on the Bill are to be taken.
C. Programming Sub-Committees
(1) If a Bill is subject to a programme order which commits it to a Standing Committee, the order stands referred to the Committee and shall be considered by a sub-committee of the Committee.
(2) The sub-committee is to be called the Programming Sub-Committee.
(3) The Programming Sub-Committee shall consist of--
(a) the Chairman or one of the Chairmen of the Committee (who is to be chairman of the sub-committee); and
(b) seven members of the Committee, nominated by the Speaker.
(4) The quorum of the Programming Sub-Committee is four.
(5) The Programming Sub-Committee shall report to the committee any resolution which it makes about--
(a) the number of sittings to be allotted to the consideration of the Bill in the Committee;
(b) the allocation of the proceedings to each sitting;
(c) the time at which any proceedings, if not previously concluded, are to be brought to a conclusion.
(6) On a motion being made in the Committee in the terms of a resolution of the Programming Sub-Committee, any question necessary to dispose of proceedings on the motion shall be put not later than half an hour after the commencement of those proceedings.
(7) If such a motion is agreed to, its provisions shall have effect as if they were included in the programme order for the Bill.
(8) Resolutions of the Programming Sub-Committee--
(a) may be reported from time to time; and
(b) subject to the powers of the chairman to select the amendments, new Clauses and new Schedules to be proposed, may include alterations in the order in which specified proceedings are to be taken.
D. Programme orders: conclusion of proceedings in Standing Committee or in Committee of the whole House
(1) This order applies for the purpose of bringing proceedings in standing committee or in committee of the whole House to a conclusion in accordance with a programme order.
(2) The Chairman shall put forthwith 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;
(c) the question on any amendment, new clause or new schedule selected by the chairman for separate Division;
(d) the question on any amendment moved or motion made by a Minister of the Crown;
(e) any other question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded.
(3) On a motion made for a new clause or a new schedule, the Chairman shall put only the question that the clause or schedule be added to the Bill.
(4) If two or more questions would fall to be put under paragraph (2)(d) on successive amendments moved or motions made by a Minister of the Crown, the Chairman shall instead put a single question in relation to those amendments or motions.
(5) If two or more questions would fall to be put under paragraph (2)(e) in relation to successive provisions of the Bill, the Chairman shall instead put a single question in relation to those provisions.
(6) On conclusion of the proceedings in a Committee, the Chairman shall report the Bill (or such of the Bill's provisions as were committed to it) to the House without putting any question.
E. Programme orders: conclusion of proceedings on consideration or third reading
(1) This order applies for the purpose of bringing proceedings on consideration and Third Reading to a conclusion in accordance with a programme order.
(2) The Speaker shall put forthwith 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;
(c) the question on any amendment, new clause or new schedule selected by the Speaker for separate division;
(d) the question on any amendment moved or motion made by a Minister of the Crown;
(e) any other question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded.
(3) On a motion made for a new clause or a new schedule, the Speaker shall put only the question that the clause or schedule be added to the Bill.
(4) If two or more questions would fall to be put under paragraph (2)(d) on successive amendments moved or motions made by a Minister of the Crown, the Speaker shall instead put a single question in relation to those amendments or motions.
F. Programme orders: conclusion of proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments
(1) This order applies for the purpose of bringing proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments to a conclusion in accordance with a programme order.
(2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any question which has been proposed from the chair and not yet decided.
(3) If that question is for the amendment of a Lords Amendment, the Speaker shall then put forthwith--
(a) a single question on any further amendments of the Lords Amendment moved by a Minister of the Crown; and
(b) the question on any motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House agrees or disagrees with the Lords in their Amendment or (as the case may be) in their Amendment as amended.
(4) The Speaker shall then put forthwith--
(a) a single question on any amendments moved by a Minister of the Crown to a Lords Amendment; and
(b) the question on any motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House agrees or disagrees with the Lords in their Amendment or (as the case may be) in their Amendment as amended.
(5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the question on any motion made by a Minister of the Crown that this House disagrees with the Lords in a Lords Amendment.
(6) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the question that this House agrees with the Lords in all the remaining Lords Amendments.
(7) As soon as the House has--
(a) agreed or disagreed with the Lords in any of their Amendments, or
(b) disposed of an amendment relevant to a Lords Amendment which has been disagreed to,
the Speaker shall put forthwith a single question on any amendments moved by a Minister of the Crown relevant to the Lords Amendment.
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