Preliminary Business

Notice of Motion

CAPITAL ALLOWANCES BILL    [No debate]

    That the Capital Allowances Bill be proceeded with as a tax simplification bill; but that the Bill shall not stand referred to a second reading committee.

Main Business

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE BILL: Second Reading    [Until 10.00 p.m.]

    That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Health and Social Care Bill, because it fails to give effect to the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care that personal care be provided free; because it continues a two-tier system between NHS and social care patients, thus undermining its provisions for Care Trusts; and because patients' interests will not be served by the fragmentation of the functions of Community Health Councils and their transfer to bodies lacking independence.

    That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Health and Social Care Bill because, although it contains some welcome provisions including the modest changes relating to nursing care, it increases still further the powers of the Secretary of State, reinforces the central bureaucracy and entrenches the micro-management by Whitehall of the National Health Service which so demoralizes NHS staff, is likely to worsen problems of recruitment and retention of medical and nursing staff and, by abolishing Community Health Councils, removes the only effective and independent voice which local communities have in health care.

    That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Health and Social Care Bill because it makes inadequate provision for the personal long term care of the elderly.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE BILL (PROGRAMME)    [Up to 45 minutes]

    That the following provisions shall apply to the Health and Social Care Bill:

1.    The Bill shall be committed to a Standing Committee.

2.    Proceedings in the Standing Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Thursday 8th February 2001.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE BILL [MONEY]: Queen's Recommendation signified.    [No debate]

    That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Health and Social Care Bill, it is expedient to authorise—

(1)    the payment out of money provided by Parliament of—

(a)    any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State in consequence of the Act; and

(b)    any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable out of money so provided by virtue of any other Act; and

(2)    the payment into the Consolidated Fund of sums received by the Secretary of State by virtue of the Act.

SITTINGS IN WESTMINSTER HALL    [No debate after 10.00 p.m.]

    That, following the Order [20th November 2000], Mr Nicholas Winterton, Mr John McWilliam, Mr Barry Jones and Frank Cook be appointed to act as additional Deputy Speakers at sittings in Westminster Hall during this Session.

SELECT COMMITTEES (JOINT MEETINGS)    [No debate after 10.00 p.m.]

    That, for the current Session of Parliament, Standing Order No. 152 (Select committees related to government departments) be amended as follows:

    Line 37, before the word `European' insert the words `Environmental Audit Committee or with the'.

    Line 46, before the word `European' insert the words `Environmental Audit Committee or with the'.

    Line 48, at the end insert the words:—

`(4A) notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (4) above, where more than two committees or sub-committees appointed under this order meet concurrently in accordance with paragraph (4)(e) above, the quorum of each such committee or sub-committee shall be two.'

    As an Amendment to Margaret Beckett's Motion (Select Committees (Joint Meetings)):

    Line 11, leave out `two' and insert `four'.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE    [No debate after 10.00 p.m.]

    That Private Members' Bills shall have precedence over Government business on 2nd and 9th February, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th March, 6th and 27th April, 11th and 18th May, 8th and 15th June and 20th July.

HUMAN RIGHTS (JOINT COMMITTEE)    [No debate after 10.00 p.m.]

    That—

the Lords Message [12th July 2000] communicating a Resolution relating to Human Rights (Joint Committee), be now considered;

this House concurs with the Lords in the said Resolution; and

the following Standing Order be made:

(1)    There shall be a Select Committee, to consist of six Members, to join with the Committee appointed by the Lords as the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

(2)    The Committee shall consider—

(a)    matters relating to human rights in the United Kingdom (but excluding consideration of individual cases);

(b)    proposals for remedial orders, draft remedial orders and remedial orders made under Section 10 of and laid under Schedule 2 to the Human Rights Act 1998; and

(c)    in respect of draft remedial orders and remedial orders, whether the special attention of the House should be drawn to them on any of the grounds specified in Standing Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee));

(3)    The Committee shall report to the House—

(a)    in relation to any document containing proposals laid before the House under paragraph 3 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether a draft order in the same terms as the proposals should be laid before the House; or

(b)    in relation to any draft order laid under paragraph 2 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether the draft Order should be approved;

and the Committee may report to the House on any matter arising from its consideration of the said proposals or draft orders.

(4)    The Committee shall report to the House in respect of any original order laid under paragraph 4 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether—

(a)    the order should be approved in the form in which it was originally laid before Parliament; or

(b)    that the order should be replaced by a new order modifying the provisions of the original order; or

(c)    that the order should not be approved,

and the Committee may report to the House on any matter arising from its consideration of the said order or any replacement order.

(5)    The quorum of the committee shall be three.

(6)    Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it for the remainder of the Parliament.

(7)    The committee shall have power—

(a)    to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place within the United Kingdom, to adjourn to institutions of the Council of Europe outside the United Kingdom no more than four times in any calendar year, and to report from time to time; and

(b)    to appoint specialist advisers either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the committee's order of reference.

As Amendments to Margaret Beckett's Motion (Human Rights (Joint Committee)):

    Line 47, at end add—

`(8) It shall be an Instruction to the Committee that it shall elect its chairman from among those members of the Committee who are members of opposition parties.'.

    Line 47, at end add—

`(8)    The Committee shall elect a Chairman from amongst its members.'.

HUMAN RIGHTS    [No debate after 10.00 p.m.]

    That Jean Corston, Mr Desmond Browne, Mr Andrew Miller, Mr Gareth Thomas (Clwyd West), Sir Patrick Cormack and Mr Robert Maclennan be members of the Select Committee appointed to join with a Committee of the Lords as the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

ADJOURNMENT

    Proposed subject: Planning guidance on developments on flood plains: the Vale of York (Miss Anne McIntosh).

    Debate may continue until 10.30 p.m. or for half an hour, whichever is later (Standing Order No. 9).

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

STANDING COMMITTEE

SELECT COMMITTEES

[The decision of a Committee to sit in public may be rescinded without notice.]

Written Questions tabled on Tuesday 9th January for answer today++