Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons First Report


PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE RELATING TO THE REPORT

WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2001

Members present:

Margaret Beckett, in the Chair


Mrs Angela Browning Mr Peter L. Pike
Mr Ivor CaplinMr Richard Shepherd
Ann CoffeyMr Andrew Stunell
Sir Peter EmeryDavid Taylor
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons Mr Paul Tyler
Helen JacksonMr Nicholas Winterton

The Committee deliberated.

Draft Report [Programming of Legislation], proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.

Motion made, and Question put, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.—(The Chairman.)

The Committee divided.


Ayes, 10Noes, 1
Mr Ivor CaplinMr Richard Shepherd
Ann Coffey
Sir Peter Emery
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons
Helen Jackson
Mr Peter L. Pike
Mr Andrew Stunell
David Taylor
Mr Paul Tyler
Mr Nicholas Winterton

Paragraph 1 read and agreed to.

Paragraphs 2 and 3 read, amended and agreed to.

Paragraph 4 read, as follows:

'We accept that the Government will have a date by which each bill should be reported from the standing committee. In the interests of transparency that date should be made known to the House during the debate on second reading by a motion to be taken forthwith.'

Amendment made.

Another Amendment proposed, in line 3, to leave out the words 'by a motion to be taken forthwith.'—(Mr Richard Shepherd.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.


Ayes, 2Noes, 8
Mrs Angela Browning Mr Ivor Caplin
Mr Richard Shepherd Ann Coffey
Sir Peter Emery
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons
Helen Jackson
Mr Peter L. Pike
David Taylor
Mr Paul Tyler

Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.

Paragraph 5 read, amended and agreed to.

Paragraph 6 read, as follows:

'At the conclusion of the committee stage the Programming Sub-committee should give guidance on the time required and its allocation to cover the issues which were likely to be raised at the report stage and the amount of time needed for report and third reading. We believe the Programming Sub-committee's advice should normally be accepted by the House and the Government, but if that is not the case the Government should be able to table a motion which could be debated for up to 45 minutes.'

Amendment made.

Another Amendment proposed, in line 6, to leave out '45 minutes' and insert the words 'three hours', instead thereof.—(Mr Richard Shepherd.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.


Ayes, 2Noes, 8
Mrs Angela Browning Mr Ivor Caplin
Mr Richard Shepherd Ann Coffey
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons
Helen Jackson
Mr Peter L. Pike
Mr Andrew Stunell
David Taylor
Mr Paul Tyler

Paragraphed, as amended, agreed to.

Paragraph 7 read and agreed to.

A paragraph—(Mr Peter L. Pike)—brought up, read the first and second time, and added.

Motion made, and Question put, That the Report be the First Report of the Committee to the House.—(The Chairman.)


Ayes, 9Noes, 1
Mr Ivor CaplinMr Richard Shepherd
Ann Coffey
Sir Peter Emery
Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons
Helen Jackson
Mr Peter L. Pike
Mr Andrew Stunell
David Taylor
Mr Paul Tyler

Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House.

A paper was ordered to be appended to the Report.

Ordered, That the Appendix to the Report be reported to the House.—(The Chairman.)

The Committee further deliberated.

Resolved, That the Committee pay tribute to the Chairman for the exemplary manner in which she has presided over the Committee's deliberations.—(Sir Peter Emery.)

Resolved, That the Committee place on record its warm appreciation of the long and distinguished service of Sir Peter Emery to the Committee, the House and the cause of procedural reform.—(Mrs Lorna Fitzsimons.)

[Adjourned till Wednesday 2 May at half-past Nine o'clock.




 
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Prepared 2 April 2001