APPENDIX 39
Letter from Mr John Butterfill MP to the
Chairman of the Committee
Whilst I understand the arguments in favour
of shorter and more frequent debates, I am not convinced by the
argument that they would be a more efficient use of Members' time.
Even as things stand at present, the problem for many back bench
Members is that, once one has deducted the time for front bench
speeches in both opening the debate and then winding it up, there
is, in fact, very little time left for back bench Members to make
a significant contribution.
The other area on which I feel very strongly
is the suggestion by which the summer recess should start in mid
July and then return in early September. Whilst I appreciate the
problem with school holidays for Scottish Members, those of us
who no longer have school age children, rather treasure the opportunity
of taking a holiday in early September, thereby avoiding the excessive
heat, overcrowding and overpricing of August. The suggestion made
in paragraph 44 of the Report would confine all Members to this
unhappy fate. Perhaps a better way of overcoming this would be
for the House to rise, as you suggest, in mid July, return for
two weeks at the end of August and then go back into recess for
September. In other words, move your suggested return from early
September to late August. This would have the effect of satisfying
both groups, ie those with or without school age children. It
would also overcome concerns over an excessively long period in
recess. I personally have got in the habit of going into the office
and attending to constituency duties during August ever since
the last of my children left school!
28 February 2002
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