APPENDIX 11
Letter from Mr Harry Barnes MP to the
Chairman of the Committee
SELECT COMMITTEES
You will be giving consideration to the methods
of determining memberships of Select Committees. I would like
to see proposals that include the following points:
1. Labour's membership—to be determined
by secret ballot within the PLP. Labour MPs who hold paid governmental
positions to be excluded from voting, but PPSs to be included.
These are referred to as "eligible Labour MPs" below.
(a) Each eligible Labour MP to be able to
put their names down for two committees.
(b) Each eligible Labour MP to have the following
maximum numbers whom they can vote for on each Committee—namely
up to half the votes for the number of vacancies, ie three votes
when six or seven members, two votes when four or five members,
one vote when three or below.
(c) If an MP is elected onto more than one
Committee, he or she will choose which Committee to serve upon.
Runners-up will then fill the vacant positions.
2. Determining Chairs: under House rules
all Chairs will be decided exclusively by the membership of their
Committees. It is up to Opposition Parties (which could come to
include Labour) to appoint members who can command the respect
of a majority of a Committee, in order to become Chair.
Mr Harry Barnes MP
27 July 2001
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