Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


APPENDIX 27

Letter from Dr Stephen Ladyman MP to the Chairman of the Committee

  Graham is right. You deserve many congratulations for this work.

  I would also back Graham's suggestions—the only one I have some doubt about is the election of Select Committee Members. How will newer members get onto committees as no-one will know them. Also the "awkward squad" may think this will help them but I suspect they will find it keeps them off select committees even more than the whips ever did.

  The other suggestions I would throw in the pot are:

  Speakers after the front bench to stay in the chamber for the bulk of the debate. I don't see why the "great and the good" should speak and clear off so that they never hear my views.

  Speakers after the front bench to be called randomly. The constituents of new members are as entitled to hear their MP speak in the early part of a debate when it can be reported as the constituents of older members.

  When we have a statement on a government white paper or report why not issue it under an embargo at noon to MPs so that we can ask informed questions instead of the routine knockabout we have to engage in now.


 
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Prepared 12 February 2002