121.(1)
Any Member intending to propose that certain Members be members
of a select committee, or be discharged from a select committee,
shall give notice of the names of Members whom he intends
so to propose, shall endeavour to ascertain previously whether
each such Member will give his attendance on the committee,
and shall endeavour to give notice to any Member whom he proposes
to be discharged from the committee. |
Nomination of select committees. |
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(2) No motion
shall be made for the nomination of members of select committees
appointed under Standing Order No. 152 (Select committees
related to government departments) or under Standing Order
No. 142 (Domestic Committees), or for their discharge, unless
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(a) notice of the motion has been given at least
two sitting days previously, and
(b) the motion is made on behalf of the Committee
of Selection by the
chairman or another member of the committee.
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122. Lists
shall be fixed in some conspicuous place in the Committee
Office and in the lobby of the House of all Members serving
on each select committee. |
Lists of Members serving on select committees.
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122A. Unless the House
otherwise orders, no select committee may choose as its chairman
any Member who has served as chairman of that committee for
the two previous Parliaments or a continuous period of eight
years, whichever is the greater period. |
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123. All
committees, other than committees of the whole House, shall
have leave to sit at any time on any day on which the House
sits, but may not otherwise sit during any adjournment of
the House, without the leave of the House, and such leave
shall not be moved for without notice. |
Sittings of committees. |
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124.(1)
Except as otherwise provided, the quorum of a select committee
shall be three or a quarter of the number of its members,
whichever is the greater; and in calculating the quorum fractions
shall be counted as one. |
Quorum of select committees. |
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(2) Where more
than two select committees or subcommittees thereof
meet concurrently for the purpose of deliberating or taking
evidence, pursuant to Standing Order No. 137A (Select committees:
power to work with other committees), the quorum of each shall
be two. |
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(3) A select committee may not proceed
to business unless a quorum be present; and if at any time
during the sitting of a select committee a quorum shall not
be present, the clerk of the committee shall bring this fact
to the notice of the chairman, who shall thereupon suspend
the proceedings of the committee until a quorum be present,
or adjourn the committee. |
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(4) In determining whether the requisite
number of Members is present to form the quorum the chairman
shall be counted. |
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125.(1)
A select committee shall have power, if it so orders, to admit
strangers during the examination of witnesses. |
Strangers (select committees). |
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(2) A subcommittee appointed
by such a select committee shall have a like power except
as that committee otherwise orders. |
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126. If
any select committee, or subcommittee thereof, considers
that the presence at a meeting, or part of a meeting, of that
committee to which the public are not admitted of any specified
Member of the House not nominated to that committee would
obstruct the business of the committee, it shall have power
to direct such Member to withdraw forthwith; and the Serjeant
at Arms shall act on such instructions as he may receive from
the chairman of the committee in pursuance of this order.
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Withdrawal of Members from meetings of select
committees. |
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127. No
document received by the clerk of a select committee shall
be withdrawn or altered without the knowledge and approval
of the committee. |
Withdrawal of documents before select committee.
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128. The
names of the Members present at each sitting of a select committee
and, if a division takes place, the name of the proposer of
the motion or amendment, the question put, and the respective
votes thereupon of the Members present shall be entered on
the minutes of the proceedings of the committee. |
Entry on minutes of proceedings of select
committee. |
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129. The
minutes of the proceedings of a select committee shall be
laid on the Table of the House during the session to which
they relate, unless the committee proposes to bring them up
with a report in a following session of the same Parliament.
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Minutes of proceedings to be laid on the
Table. |
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130. The
names of Members present at each sitting of a select committee
shall be entered on the minutes of evidence, if any. |
Entry on minutes of evidence of select committee.
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131. To
every question or series of questions asked of a witness under
examination in the proceedings of a select committee, and
at the beginning of each page of the minutes of evidence,
there shall be prefixed the name of the inquiring Member.
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Entry of questions asked. |
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132. Any
oath taken or affirmation made by any witness before a select
committee may be administered by the chairman, or by the clerk
attending such committee. |
Administration of oath in select committee.
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133. Every
select committee shall have leave to report to the House its
opinion and observations upon any matters referred to it for
its consideration, together with the minutes of the evidence
taken before it, and also to make a special report of any
matters which it may think fit to bring to the notice of the
House. |
Power to report opinion and observations.
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134. All
select committees shall have power to authorise the Clerk
of the House to supply copies of their reports to officers
of government departments, to such witnesses who have given
evidence to committees or to their subcommittees as
those committees consider appropriate, to lobby journalists,
and to such other press representatives as the committee thinks
fit, after those reports have been laid upon the Table but
not more than fortyeight hours before the intended time
of publication of such reports. |
Select committees (reports). |
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135.(1)
All select committees having power to send for persons, papers
and records shall have power to publish the names of persons
who have appeared as witnesses before them, and to authorise
the publication by the witnesses concerned or otherwise of
memoranda of evidence submitted by them. |
Witnesses and evidence (select committees).
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(2) The Speaker
shall have power to authorise such publication in the case
of any such select committee which is no longer in existence.
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136. When
evidence has been given before a select committee meeting
in public, no complaint of privilege will be entertained on
the ground that it has been published before having been reported
to the House. |
Publication of evidence (select committees).
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137. Whenever
the House stands adjourned for more than two days, and any
select committee having power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment
of the House shall have agreed to a report, or shall have
resolved that its minutes of proceedings should be printed
or that the minutes of evidence taken before it or before
any subcommittee appointed by it or any papers laid
before it should be reported to the House and printed, it
shall have power to direct the printing of such report, minutes
or papers, and such printing shall be under the authority
of the House; and any such reports, minutes or papers shall
be deemed to have been reported to the House and shall be
laid upon the Table when the House next sits. |
Select committees (adjournment of the House).
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137A.(1)
Any select committee or subcommittee with power to send
for persons, papers and records shall have power |
Select committees: power to work with other
committees. |
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(a) to communicate its evidence to any other select
committee or subcommittee of either House of Parliament;
provided that evidence from the National Audit Office shall
first have been agreed between that Office and the government
department or departments concerned;
(b) to meet concurrently with any such committee
or subcommittee for the purpose of deliberating
or taking evidence; and
(c) to meet concurrently with any other select
committee of this House for the purpose of considering
a draft report.
(d) to agree in teh choice of a chairman
for any concurrent meetings.
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(2) Where two or more select committees
have agreed reports to the House in identical terms, those
reports may be published as a joint report. |
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138. Any
Member requested by a committee appointed by the Lords to
attend as a witness before it or before any subcommittee
appointed by it shall have the leave of this House so to attend,
if the Member think fit. |
Members (attendance at Lords select committees).
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139.(1)
There shall be a select committee with power to give directions
and to perform other duties, relating to the broadcasting
of proceedings of the House and matters ancillary thereto.
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Select Committee on Broadcasting.
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(2) The committee shall consist of
eleven Members. |
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(3) The committee shall have powers
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(a) to send for persons, papers and records, to sit
notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn
from place to place, and to report from time to time;
(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; and
(c) to communicate its evidence
to the House of Commons Commission.
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(4) The committee
shall have power to make recommendations to the House of Commons
Commission or to the Speaker; but any such recommendation
whose implementation would incur additional expenditure from
the Votes for House of Commons (Administration) or (Works)
shall also be considered by the Finance and Services Committee.
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(5) The committee shall have power
to make rules and give directions to Officers of the House
in respect only of such administrative matters as may from
time to time be determined by the Speaker or by the House
of Commons Commission. |
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(6) Unless the House otherwise orders,
all Members nominated to the committee shall continue to be
members of the committee for the remainder of the Parliament.
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140.(1)
There shall be a select committee, to consist of twelve Members,
to join with the committee appointed by the Lords as the Joint
Committee on Consolidation, &c., Bills to consider
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Joint Committee on Consolidation, &c.,
Bills. |
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(a) consolidation bills, whether public or private;
(b) Statute Law Revision Bills;
(c) bills prepared pursuant to the Consolidation
of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949, together with any
memoranda laid pursuant to that Act and any representations
made with respect thereto;
(d) bills to consolidate
any enactments with amendments to give effect to recommendations
made by one or both of the Law Commissions, together with
any report containing such recommendations;
(e) bills prepared by one or both of the Law
Commissions to promote the reform of the statute law by
the repeal, in accordance with Law Commission recommendations,
of certain enactments which (except in so far as their
effect is preserved) are no longer of practical utility,
whether or not they make other provision in connection
with the repeal of those enactments, together with any
Law Commission report on any such bill; and
(f) any Order in Council
laid or laid in draft before the House where an affirmative
resolution is required before it is made, or is a condition
of its continuance in operation, and which but for the
provisions of the Northern Ireland Act 1974 would, in
the opinion of the committee, have been enacted by a consolidation
bill, whether public or private, or by a Statute Law Revision
Bill.
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(2) The committee shall have power
to send for persons, papers and records; and to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House. |
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(3) Two shall be the quorum of the
committee. |
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(4) 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. |
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141.(1)
There shall be a select committee, called the Deregulation
and Regulatory Reform Committee, to examine |
Deregulation and Regulatory Reform Committee.
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(i) every document containing proposals laid before the
House under section 3 of the Deregulation and Contracting
Out Act 1994 (the 1994 Act) or under section 6 of the Regulatory
Reform Act 2001 (the 2001 Act);
(ii) every draft order proposed to be made under section
1 of the 1994 Act or section 1 of the 2001 Act; and
(iii) every subordinate provisions order or draft of
such an order made or proposed to be made under sections
1 and 4 of the 2001 Act.
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(2) The committee shall report to
the House, in relation to every proposals document referred
to in paragraph (1)(i) of this order, either |
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(a) that a draft order in the same terms as the proposals
should be laid before the House; or
(b) that the proposals should be amended before
a draft order is laid before the House; or
(c) that the ordermaking power should not
be used in respect of the proposals.
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(3) The committee shall report to
the House, in relation to every draft order referred to in
paragraph (1)(ii) of this order, its recommendation whether
the draft order should be approved. |
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(4) The committee may draw the special
attention of the House to any subordinate provisions order
or draft order referred to in paragraph (1)(iii) of this order,
and may report its opinion whether or not the order or draft
order should be approved or, as the case may be, annulled.
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(5) The committee may report to the
House on any matter arising from its consideration of the
said proposals, draft orders or subordinate provisions orders.
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(6)(A) In its consideration of proposals
the committee shall consider in each case whether the proposals
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(a) appear to make an inappropriate use of delegated
legislation;
(b) remove or reduce a burden or the authorisation
or requirement of a burden;
(c) continue any necessary protection;
(d) have been the subject of, and take appropriate
account of, adequate consultation;
(e) impose a charge on the public revenues or
contain provisions requiring payments to be made to the
Exchequer or any government department or to any local
or public authority in consideration of any licence or
consent or of any services to be rendered, or prescribe
the amount of any such charge or payment;
(f) purport to have retrospective effect;
(g) give rise to doubts whether they are intra
vires;
(h) require elucidation, are not written in plain
English or appear to be defectively drafted;
(i) appear to be incompatible with any obligation
resulting from membership of the European Union.
(B) In the case of proposals presented under the 2001
Act, the committee shall also consider whether the proposals
(j) prevent any person from continuing to exercise
any right or freedom which he might reasonably expect
to continue to exercise;
(k) satisfy the conditions of proportionality
between burdens and benefits set out in sections 1 and
3 of the Act;
(l) satisfy the test of desirability set out
in section 3(2)(b) of the Act;
(m) have been the subject of, and take appropriate
account of, estimates of increases or reductions in costs
or other benefits which may result from their implementation;
or
(n) include provisions to be designated in the
draft order as subordinate provisions;
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and in the case of the latter consideration
the committee shall report its opinion whether such a designation
should be made, and to what parliamentary proceedings any
subordinate provisions orders should be subject. |
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(7) In its consideration of draft
orders, the committee shall consider in each case all such
matters set out in paragraph (6) of this order as are relevant
and the extent to which the Minister concerned has had regard
to any resolution or report of the committee or to any other
representations made during the period for parliamentary consideration.
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(8) In its consideration of any subordinate
provisions order the committee shall in each case consider
whether the special attention of the House should be drawn
to it on any of the grounds on which (in accordance with paragraph
(1)(B) of Standing Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint
Committee)) the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments
may draw the attention of the House to a statutory instrument;
and if the committee is of the opinion that any such order
or draft order should be annulled, or, as the case may be,
should not be approved, they shall report that opinion to
the House. |
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(9) The committee shall consist of
eighteen members. |
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(10) 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. |
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(11) The committee shall have power
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(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, and to report
from time to time;
(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; and
(c) to appoint a subcommittee, of which
the quorum shall be two, which shall have power to send
for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House, and to adjourn from place
to place within the United Kingdom.
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(12) The committee
and the subcommittee shall have the assistance of the
Counsel to the Speaker and, if their Lordships think fit,
the Counsel to the Lord Chairman of Committees. |
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(13) The committee and the subcommittee
shall have power to invite Members of the House who are not
members of the committee to attend meetings at which witnesses
are being examined and such Members may, at the discretion
of the chairman, ask questions of those witnesses; but no
Member not being of the committee shall otherwise take part
in the proceedings of the committee or subcommittee,
or be counted in the quorum. |
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(14) It shall
be an instruction to the committee that before reporting either
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(a) that any proposal should be amended before the
draft order is laid before the House, or
(b) that the ordermaking power should not
be used in respect of any proposal, or
(c) that any draft order should not be approved,
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it shall afford to any government
department concerned an opportunity of furnishing orally or
in writing to it or to the subcommittee appointed by
it such explanations as the department think fit. |
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(15) It shall be an instruction to
the committee that it report on every draft order (not being
a subordinate provisions order) not more than fifteen sitting
days after the draft order was laid before the House, indicating
in the case of draft orders which it recommends should be
approved whether its recommendation was agreed without a division.
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142.(1)
There shall be four select committees to consider the services
provided for the House in regard to the following matters:
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Domestic Committees. |
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1. Accommodation
and Works |
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2. Administration |
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3. Catering |
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4. Information. |
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(2) Each committee appointed under
this order shall consist of nine Members. |
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(3) Each committee appointed under
this order shall have the assistance of the Officers of the
House appropriate to the matters under consideration. |
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(4) Each committee appointed under
this order shall have power |
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(a) to send for persons, papers and records, to sit
notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn
from place to place, and to report from time to time;
(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; and
(c) to communicate its evidence
to the House of Commons Commission.
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(5) Each committee
appointed under this order shall have power to make recommendations
to the House of Commons Commission or to the Speaker; but
any such recommendation whose implementation would incur additional
expenditure from the Votes for House of Commons (Administration)
or (Works) shall also be considered by the Finance and Services
Committee. |
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(6) Each committee
appointed under this order shall have power to make rules
and give directions to Officers of the House in respect only
of such administrative matters as may from time to time be
determined by the Speaker or by the House of Commons Commission.
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(7) Unless the House otherwise orders,
all Members nominated to a committee appointed under this
order shall continue to be members of that committee for the
remainder of the Parliament. |
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143.(1)
There shall be a select committee, to be called the European
Scrutiny Committee, to examine European Union documents and
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European Scrutiny Committee. |
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(a) to report its opinion on the legal and political
importance of each such document and, where it considers
appropriate, to report also on the reasons for its opinion
and on any matters of principle, policy or law which may
be affected;
(b) to make recommendations for the further consideration
of any such document pursuant to Standing Order No. 119
(European Standing Committees); and
(c) to consider any issue arising upon any such
document or group of documents, or related matters.
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The expression 'European Union document'
in this order and in Standing Orders No. 16 (Proceedings under
an Act or on European Union documents), No. 89 (Procedure
in standing committees) and No. 119 (European Standing Committees)
means |
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(i) any proposal under the Community Treaties for legislation
by the Council or the Council acting jointly with the European
Parliament;
(ii) any document which is published for submission
to the European Council, the Council or the European Central
Bank;
(iii) any proposal for a common strategy, a joint action
or a common position under Title V of the Treaty on European
Union which is prepared for submission to the Council
or to the European Council;
(iv) any proposal for a common position, framework decision,
decision or a convention under Title VI of the Treaty
on European Union which is prepared for submission to
the Council;
(v) any document (not falling within (ii), (iii) or
(iv) above) which is published by one Union institution
for or with a view to submission to another Union institution
and which does not relate exclusively to consideration
of any proposal for legislation;
(vi) any other document relating to European Union matters
deposited in the House by a Minister of the Crown.
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(2) The committee shall consist of
sixteen Members. |
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(3) The committee
and any sub-committee appointed by it shall have the assistance
of the Counsel to the Speaker. |
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(4) The committee shall have power
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. |
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(5) The committee shall have power
to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place,
and to report from time to time. |
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(6) The quorum of the committee shall
be five. |
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(7) The committee shall have power
to appoint sub-committees and to refer to such sub-committees
any of the matters referred to the committee. |
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(8) Every such sub-committee shall
have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit
notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from
place to place, and to report to the committee from time to
time. |
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(9) The committee shall have power
to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken
before such sub-committees. |
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(10) The quorum of every such sub-committee
shall be two. |
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(11) The committee
shall have power to seek from any committee specified in paragraph
(12) of this order its opinion on any European Union document,
and to require a reply to such a request within such time
as it may specify. |
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(12) The committees specified for
the purposes of this order are those appointed under Standing
Order No. 152 (Select committees related to government departments)
including any sub-committees of such committees, the Select
Committee on Public Administration, the Committee of Public
Accounts, and the Environmental Audit Committee. |
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(13) 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. |
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144.(1)
There shall be a select committee, to be called the Finance
and Services Committee, to consider expenditure on and the
administration of services for the House and |
Finance and Services Committee. |
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(a) with the assistance of the
Board of Management, to prepare the Estimates for the Votes
for House of Commons (Administration) and (Works) for submission
to the House of Commons Commission;
(b) to monitor the financial performance of the
Departments of the House; and
(c) to report to the House
of Commons Commission or the Speaker on the financial
and administrative implications of recommendations made
to them by any of the committees appointed under Standing
Orders No. 142 (Domestic Committees) or No. 139 (Select
Committee on Broadcasting).
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(2) The committee shall consist of
not more than eleven Members. |
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(3) The committee shall be assisted
by the Accounting Officer and by other Officers of the House
appropriate to the matters under consideration. |
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(4) The committee
shall have power |
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(5) Unless the House otherwise orders,
all Members nominated to the committee shall continue to be
members of the committee for the remainder of the Parliament.
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145.(1)
A select committee shall be appointed, to be called the Liaison
Committee |
Liaison Committee. |
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(a) to consider general matters relating to the work
of select committees,
(b) to give such advice
relating to the work of select committees as may be sought
by the House of Commons Commission, and
(c) to report to the House
its choice of select committee reports to be debated on
such Wednesdays as may be appointed by the Speaker in
pursuance of paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 10 (Wednesday
sittings).
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(2) The committee may also hear evidence from the Prime Minister on matters of public policy.
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(3)
The committee
shall report its recommendations as to the allocation of time
for consideration by the House of the estimates on any day
or half day which may be allotted for that purpose; and upon
a motion being made that the House do agree with any such
report the question shall be put forthwith and, if that question
is agreed to, the recommendations shall have effect as if
they were orders of the House: |
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Proceedings in pursuance of this
paragraph, though opposed, may be decided after the expiration
of the time for opposed business. |
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(4) The committee shall have power
to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House, and to report from time to time.
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(5) 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. |
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(6) The committee shall have power
to appoint a sub-committee, which shall have power to send
for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any
adjournment of the House, and to report to the Committee from
time to time. |
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(7) The committee shall have power
to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken
before the sub-committee. |
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(8) The quorum of the sub-committee
shall be three. |
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146.(1)
There shall be a select committee to examine the reports of
the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, of the
Health Service Commissioners for England, Scotland and Wales
and of the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, which
are laid before this House, and matters in connection therewith,
and to consider matters relating to the quality and standards
of administration provided by civil service departments, and
other matters relating to the civil service; and the committee
shall consist of eleven Members. |
Select Committee on Public Administration.
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(2) The committee shall have power
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(a) to send for persons, papers and records, to sit
notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn
from place to place, and to report from time to time; and
(b) to appoint specialist advisers to supply
information which is not readily available or to elucidate
matters of complexity within the committee's order of
reference.
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(3) 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. |
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(4) The committee shall have power
to appoint a subcommittee, which shall have power to
send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place,
and to report to the committee from time to time. |
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(5) The committee shall have power
to report from time to time the minutes of evidence taken
before the subcommittee. |
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(6) The quorum of the subcommittee
shall be three. |
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147.(1)
There shall be a select committee, to be called the Procedure
Committee, to consider the practice and procedure of the House
in the conduct of public business, and to make recommendations.
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Procedure Committee. |
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(2) The committee shall consist of
not more than seventeen Members. |
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(3) The committee shall have power
to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding
any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place
and to report from time to time, and 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. |
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(4) 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. |
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148.(1)
There shall be a select committee to be called the Committee
of Public Accounts for the examination of the accounts showing
the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet
the public expenditure, and of such other accounts laid before
Parliament as the committee may think fit, to consist of not
more than sixteen members. The committee shall have power
to send for persons, papers and records, to report from time
to time, and to adjourn from place to place. |
Committee of Public Accounts. |
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(2) 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. |
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149.(1)
There shall be a select committee, called the Committee on
Standards and Privileges |
Committee on Standards and Privileges.
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(a) to consider specific matters relating to privileges
referred to it by the House;
(b) to oversee the work of the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards; to examine the arrangements
proposed by the Commissioner for the compilation, maintenance
and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests
and any other registers of interest established by the
House; to review from time to time the form and content
of those registers; and to consider any specific complaints
made in relation to the registering or declaring of interests
referred to it by the Commissioner; and
(c) to consider any matter relating to the conduct
of Members, including specific complaints in relation
to alleged breaches in any code of conduct to which the
House has agreed and which have been drawn to the committee's
attention by the Commissioner; and to recommend any modifications
to such code of conduct as may from time to time appear
to be necessary.
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(2) The committee shall consist of
eleven Members, of whom five shall be a quorum. |
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(3) 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. |
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(4) The committee shall have power
to appoint subcommittees consisting of no more than
seven Members, of whom three shall be a quorum, and to refer
to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to
the committee; and shall appoint one such subcommittee
to receive reports from the Commissioner relating to investigations
into specific complaints. |
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(5) The committee and any subcommittee
shall have power to send for persons, papers and records,
to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn
from place to place, to report from time to time and 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. |
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(6) The committee shall have power
to order the attendance of any Member before the committee
or any subcommittee and to require that specific documents
or records in the possession of a Member relating to its inquiries,
or to the inquiries of a subcommittee or of the Commissioner,
be laid before the committee or any subcommittee. |
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(7) The committee, or any subcommittee,
shall have power to refer to unreported evidence of former
Committees of Privileges or of former Select Committees on
Members' Interests and to any documents circulated to any
such committee. |
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(8) The committee shall have power
to refuse to allow proceedings to which strangers are admitted
to be broadcast. |
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(9) Mr Attorney
General, the Advocate General and Mr Solicitor General, being
Members of the House, may attend the committee or any subcommittee,
may take part in deliberations, may receive committee or subcommittee
papers and may give such other assistance to the committee
or subcommittee as may be appropriate, but shall not
vote or make any motion or move any amendment or be counted
in the quorum. |
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150.(1)
There shall be an officer of this House, called the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Standards, who shall be appointed by the
House. |
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
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(2) The principal duties of the Commissioner
shall be |
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(a) to maintain the Register of Members' Interests
and any other registers of interest established by the House,
and to make such arrangements for the compilation, maintenance
and accessibility of those registers as are approved by
the Committee on Standards and Privileges or an appropriate
subcommittee thereof;
(b) to provide advice confidentially to Members
and other persons or bodies subject to registration on
matters relating to the registration of individual interests;
(c) to advise the Committee on Standards and
Privileges, its subcommittees and individual Members
on the interpretation of any code of conduct to which
the House has agreed and on questions of propriety;
(d) to monitor the operation of such code and
registers, and to make recommendations thereon to the
Committee on Standards and Privileges or an appropriate
subcommittee thereof; and
(e) to receive and, if he thinks fit, investigate
specific complaints from Members and from members of the
public in respect of
(i) the registration or declaration of interests, or
(ii) other aspects of the propriety of a Member's
conduct,
and to report to the Committee on Standards and Privileges
or to an appropriate subcommittee thereof.
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(3) The Commissioner may be dismissed
by resolution of the House. |
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151.(1)
A select committee shall be appointed to join with a committee
appointed by the Lords to consider |
Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee).
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(A) every instrument which is laid
before each House of Parliament and upon which proceedings
may be or might have been taken in either House of Parliament,
in pursuance of an Act of Parliament, being |
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(a) a statutory instrument, or a draft statutory
instrument;
(b) a scheme, or an amendment of a scheme, or
a draft thereof, requiring approval by statutory instrument;
(c) any other instrument (whether or not in draft),
where the proceedings in pursuance of an Act of Parliament
are proceedings by way of an affirmative resolution; or
(d) an order subject to special parliamentary
procedure;
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but excluding any Order in Council
or draft Order in Council made or proposed to be made under
paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974
and any draft order proposed to be made under section 1 of
the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 or under section
1 of the Regulatory Reform Act 2001, or any subordinate provisions
order made or proposed to be made under that Act; |
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(B) every general statutory instrument
not within the foregoing classes, and not within paragraph
(10) of this order, but not including any statutory instrument
made by a member of the Scottish Executive or by the National
Assembly for Wales unless it is required to be laid before
Parliament or either House of Parliament and not including
measures under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act
1919 and instruments made under such measures: |
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with a view to determining whether
the special attention of the House should be drawn to it on
any of the following grounds: |
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(i) that it imposes a charge on the public revenues or contains
provisions requiring payments to be made to the Exchequer
or any government department or to any local or public authority
in consideration of any licence or consent or of any services
to be rendered, or prescribes the amount of any such charge
or payment;
(ii) that it is made in pursuance of any enactment containing
specific provisions excluding it from challenge in the
courts, either at all times or after the expiration of
a specific period;
(iii) that it purports to have retrospective effect
where the parent statute confers no express authority
so to provide;
(iv) that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay
in the publication or in the laying of it before Parliament;
(v) that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay
in sending a notification under the proviso to section
4(1) of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946, where an instrument
has come into operation before it has been laid before
Parliament;
(vi) that there appears to be a doubt whether it is
intra vires or that it appears to make some unusual
or unexpected use of the powers conferred by the statute
under which it is made;
(vii) that for any special reason its form or purport
calls for elucidation;
(viii) that its drafting appears to be defective;
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or on any other ground which does
not impinge on its merits or on the policy behind it; and
to report its decision with the reasons thereof in any particular
case. |
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(2) The quorum of the committee shall
be two. |
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(3) The committee shall have power
to appoint one or more subcommittees severally to join
with any subcommittee or subcommittees appointed
by the committee appointed by the Lords; and to refer to such
subcommittee or subcommittees any of the matters
referred to the committee. |
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(4) The committee
and any subcommittee appointed by it shall have the
assistance of the Counsel to the Speaker and, if their Lordships
think fit, of the Counsel to the Lord Chairman of Committees.
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(5) The committee shall have power
to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House and to
report from time to time, and any subcommittee appointed
by it shall have power to sit notwithstanding any adjournment
of the House. |
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(6) The committee and any subcommittee
appointed by it shall have power to require any government
department concerned to submit a memorandum explaining any
instrument which may be under its consideration or to depute
a representative to appear before it as a witness for the
purpose of explaining any such instrument. |
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(7) The committee and any subcommittee
appointed by it shall have power to take evidence, written
or oral, from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, relating to
the printing and publication of any instrument. |
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(8) The committee shall have power
to report to the House from time to time any memorandum submitted
to it or other evidence taken before it or any subcommittee
appointed by it from any government department in explanation
of any instruments. |
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(9) It shall
be an instruction to the committee that before reporting that
the special attention of the House be drawn to any instrument
the committee do afford to any government department concerned
therewith an opportunity of furnishing orally or in writing
to it or to any subcommittee appointed by it such explanations
as the department think fit. |
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(10) It shall be an instruction to
the committee that it shall consider any instrument which
is directed by Act of Parliament to be laid before and to
be subject to proceedings in this House only, being
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(a) a statutory instrument, or a draft of a statutory
instrument;
(b) a scheme, or an amendment to a scheme, or
a draft thereof, requiring approval by statutory instrument;
or
(c) any other instrument (whether or not in draft),
where the proceedings in pursuance of an Act of Parliament
are proceedings by way of an affirmative resolution;
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and that it have power to draw such
instruments to the special attention of the House on any of
the grounds on which the Joint Committee is empowered so to
draw the special attention of the House; and that in considering
any such instrument the committee do not join with the committee
appointed by the Lords. |
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(11) 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. |
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152.(1)
Select committees shall be appointed to examine the expenditure,
administration and policy of the principal government departments
as set out in paragraph (2) of this order and associated public
bodies. |
Select committees related to government
departments. |
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(2) The committees appointed under
paragraph (1) of this order, the principal departments of
government with which they are concerned and the maximum numbers
of each committee shall be as follows: |
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