Select Committee on Procedure Second Report

Appendix 1: Text of questionnaire

PROCEDURE COMMITTEE

JOURNAL OFFICE HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

[phone]/3319/3310 [e-mail]

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QUESTIONNAIRE ON SITTING HOURS

The House has now had one year's experience of the new sitting hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, following the making, on 29 October 2002, of orders lasting until the end of the present Parliament. The Procedure Committee wishes to gauge the current strength of opinion in the House on this subject. In addition to the new times and the previous times, we have put forward a third option, to keep the current start time but take other business such as adjournment debates or private Members' business after 7 pm. Because some of the considerations may differ between Tuesdays and Wednesdays, this questionnaire treats the two days separately.

1. What are your preferred sitting hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays?
Tuesdays ‚ 2.30 pm (interruption at 10 pm) ‚ 11.30 am (interruption at 7 pm) ‚ 11.30 am (interruption of main business at 7 pm, but other business afterwards)	Wednesdays ‚ 2.30 pm (interruption at 10 pm) ‚ 11.30 am (interruption at 7 pm) ‚ 11.30 am (interruption of main business at 7 pm, but other business afterwards)
2. What are the main reasons for your views? (If your main reasons are not already listed, please write them in.)
Tuesdays: Reasons for preferring the new times: ‚More family-friendly ‚ Better press coverage ‚ Effective use of Parliamentary day ‚ Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… ‚ Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… Reasons for preferring the old times: ‚Fewer clashes between House/committee/other meetings ‚Less concentration of meetings of all descriptions ‚ More opportunity to telephone people during their office hours, and deal with constituency cases and correspondence ‚ Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… ‚ Other: …………………………………………   ……………………………………………	Wednesdays: Reasons for preferring the new times: ‚ More family-friendly ‚ Better press coverage ‚ Effective use of Parliamentary day ‚ Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… ‚Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… Reasons for preferring the old times: ‚ Fewer clashes between House/committee/other meetings ‚ Less concentration of meetings of all descriptions ‚ More opportunity to telephone people during their office hours, and deal with constituency cases and correspondence ‚ Other: …………………………………………   …………………………………………… ‚ Other: …………………………………………   ……………………………………………
Questionnaire continues overleaf …
3. If your views about Tuesdays and Wednesdays differ, why is this? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. How do the current sitting hours affect the sittings of select committees, standing committees and Westminster Hall? (a) Do you find an 8.55 am start to select/standing committees to be convenient? Yes ? No ? (Please describe from your point of view the advantages and disadvantages of the current sitting hours.) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… (b) Would you support a 9.25 am start for select/standing committees? Yes ? No ? If so, how would you suggest that the balance of time be found? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… (c) What other suggestions/proposals would you put forward for the start and finish times of select and standing committees and Westminster Hall without reducing the current time available for debates? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Are there any other points which you would like to make about sitting hours? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name ………………………………………… Constituency ……………………………………………

Please return this questionnaire to the address overleaf by Friday 30 January 2004.[7]

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7   In fact the analysis includes responses received up to 12 March 2004. Back

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Prepared 30 March 2004