Memorandum submitted by Mr Frank Cranmer,
Clerk of Bills, House of Commons
During the course of the meeting on Wednesday
21 March I undertook to let you know how many times the Public
Bill Office had contacted the Legislation Team in the Scottish
Parliament in relation to private Members' bills that appeared
to us to engage devolved powers. The list of bills since the beginning
of Session 2004-05 is as follows:
Human Tissue Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2004-05
Right of Reply and Press Standards Bill 2004-05
Renewable Heat Bill 2004-05
Employment Tribunals (Representation and Assistance
in Discrimination Proceedings) Bill 2004-05
Council Tax Benefit Bill 2004-05
Procurement of Innovative Technologies and Research
Bill 2005-06.
I should also like to clarify something that
I said in oral evidence. In answer to Question 121 I referred
to David Cairns's evidence in general terms and said that "the
first hurdle for a private member's bill is to get the approval
of the UK Government". That is true—but what I forgot
to mention specifically was that Mr Cairns also said, in answer
to Question 94, that the Government "is very clear that we
will not support any Private Member's Bill which triggers Sewel
unless all of the other stages have been gone through in relation
to getting the consent of the Scottish Parliament". In a
sense, that puts the devolution dimension into rather sharper
focus.
28 March 2006
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