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2
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OPPOSITION DAY (15th allotted day)
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[Until 10.00 p.m.]
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That this House reaffirms its commitment to equitable access to high-quality NHS care, based on need not ability to pay; regards
local access to NHS services as an important aspect of quality of care; urges the development of practice-based commissioning
to incentivise primary care access and the integration of GP services, out-of-hours care, urgent care and NHS Direct services;
calls on the Government to publish its review of walk-in centres and patient access survey results; notes the continuing threat
to community hospitals, local accident and emergency and maternity services; calls for the preparation of evidence-based service
models which seek to maintain local access to accident and emergency services, and to maintain community-based treatment and
diagnosis and maternal choice; and further calls on the Government to ensure the fair allocation of resources, relative to
burden of disease, to secure equitable access to NHS services.
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An Amendment to Mr David Cameron’s proposed Motion (Access to NHS Services):
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Line 1, leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘supports the Government’s trebling of investment in the NHS by 2008 and welcomes
the recent confirmation of an extra £8 billion for 2007-08; congratulates the staff and the medical professions for their
hard work and commitment in helping progress towards this Government’s historic maximum 18 week wait from GP referral to treatment;
welcomes the extra choice available to patients with new services more convenient for their lives including around 90 NHS
walk-in centres and the £750 million programme for developing community facilities providing care closer to home; recognises
the achievement of the NHS in delivering a wide range of quality personal services convenient for patients including NHS Direct,
23 new independent sector treatment centres increasing choice; further welcomes the 280,000 extra staff working for the NHS
since 1997 including 80,000 more nurses and 35,000 more doctors; further welcomes the fact that over 85 per cent. of all GP
practices have used Choose and Book to refer their patients to hospital and that over three million Choose and Book appointments
have been made so far, allowing patients to choose appointments that are at convenient times to fit in with their lives; and
recognises the need to ensure that the views of NHS staff and patients are paramount and that Government must engage fully
in a dialogue with them about the future of the NHS.’.
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That this House notes the loss of public trust in the UK pension system caused by the continuing £5 billion per year stealth
tax raid on pension funds, the winding up of 60,000 occupational pension schemes since 1997, the closure of two-thirds of
remaining final salary pension schemes to new members and the acceleration of closures to new accruals by existing members;
further notes the loss by 125,000 workers whose pension schemes have failed of some or all of their pensions and the poor
performance of the Financial Assistance Scheme in supporting them and the growing concern about the disparity between pension
expectations in the public and private sectors as well as the size of the unfunded public sector occupational pension liabilities
faced by future taxpayers; and calls on the new Prime Minister to acknowledge his role in the pensions crisis and to take
personal responsibility for the urgent task of restoring to millions of hard-working families the confidence to save for retirement.
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As Amendments to Mr David Cameron’s proposed Motion (Pensions Policy):
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Line 1, leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘notes that the current reform of state pensions is built upon a basic pension which
is too low to act as a safeguard against pensioner poverty and which ensures that millions of people will continue to face
significant disincentives to save through the operation of means-tested benefits; further notes that UK relative pensioner
poverty is still at one of the highest rates in the European Union; condemns the delay until up to 2015 in restoring the earnings
link to the basic state pension; is concerned that extensive means-testing could undermine saving in personal accounts; further
condemns the Government’s failure to set the opted out rebates at the levels recommended by the Government Actuary; calls
on the Government to extend Pension Protection Fund levels of compensation to those people in the Financial Assistance Scheme;
and further calls on the Government to establish an Independent Commission to review the fairness and sustainability of public
sector pensions, with all savings from pension reform contributing to financing a universal Citizens Pension set at a level
to dramatically reduce pensioner poverty and means-testing.’.
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Line 1, leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘welcomes the policies of this Government to tackle pensioner poverty which have lifted
two million pensioners out of absolute poverty and one million out of relative poverty, the action to tackle the legacy of
pensions mis-selling, support occupational pensions through a Pension Protection Fund set up for the first time and a new
Pensions Regulator, further support for 125,000 people through the Financial Assistance Scheme whose occupational pensions
were affected by employer insolvency, set out the long-term framework for pensions through the new Pensions Bill, including
re-linking the basic State Pension to average earnings, introduce a new scheme of low cost personal accounts and stakeholder
pensions of which over three million have been created, remove the dividend tax credit, make reductions in corporation tax
which have contributed to the 50 per cent. rise in business investment, broke public sector pension agreements which ensure
a fair deal for today’s and tomorrow’s public sector workers and introduce free television licences and the Pension Credit
to provide an additional framework of support for today’s pensioners.’.
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The selection of the matters to be debated this day has been made by the Leader of the Opposition (Standing Order No. 14(2)).
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Debate may continue until 10.00 p.m.
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†
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3
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REGULATORY REFORM
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[No debate]
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That the draft Regulatory Reform (Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) Order 2007, which was laid before this House on
18th December, be approved.
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The Regulatory Reform Committee has reported on the draft Order in its 3rd Report, HC 397, and on the proposal for an Order
in its 6th Report, HC 673.
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To be decided without debate (Standing Order No. 18(1)).
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†
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4
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REGULATORY REFORM (STANDING ORDERS AND RELATED PROVISIONS
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[No debate after 10.00 p.m.]
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That the following repeals of Standing Orders, new Standing Orders, amendments to Standing Orders, and related provisions
be made—
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(A)
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Standing Order No. 18 (Consideration of draft regulatory reform orders) shall be repealed and the following Standing Order
made—
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Consideration of draft legislative reform orders
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18.—(1) If the Regulatory Reform Committee has recommended under paragraphs (4) or (6) of Standing Order No. 141 (Regulatory
Reform Committee) that a draft Order subject to the affirmative or super-affirmative procedure, laid before the House under
Part 1 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, should be approved, and a motion is made by a Minister of the Crown
to that effect, the question thereon shall—
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(a)
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if the committee’s recommendation was agreed without a division, be put forthwith; and
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(b)
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if the committee’s recommendation was agreed after a division, be put not later than one and a half hours after the commencement
of proceedings on the motion.
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(2) If the committee has recommended under paragraphs (4) or (6) of Standing Order No. 141 that a draft Order subject to the
affirmative or super-affirmative procedure be not approved, no motion to approve the draft Order shall be made unless the
House has previously resolved to disagree with the committee’s report; the questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on
the motion for such a resolution shall be put not later than three hours after their commencement; and the question on any
motion thereafter made by a Minister of the Crown that the draft Order be approved shall be put forthwith.
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(3) If the committee has recommended under paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 141 that a draft Order subject to the negative
resolution procedure should not be made (and that the recommendation is not intended to operate section 16(4) of the Act),
that recommendation shall be deemed to constitute notice of a motion under sub-paragraph (4)(a) of Standing Order No. 118
(Delegated Legislation Committees).
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(4) Motions under paragraphs (1) or (2) of this order may be proceeded with, though opposed, until any hour.
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(B)
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Standing Order No. 141 (Regulatory Reform Committee) shall be repealed and the following Standing Order made—
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Regulatory Reform Committee
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141.—(1) There shall be a select committee, called the Regulatory Reform Committee, to examine and report on—
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(i)
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every draft Order laid before the House under sections 14 or 18 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (‘the Act’);
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(ii)
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any Subordinate Provisions Order or draft of such an Order made or proposed to be made under sections 1 and 4 of the Regulatory
Reform Act 2001 (except those not made by a Minister of the Crown);
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(iii)
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any matter arising from its consideration of such Orders or draft Orders; and
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(iv)
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matters relating to regulatory reform.
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(2) In the case of every draft Order referred to in paragraph (1)(i) above the committee shall consider the Minister’s recommendation
under section 15(1) of the Act as to the procedure which should apply to it and shall report to the House any recommendation
under the Act that a different procedure should apply.
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(3) In its consideration of draft Orders under Part 1 of the Act the committee shall include in each case, in addition to
such other matters as it deems appropriate, whether provision in the draft Order—
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(a)
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appears to make an inappropriate use of delegated legislation;
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(b)
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serves the purpose of removing or reducing a burden, or the overall burdens, resulting directly or indirectly for any person
from any legislation (in respect of a draft Order under section 1 of the Act);
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(c)
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serves the purpose of securing that regulatory functions are exercised so as to comply with the regulatory principles, as
set out in section 2(3) of the Act (in respect of a draft Order under section 2 of the Act);
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(d)
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secures a policy objective which could not be satisfactorily secured by non-legislative means;
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(e)
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has an effect which is proportionate to the policy objective;
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(f)
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strikes a fair balance between the public interest and the interests of any person adversely affected by it;
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(g)
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does not remove any necessary protection;
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(h)
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does not prevent any person from continuing to exercise any right or freedom which that person might reasonably expect to
continue to exercise;
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(i)
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is not of constitutional significance;
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(j)
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makes the law more accessible or more easily understood (in the case of provisions restating enactments);
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(k)
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has been the subject of, and takes appropriate account of, adequate consultation;
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(l)
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gives rise to an issue under such criteria for consideration of statutory instruments laid down in paragraph (1) of Standing
Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)) as are relevant;
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(m)
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appears to be incompatible with any obligation resulting from membership of the European Union:
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Provided that in the case of draft Orders under section 20 of the Act, those criteria which are not relevant to provisions
made pursuant to section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 need not be taken into consideration in relation to those
provisions.
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(4) In relation to every draft Order laid under section 14 of the Act subject to the negative or affirmative procedure under
sections 16 or 17 of the Act, the committee shall report its recommendation whether the draft Order should be made (in the
case of the negative procedure) or approved (in the case of the affirmative procedure), indicating in the case of the latter
whether the recommendation was agreed without a division.
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(5) In relation to every draft Order laid under section 14 of the Act subject to the super-affirmative procedure under section
18 of the Act, the committee shall report its recommendation as to whether—
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(a)
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the draft Order should be proceeded with unamended under section 18(3) of the Act; or
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(b)
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a revised draft Order should be laid under section 18(7) of the Act; or
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(c)
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no statement under section 18(3) or revised draft Order under section 18(7) should be laid.
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(6) In relation to every draft Order or revised draft Order subject to the super-affirmative procedure being proceeded with
under section 18(3) or 18(7) of the Act, the committee shall report its recommendation whether the draft Order or revised
draft Order should be approved, indicating in the case of draft Orders which it recommends should be approved whether its
recommendation was agreed without a division; and in respect of such draft Orders or revised draft Orders the committee shall
consider in each case all such matters set out in paragraph (3) 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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(7) It shall be an instruction to the committee considering draft Orders being proceeded with under section 18(3) or 18(7)
that it report not more than fifteen sitting days (in the case of an order under section 18(3)) or twenty-five sitting days
(in the case of an order under section 18(7)) after the relevant statement is laid.
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(8) In relation to every draft Order or revised draft Order, the committee shall report any recommendation under section 16(4)
of the Act that the draft Order be not made, or under sections 17(3), 18(5) or 18(9) of the Act that no further proceedings
be taken in relation to the draft Order.
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(9) In its consideration of any Subordinate Provisions Order under paragraph (1)(ii) of this 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 laid down in paragraph
(1) of Standing Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)); 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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(10) The committee shall consist of fourteen members; and, 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)
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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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(b)
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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
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(c)
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to appoint a sub-committee, 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.
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(12) The committee and the sub-committee shall have the assistance of the Counsel to the Speaker.
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(13) The committee and the sub-committee 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 in relation to matters within paragraphs (1) (i) to (iii) and such
Members may, at the discretion of the chairman, ask questions of those witnesses; but no Member not being a member of the
committee shall otherwise take part in the proceedings of the committee or sub-committee, or be counted in the quorum.
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(14) It shall be an instruction to the committee that before reporting on a draft Order it shall afford to any government
department concerned an opportunity of furnishing orally or in writing to it or to the sub-committee appointed by it such
explanations as the department thinks fit, except to the extent that the committee considers that it is not reasonably practicable
to do so without risking the opportunity for effective exercise of a function conferred on it under section 15, 16, 17 or
18 of the Act.
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(C)
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Standing Orders No. 98 (Scottish Grand Committee (delegated legislation)), No. 115 (Northern Ireland Grand Committee (delegated
legislation)), and No. 118 (Delegated Legislation Committees) shall be amended by leaving out the words ‘regulatory reform
order’ and inserting the words ‘legislative reform order’; and Standing Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee))
shall be amended by leaving out the words from ‘under’ in line 21 to ‘and’ in line 24 and inserting the words ‘Part 1 of the
Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006, or any subordinate provisions order made or proposed to be made under the Regulatory
Reform Act 2001,’.
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(D)
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Any draft regulatory reform orders laid under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 which are currently before the House shall be
considered by the Regulatory Reform Committee appointed under this Order and by the House as if they were draft orders, subject
to the super-affirmative procedure, laid under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.
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(E)
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Notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 121 (Nomination of select committees), those Members of this House who
were members of the Regulatory Reform Committee before the passing of this Order shall be the members of the Regulatory Reform
Committee appointed under paragraph (B) above; and for the purposes of Standing Order No. 122A (Term limits for chairmen of
select committees), the Regulatory Reform Committee established under paragraph (B) shall be the same committee as that established
before the passing of this Order.
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An Explanatory Memorandum is available in the Vote Office.
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If opposed, this item cannot be taken after 10.00 p.m.
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†
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5
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MODERNISATION OF THE HOUSE
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[No debate after 10.00 p.m.]
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That Mr Secretary Straw be discharged from the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons and Ms Harriet Harman
be added.
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If opposed, this item cannot be taken after 10.00 p.m.
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indicates a question for oral answer.
