Letter from Rt Hon Alan Williams MP, Chairman
of the Liaison Committee (M46)
INQUIRY INTO
STRENGTHENING THE
ROLE OF
THE BACKBENCHER
AND MAKING
BETTER USE
OF NON-LEGISLATIVE
TIME
The Liaison Committee this morning discussed
two issues which are relevant to the Modernisation Committee's
current inquiry.
The Committee supported the proposal made by
a previous Liaison Committee that there should be the opportunity
for a weekly `committee half-hour' on the floor of the House,
making it possible for Members, including a Minister and the Chairman
or another member of the relevant Committee, to make brief
comments on a Select Committee report. The proposal is for brief
comments rather than a debate, and would not pre-empt detailed
consideration of a report and the Government's reply to it.
The Committee also took the view that Committees
should have the option of having their reports debated in the
Chamber on substantive motions put forward by the Committee
concerned. In many cases Committees might not want to proceed
in this way, but the option would be available if the Committee
considered it worthwhile.
I enclose relevant extracts from three reports
of the Liaison Committee in 1999-2000. 6 The Liaison Committee
would like the Modernisation Committee to consider these proposals
as part of its current inquiry.
May 2007
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