Examination of Witnesses (Questions 120-122)
MR PETER
BONE MP AND
JO SWINSON
MP
21 MARCH 2007
Q120 Sir Nicholas Winterton: It is
important to say, if Peter Bone was implying that the election
of the chairman of a select committee is a matter for the usual
channels, they may express a view but it is actually up to the
committee itself to elect its chairman.
Mr Bone: I did try to phrase that
correctly, Sir Nicholas, because I said the "effective"
appointment. What happens is that it is a nudge and a wink. You
have the committee and there is one obvious person who is going
to be the chairman. However, I do think that there are occasions
where—for instance, if a select committee chairman has been
awkward to the Government there is a tendency for the Government
to try and remove that chairman on occasions.
Sir Nicholas Winterton: They have succeeded
on occasions! They also failed to prevent him being appointed
in the first place—but we will not go into that.
Q121 Mr Sanders: We have spoken a
great deal on this Committee about scrutiny. Do you have any idea
of whether there was ever a golden age when there really was this
scrutiny role being exercised by Members of Parliament, who were
attending all the time in the Chamber?
Jo Swinson: I doubt it. We always
like to look back and the grass is greener in the past. Let us
remember that, very often in the past, Members of Parliament had
other full-time jobs. If that was the case, how could they have
been as effective at scrutiny as we think they might have been?
There may well have been changes in the past 20 years and things
are done differently, but change is not always a bad thing. It
does not mean that we should not look at the reasons for that
and whether we need to address it, but I am not sure that there
was a golden age.
Mr Bone: Can I say this, and I
should have said it right at the beginning? It is an extraordinary
privilege and honour to be a Member of Parliament. Every time
I walk through the gates there is a huge privilege that is given
to me, and I think that most Members probably still feel that
way. However, in the context of scrutiny, it is very frustrating
when an Oral Question is put to a minister, who then blatantly
does not even attempt to answer it. Recently in the Chamber, the
hon. Member for Somerton and Frome put a question. It was a simple
question about how many people were being laid off, or something
like that. Actually, it was a health question, but the Secretary
of State for Health did not even attempt to give the figures and
went on to make some speech. That is an abuse of Parliament. Had
the Leader of the House been here, I would have said quite the
opposite about him because he always attempts to answer the question.
There is a great disparity in scrutiny of how some ministers answer
at the dispatch box. If the House could do something about that,
it would be most welcome.
Q122 Ms Butler: I have two quick
questions, one of which is in regard to websites. We are kind
of encouraging most MPs to acquire websites. Your explanation
was slightly strange. The second one was timing. Did I hear you
right, that you thought it was childish for us to be leaving at
10 p.m.?
Mr Bone: On the website question,
of course it is entirely up to individual Members whether they
want websites, and we have allowances to do it. I am not against
websites, and I may well have one. Childish to leave at 10 o'clock?
I could have said childish to leave at six o'clock, whichever
day we happen to be sitting. I do not think that a debate should
be reduced by three hours because there have been two statements
made at the choosing of the Government. They tend, surprisingly
enough, Sir Nicholas, to be on Opposition Days.
Sir Nicholas Winterton: May I thank both
Peter Bone and Jo Swinson very much for the frank responses they
have given to a whole range of questions? Every member of the
Committee present today except Paul, who sadly arrived late—for
good reason, but he has listened very closely—has participated.
Your evidence will be fully considered by this Committee and I
thank you again for coming.
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