Written Evidence
Chris Bryant MP, Deputy Leader of the House (P30)
As you know, the Government has already experimented
with a format for draft Bills which interleaves the text of the
Bill with the text of the Explanatory Note, so that the two texts
appear in parallel on facing pages. This new format was well received
when it was used recently for the draft Marine Bill and in 2006
for the draft Coroners Bill.
Combining the two documents in this way could be
particularly useful in public bill committees, where Members often
need to refer to several documents in order to follow proceedings.
The usefulness of such a move could only be tested, however, if
the House were to agree to publish a bill in the new format. Then
Government is keen to proceed with an experiment along these
lines in the current Session, using a single Bill, probably the
Equality Bill. We would very much welcome a Report from the Procedure
Committee on the practicalities of such a move which could form
the basis of a decision by the House.
I do not believe that this is a very complex area
but it is important that the House itself have control of the
format in which it publishes bills. I am sure that Committee members
will have enough personal experience of handling these documents
to reach an informed view. It would be extremely helpful if you
were able to produce a report which could be approved by the House
before the Easter recess.
I realise this is a short time scale, but didn't
want to proceed without the committee's involvement in what will,
I hope, be a popular innovation.
February 2009
e-mail From Rt Hon Greg Knight MP to members of
the Joint Committee on the Draft Marine Bill (P41)
I understand that you were a member of the committee
which considered the Draft Marine Bill.
As you may remember, the draft Bill was presented
in an experimental format interleaving the text of the Bill with
the text of the explanatory notes so that the two texts appeared
in parallel on facing pages. There is a suggestion that this
format might also be used on an experimental basis with a Bill
going into Public Bill Committee. While we appreciate that the
situation is not strictly analogous between scrutiny of a draft
Bill and line by line consideration in a public bill committee,
the Procedure Committee would be very interested in your views
as to the usefulness of the experimental format.
February 2009
Replies from Linda Gilroy MP and Joan Walley MP
(P39)
It was quite helpful - but I do not really have a
strong preference. Linda Gilroy
Given that it was a particularly detailed bill, I
think the new format did help, and could usefully at least be
considered for a Public Bill Committee on a trial basis. Joan
Walley
February 2009
Letter from the Rt Hon Sir Alan Haselhurst MP,
Chairman of Ways and Means (P31)
I, personally, have no strong objection to the matter
of interleaving of Bills and explanatory notes, but I suspect
there may be little enthusiasm on the part of Chairmen. I will
ask them if they have any comments they wish to make on the proposed
experiment and give a substantive response once I have the benefit
of colleagues' views.
March 2009
Letter from Liam Laurence Smyth, Clerk of Bills
(P38)
As Secretary of the Chairmen's Panel, I included
the following in my most recent circular to Members on the Panel
(list attached):
Interleaving of Bills and Explanatory Notes
The Procedure Committee has asked for observations
from the Chairmen's Panel on the
merits of experimenting with interleaving the text
of public bills and explanatory notes
so that the two texts appear in parallel on facing
pages (see, for examples, the enclosed
version of the draft Coroners Bill and extracts from
the draft Marine Bill).
Panel Chairmen are invited to make their views on
interleaving known to the Chairman
of Ways and Means, or direct to Rt Hon Greg Knight,
Chairman of the Procedure
Committee. It would be helpful if you let them (or
me) have any response by
Wednesday 18 March.
So far I have had one written response ("a very
good idea") and one telephone message ("sensible and
helpful"). The Panel's first opportunity to have a collective
discussion on substantive topics will be at their next bi-annual
meeting on Wednesday 1 July.
March 2009
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