House of Commons - Rebuilding the House - Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee

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House of Commons

Session 2008-09
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Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee Publications

Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee - First Report
Rebuilding the House

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 12 November 2009.

CONTENTS

Terms of Reference

REPORT

SUMMARY

1  INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

2  PRINCIPLES

General principles

Parliamentary control of business
Collective working and individual Members
Transparency and accessibility
Constraints: Government business
Constraints: time
Achievable change

3  SELECT COMMITTEES: ELECTION OF MEMBERS AND CHAIRS
A. Terms of reference etc

Deputy Speakers

B Select committees: what happens now

Members
Size and number
Speed of nomination
Intelligence and Security Committee
Public bill committee membership
Chairs

C Is the system satisfactory?
D A reformed system

Assumptions
Options
A reformed system: conclusion
Chairs
Members

E. Conclusion

ANNEX: Options considered by Committee

4  BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE

A. Terms of reference and connected matters

Business in the House
Scheduling and timetabling
Sitting patterns
Annual sessions and carry-over
Closely connected matters: general committees
Closely connected matters: Report stage of bills
Closely connected matters: consideration of Lords amendments

B The current framework
C. Government-initiated business

Who owns time?
Categories
Conclusion

D Process of scheduling business
E Is the current system satisfactory?

Strengths
Failure to match principles
Parliamentary control of business
Cross-party working
Transparency
Topicality
Use of time

F Five elements of a reformed system

I.The House should determine its own agenda and sitting pattern
II Backbench business should be scheduled by backbenchers and the House
III The Government should retain the initiative on scheduling ministerial business
IV The Opposition are entitled to more say in when Opposition Days are scheduled and how they are used
V Select committees and individual Members should be given enhanced opportunities, while retaining their existing rights of initiative
Key elements of revised system

G Assembling the jigsaw
H Time available to the backbench business committee
I Backbench business
J Conclusion

5  INVOLVING THE PUBLIC: NEXT STEPS

A Introduction
B What happens now

Individual Members
Petitions
Early Day Motions
Select committees

C Reform agenda

General
Petitions
Early Day Motions and Motions for House debate
Legislative Process

D Going further

General
Agenda initiative
A Direct Line to Westminster?

E Conclusion

6  CONCLUSION

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ANNEX: DRAFT RESOLUTION

FORMAL MINUTES
LIST OF WRITTEN EVIDENCE
LIST OF UNPRINTED EVIDENCE

WRITTEN EVIDENCE

© Parliamentary copyright 2009
Prepared 24 November 2009