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(b) Each nomination shall consist of a signed statement made by the candidate declaring his willingness to stand for election, accompanied by the signatures of fifteen Members elected to the House as members of the same party as the candidate or ten per cent. of the Members elected to the House as members of that party, whichever is the lower.
(c) Statements may be accompanied by signatures of up to five Members elected to the House as members of any party other than that to which the candidate belongs, or members of no party.
(d) No Member may sign the statement of more than one candidate for chair of the same select committee.
(e) No Member may be a candidate for the chair of a select committee which has not been allocated to his party under paragraph (3) of this order or otherwise, or for which he is ineligible under Standing Order No. 122A (Term limits for chairmen of select committees).
(f) No Member may be a candidate for more than one chair elected under this order.
(g) As soon as practicable following the close of nominations, lists of the candidates and their accompanying signatories shall be published.
(8) Election of chairs of select committees under this order shall be by secret ballot.
(9) Preparatory arrangements for the ballots shall be made under the supervision of the Clerk of the House.
(10) (a) If there is only one candidate for the chair of a select committee, that candidate shall be declared elected without a ballot.
(b) The ballot shall take place in a place appointed by the Speaker.
(c) Each Member intending to vote shall be provided with a ballot paper for each select committee bearing the names of the candidates listed in alphabetical order.
(d) Members will vote by ranking as many candidates as they wish in order of preference, marking 1 by the name of their first preference, 2 by the name of their second preference, and so on. Any candidate who receives more than half the first preferences shall be elected. If no candidate is so elected, the candidate or
candidates with the lowest number of first preferences shall be eliminated and his votes distributed among the remaining candidates according to the preferences on them. If no candidate has more than half the votes, the process of elimination and distribution is repeated, until one candidate has more than half the votes.
(e) The ballot shall be open between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm and counting shall take place under arrangements made by the Clerk of the House.
(11) The Speaker shall have power to give directions on any matter of doubt arising from the conduct of a ballot or from an individual ballot paper and to vary the timings given in paragraphs 5 to 10 of this order.
(12) As soon as practicable after the closing of the ballot the results shall be published under the direction of the Speaker.
(13) A chair elected under this order is a member of the committee of which he is elected chair. -(Steve McCabe.)
RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL OF CHAIRS OF SELECT COMMITTEES
That the following Standing Order be made, with effect from the beginning of the next Parliament-
(1) In the case of a select committee to which the provisions of Standing Order No. (Election of select committee chairs) applies, where
(a) the chair has ceased to be a member of the House, or
(b) the chair has given written notice to the Speaker of a wish to resign from the chair, or
(c) the committee has reported a resolution that it has no confidence in the chair in accordance with the terms of paragraphs (3) and (4) of this order the Speaker shall declare the chair vacant and, as soon as practicable, announce the date of the election for the position of chair of that committee which shall be not fewer than ten sitting days after that announcement.
(2) The election shall be held according to the provisions of paragraphs (2) to (13) of Standing Order No. (Election of select committee chairs), save that 15 nominations shall be submitted by 12 noon on the day before the ballot.
(3) No motion expressing no confidence in its chair may be made in a committee unless notice of the motion has been circulated to the chair and all members of the committee at least ten sitting days in advance of the meeting at which the motion is made.
(4) A resolution by a committee expressing no confidence in its chair shall not have effect for the purposes of paragraph (1) above unless either
(a) it is agreed by the committee without a division or
(b) the majority of the membership of the committee, including at least two members from the largest party represented on the committee and at least one member from another party, vote in favour of the resolution.
(5) A motion expressing no confidence in the chair may not be made in a committee in the six months following the election of a chair by the House or in the year following a vote on such a motion on that chair. -(Steve McCabe.)
ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF SELECT COMMITTEES
That this House takes note of recommendation 6 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and endorses the principle
that parties should elect members of select committees in a secret ballot by whichever transparent and democratic method they choose. -(Steve McCabe.)
NOMINATION OF SELECT COMMITTEES
That this House approves the principle that the principal select committees ought to be appointed within six weeks of the beginning of the Session at the start of a new Parliament, as set out in recommendation 8 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117. -(Steve McCabe.)
REDUCTION IN SIZE OF SELECT COMMITTEES
That, with effect from the beginning of the next Parliament, Standing Order No. 152 (Select committees related to government departments) be amended, in the Table in paragraph (2), by leaving out "14" in each place in the column headed "Maximum members" and inserting "11". -(Steve McCabe.)
SELECT COMMITTEES (ROLE, RESOURCES AND TASKS)
That this House approves recommendation 11 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and welcomes the Liaison Committee's proposal to carry out a review of the role, resources and tasks of select committees set out in paragraphs 26 to 28 of its First Report, Session 2009-10, HC 272. -(Steve McCabe.)
BACKBENCH BUSINESS COMMITTEE
That this House approves recommendation 17 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and looks forward to the House being offered the opportunity within 10 sitting weeks of the beginning of the next session of Parliament to establish a backbench business 5 committee and a new category of backbench business, in the light of further consideration by the Procedure Committee. -(Steve McCabe.)
SEPTEMBER SITTINGS
That this House approves recommendation 31 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, insofar as it relates to an early decision in the next Parliament on sittings of the House in September 2010. -(Steve McCabe.)
ENGAGING THE PUBLIC WITH LEGISLATION
That this House approves recommendation 42 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and welcomes the work which is already taking place on the recommendation as set out in the written answer given by the hon. Member for North Devon, on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, on 8 February, Official Report, col. 651-652W. -(Steve McCabe.)
PETITIONS REQUIRING DEBATE
That this House approves recommendation 43 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and welcomes the work which is already taking place on the recommendation as set out in the written answer given by the hon. Member for North Devon, on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, on 8 February, Official Report, col. 651-652W. -(Steve McCabe.)
ELECTRONIC PETITIONS
That this House approves recommendation 44 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, welcomes the preparation of a revised scheme as set out in the written answer given by the hon. Member for North Devon, on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, on 8 February, Official Report, col. 651-652W, and looks forward to considering the scheme in the next Parliament. -(Steve McCabe.)
DEBATES ON PETITIONS
That this House welcomes recommendation 47 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and considers that there should be a trial of debates on public petitions in Westminster Hall in the next Session of Parliament, subject to the presentation of petitions of sufficient significance. -(Steve McCabe.)
INFORMATION FOR PETITIONERS
That this House approves recommendation 48 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and welcomes the work which is already taking place to develop pilot schemes for providing more information to petitioners via the hon. Member who presented the petition as set out in the written answer given by the hon. Member for North Devon, on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, on 8 February, Official Report, col. 651-652W. -(Steve McCabe.)
PRESENTATION OF PUBLIC PETITIONS
That this House approves recommendation 49 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117. -(Steve McCabe.)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' MOTIONS
That this House approves recommendations 23 and 50 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, Session 2008-09, HC 1117, and looks forward to the matter being further considered by the Procedure Committee in the next Parliament. -(Steve McCabe.)
PETITION
Canvey War Memorial Fund
10.3 pm
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Ind): Having just debated the importance of petitions, I am delighted to present- [ Interruption. ]
Mr. Speaker: Order. I do not wish to interrupt the hon. Gentleman. We have had a substantial and stimulating debate, but I appeal to Members who are leaving the Chamber and who, unaccountably, do not wish to listen to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) presenting his petition please to do so quickly and quietly.
Bob Spink: Thank you, Sir. I am delighted to present this massive new petition on Canvey Island's war memorial. It was prepared by Mr. Rob Finch-a valiant Army veteran-the excellent and caring Canvey Royal British Legion and the war memorial committee. Castle Point people feel that the borough council has been arrogant and uncaring in its attitude to the removal of the original war memorial. These memorials are important. They do not belong to remote Tory councillors; they belong to the people-in this case, the people of Canvey Island. This and other Canvey matters should be dealt with on Canvey Island by excellent Canvey councillors.
To the House of Commons
The Petition of Mr. Finch, the Canvey War Memorial Committee and other residents of Castle Point,
Declares that they object to Castle Point Borough Council's management of the Canvey Island War Memorial Fund, donated by residents for the refurbishment of the Canvey War Memorial; further objects to the Council's handling of the refurbishment planning and process including their refusal to act on the advice of the Canvey War Memorial Committee.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons
Urges the Government to press Castle Point Borough Council, and all Councillors, to hand control of the Canvey War Memorial Fund and refurbishment of the memorial to the Canvey War Memorial Committee.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Total Place Programme (High Peak)
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn. -(Mrs. Hodgson.)
10.5 pm
Tom Levitt (High Peak) (Lab): I am grateful, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to hold this debate. Let me say at the outset that I believe that the Department's Total Place concept is a very fine objective and process. My only criticism is that it should have been in place many years ago.
As I understand it, Total Place looks at the sum total of public services available within a geographical area. It looks for crossovers between local government, central Government and Government agencies, and how location and other elements of co-working can be best employed to deliver high quality services more efficiently than before. Pilots are being conducted in various places across the country, even if they are not being conducted in my constituency.
I will say more about Total Place in a few minutes, but first I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister and you, Mr. Speaker, will indulge me if I say a little about the totality of services in High Peak. This is a particularly poignant moment for me as I am standing down at the forthcoming election. It is possibly the last substantial chance that I shall have to tell the House about the incredible developments that have taken place in High Peak during 13 years of a Labour Government.
For example, across High Peak crime has fallen consistently and strongly every year since Labour came into office. We have more police officers in Derbyshire than ever before-up from 1,791 in 1997 to 2,119 today-and the way in which they are organised into Safer Neighbourhood teams is impressive. It is the start-I repeat, only the start-of genuine community policing operating within every community and serving those communities by both tackling crime and increasing community confidence, and it provides the mechanism for making that local policing much more accountable to ordinary people.
That is important. I recently contributed to a report by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) into accountability in policing. Our very strong conclusion was that the most important level of accountability was at the community level, with the police telling people what is available and people telling officers what is needed. One way to do that is through better local authority scrutiny of policing and other non-local authority services, perhaps in the same way as local involvement networks-LINks-in the health service are being set up to do. I was delighted when the current Home Secretary accepted the proposals in full in his recent White Paper on policing.
I shall single out a few people for special mention. The first is Lee Baker. I hope that Lee is not an exceptional police community support officer because he symbolises for me exactly what police community support officers are about. He is a genuine man of the people, he cares about communities, he is a friendly face in New Mills whom people can approach, and he is not afraid to engage in the less sympathetic side of the job. I congratulate Lee Baker, Chief Constable Mick Creedon and all the others in between. I also say a special thank you to Janet Birkin for her leadership of Derbyshire police authority over some years which, like my tenure, will come to an end this summer.
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