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ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF SELECT COMMITTEES
Motion made, and Question proposed,
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. -(Ms Harman.)
Amendment made to motion 6 : (a), at end add
'and further notes and endorses recommendation 8 in the First Report from the Liaison Committee of this Session, HC 272, and directs that where the attendance of any member of a select committee in any Session is below 60 per cent. of the Committee's formal meetings, at the end of that Session the Speaker may invite the Chairman of the Committee of Selection to propose to the House that any such Member should be discharged and that an election to fill that vacancy should be held within two weeks of the beginning of the next Session.' - (Mr. Alan Williams.)
Main Q uestion, as amended, put and agreed to.
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 and further notes and endorses recommendation 8 in the First Report from the Liaison Committee of this Session, HC 272, and directs that where the attendance of any member of a select committee in any Session is below 60 per cent. of the Committee's formal meetings, at the end of that Session the Speaker may invite the Chairman of the Committee of Selection to propose to the House that any such Member should be discharged and that an election to fill that vacancy should be held within two weeks of the beginning of the next Session.
BACKBENCH BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Motion made, and Question proposed,
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 committee and a new category of backbench business, in the light of further consideration by the Procedure Committee. -(Ms Harman.)
Amendment proposed to motion 7 : (b), leave out from 'opportunity' to end and add
'in the light of further consideration by the Procedure Committee, to establish in time for the beginning of the next Parliament a Backbench Business Committee and a new category of backbench business, comprising initially the 15 days allotted to set piece debates; and subsequently days allocated for general debates.- (Sir George Young.)
Question put, That the amendment be made.
The House divided: Ayes 106, Noes 221.
AYES
Amess, Mr. David
Arbuthnot, rh Mr. James
Atkinson, Mr. Peter
Barker, Gregory
Baron, Mr. John
Barron, rh Mr. Kevin
Beckett, rh Margaret
Bellingham, Mr. Henry
Benyon, Mr. Richard
Blackman-Woods, Dr. Roberta
Blunt, Mr. Crispin
Boswell, Mr. Tim
Bottomley, Peter
Brennan, Kevin
Brokenshire, James
Brown, Lyn
Browning, Angela
Burrowes, Mr. David
Burt, Alistair
Butler, Ms Dawn
Byrne, rh Mr. Liam
Clappison, Mr. James
Clark, Greg
Clark, Paul
Clarke, rh Mr. Kenneth
Clifton-Brown, Mr. Geoffrey
Cormack, Sir Patrick
Curry, rh Mr. David
Dorrell, rh Mr. Stephen
Duddridge, James
Duncan, Alan
Duncan Smith, rh Mr. Iain
Dunne, Mr. Philip
Eagle, Angela
Eagle, Maria
Engel, Natascha
Fabricant, Michael
Fitzpatrick, Jim
Garnier, Mr. Edward
Goodwill, Mr. Robert
Gove, Michael
Grayling, Chris
Green, Damian
Greening, Justine
Greenway, Mr. John
Grieve, Mr. Dominic
Gummer, rh Mr. John
Hammond, Stephen
Harman, rh Ms Harriet
Harper, Mr. Mark
Hillier, Meg
Hogg, rh Mr. Douglas
Horam, Mr. John
Howarth, Mr. Gerald
Howell, John
Jones, Helen
Keeley, Barbara
Khan, rh Mr. Sadiq
Kidney, Mr. David
Kirkbride, Miss Julie
Knight, rh Mr. Greg
Laing, Mrs. Eleanor
Letwin, rh Mr. Oliver
Lewis, Dr. Julian
Lidington, Mr. David
Lilley, rh Mr. Peter
Loughton, Tim
Luff, Peter
Maude, rh Mr. Francis
May, rh Mrs. Theresa
McAvoy, rh Mr. Thomas
McCarthy, Kerry
McCarthy-Fry, Sarah
McIntosh, Miss Anne
McKechin, Ann
McLoughlin, rh Mr. Patrick
Miller, Mrs. Maria
Mitchell, Mr. Andrew
Mole, Chris
Murrison, Dr. Andrew
Neill, Robert
Newmark, Mr. Brooks
Penrose, John
Pound, Stephen
Randall, Mr. John
Robathan, Mr. Andrew
Rosindell, Andrew
Scott, Mr. Lee
Shaw, Jonathan
Smith, rh Angela E. (Basildon)
Soames, Mr. Nicholas
Steen, Mr. Anthony
Swayne, Mr. Desmond
Swire, Mr. Hugo
Timms, rh Mr. Stephen
Tyrie, Mr. Andrew
Vaizey, Mr. Edward
Vara, Mr. Shailesh
Villiers, Mrs. Theresa
Watkinson, Angela
Wiggin, Bill
Wills, rh Mr. Michael
Wilson, Phil
Woolas, Mr. Phil
Wright, Jeremy
Young, rh Sir George
Tellers for the Ayes:
Mr. Simon Burns and
Mr. Rob Wilson
NOES
Abbott, Ms Diane
Alexander, Danny
Atkins, Charlotte
Bacon, Mr. Richard
Bailey, Mr. Adrian
Bain, Mr. William
Baker, Norman
Baldry, Tony
Balls, rh Ed
Barlow, Ms Celia
Barrett, John
Battle, rh John
Bayley, Hugh
Begg, Miss Anne
Beith, rh Sir Alan
Bell, Sir Stuart
Berry, Roger
Betts, Mr. Clive
Binley, Mr. Brian
Blunkett, rh Mr. David
Bone, Mr. Peter
Bradshaw, rh Mr. Ben
Brady, Mr. Graham
Brake, Tom
Breed, Mr. Colin
Brennan, Kevin
Brooke, Annette
Browne, Mr. Jeremy
Bruce, rh Malcolm
Bryant, Chris
Burden, Richard
Burstow, Mr. Paul
Burt, Lorely
Cable, Dr. Vincent
Caborn, rh Mr. Richard
Campbell, rh Sir Menzies
Carmichael, Mr. Alistair
Carswell, Mr. Douglas
Cash, Mr. William
Caton, Mr. Martin
Cawsey, Mr. Ian
Chapman, Ben
Chope, Mr. Christopher
Clark, Ms Katy
Clarke, rh Mr. Charles
Clegg, rh Mr. Nick
Clelland, Mr. David
Clwyd, rh Ann
Coaker, Mr. Vernon
Coffey, Ann
Cohen, Harry
Connarty, Michael
Cook, Frank
Cooper, Rosie
Corbyn, Jeremy
Cousins, Jim
Cruddas, Jon
Cryer, Mrs. Ann
Cunningham, Mr. Jim
Davey, Mr. Edward
Davies, Mr. Dai
Davies, Philip
Dhanda, Mr. Parmjit
Dismore, Mr. Andrew
Drew, Mr. David
Efford, Clive
Ellman, Mrs. Louise
Evans, Mr. Nigel
Farrelly, Paul
Featherstone, Lynne
Field, rh Mr. Frank
Field, Mr. Mark
Fisher, Mark
Flint, rh Caroline
Foster, Mr. Don
Francis, Dr. Hywel
Gale, Mr. Roger
Gapes, Mike
Gardiner, Barry
George, Andrew
Gerrard, Mr. Neil
Gidley, Sandra
Gilroy, Linda
Goodman, Helen
Grogan, Mr. John
Hall, Patrick
Hamilton, Mr. David
Hancock, Mr. Mike
Hanson, rh Mr. David
Harris, Dr. Evan
Harvey, Nick
Heath, Mr. David
Heathcoat-Amory, rh Mr. David
Hemming, John
Hillier, Meg
Hoey, Kate
Hollobone, Mr. Philip
Holmes, Paul
Hopkins, Kelvin
Horwood, Martin
Hosie, Stewart
Howarth, David
Howarth, rh Mr. George
Hughes, Simon
Hunter, Mark
Iddon, Dr. Brian
Illsley, Mr. Eric
Irranca-Davies, Huw
Jack, rh Mr. Michael
Jackson, Glenda
Jenkin, Mr. Bernard
Jenkins, Mr. Brian
Jones, Lynne
Jones, Mr. Martyn
Keen, Alan
Keetch, Mr. Paul
Kennedy, rh Mr. Charles
Key, Robert
Knight, rh Jim
Kramer, Susan
Ladyman, Dr. Stephen
Lamb, Norman
Laxton, Mr. Bob
Lazarowicz, Mark
Leech, Mr. John
Leigh, Mr. Edward
Lepper, David
Levitt, Tom
Linton, Martin
Lloyd, Tony
Llwyd, Mr. Elfyn
Love, Mr. Andrew
Mackinlay, Andrew
MacNeil, Mr. Angus
MacShane, rh Mr. Denis
Mactaggart, Fiona
Marsden, Mr. Gordon
Marshall-Andrews, Mr. Robert
Mason, John
McDonnell, John
McFall, rh John
McIsaac, Shona
Meacher, rh Mr. Michael
Meale, Mr. Alan
Michael, rh Alun
Mitchell, Mr. Austin
Moffatt, Laura
Moore, Mr. Michael
Moss, Mr. Malcolm
Mulholland, Greg
Mullin, Mr. Chris
Munn, Meg
Naysmith, Dr. Doug
Oaten, Mr. Mark
Öpik, Lembit
Ottaway, Richard
Owen, Albert
Palmer, Dr. Nick
Pearson, Ian
Pelling, Mr. Andrew
Plaskitt, Mr. James
Prentice, Mr. Gordon
Price, Adam
Primarolo, rh Dawn
Pritchard, Mark
Pugh, Dr. John
Purnell, rh James
Raynsford, rh Mr. Nick
Reed, Mr. Jamie
Reid, Mr. Alan
Rennie, Willie
Rifkind, rh Sir Malcolm
Robertson, Angus
Rogerson, Dan
Rowen, Paul
Russell, Bob
Salter, Martin
Sanders, Mr. Adrian
Sharma, Mr. Virendra
Sheerman, Mr. Barry
Short, rh Clare
Skinner, Mr. Dennis
Smith, rh Mr. Andrew
Smith, Sir Robert
Snelgrove, Anne
Starkey, Dr. Phyllis
Stoate, Dr. Howard
Strang, rh Dr. Gavin
Straw, rh Mr. Jack
Stuart, Ms Gisela
Stunell, Andrew
Swinson, Jo
Taylor, Matthew
Taylor, Dr. Richard
Teather, Sarah
Thurso, John
Todd, Mr. Mark
Trickett, Jon
Truswell, Mr. Paul
Turner, Mr. Andrew
Turner, Dr. Desmond
Twigg, Derek
Walker, Mr. Charles
Walley, Joan
Walter, Mr. Robert
Webb, Steve
Weir, Mr. Mike
Whitehead, Dr. Alan
Whittingdale, Mr. John
Wicks, rh Malcolm
Williams, rh Mr. Alan
Williams, Hywel
Williams, Mark
Willis, Mr. Phil
Willott, Jenny
Winnick, Mr. David
Winterton, Ann
Winterton, Sir Nicholas
Wishart, Pete
Wright, Dr. Tony
Wyatt, Derek
Younger-Ross, Richard
Tellers for the Noes:
Mr. Graham Allen and
Sir Peter Soulsby
Question accordingly negatived.
Amendments made to motion 7 : (c), leave out from 'opportunity' to end and add
'to establish, in time for the start of the next Parliament, a backbench business committee, constituted in accordance with the principles set out in recommendation 18 of the Committee's Report, to schedule non-ministerial business as described in recommendations 22 (select committees), 23 and 28 (backbench substantive motions), 30 (protected time for backbench business) and 39 (Estimates days) of the Committee's Report.'.
'and approves the establishment during the course of the next Parliament of a House Business Committee comprising the backbench business committee and representatives of Government and Opposition which, while guaranteeing that the Government has the time and first choice of dates to get its legislative programme through, and to make whatever statements it wishes, would improve scheduling of business to ensure more effective scrutiny of legislation at Report Stage and consideration of Lords Amendments.'.
'and also looks forward to the following recommendations of the Committee being given further consideration in the next Parliament:
(a) 19 and 20 (Ministerial business);
(b) 21 (Opposition business);
(c) 26 (notice and flexibility);
(d) 27 (timetabling);
(e) 32 (sessions and carry-over);
(f) 35 (Ministerial statements);
(g) 36 (general committees);
(h) 37 (public bill committees); and
(i) 40 (Private Members' bills).'.- (Dr. Tony Wright.)
Main Question, as amended, put and agreed to.
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 to establish, in time for the start of the next Parliament, a backbench business committee, constituted in accordance with the principles set out in recommendation 18 of the Committee's Report, to schedule non-ministerial business as described in recommendations 22 (select committees), 23 and 28 (backbench substantive motions), 30 (protected time for backbench business) and 39 (Estimates days) of the Committee's Report, and approves the establishment during the course of the next Parliament of a House Business Committee comprising the backbench business committee and representatives of Government and Opposition which, while guaranteeing that the Government has the time and first choice of dates to get its legislative programme through, and to make whatever statements it wishes, would improve scheduling of business to ensure more effective scrutiny of legislation at Report Stage and consideration of Lords Amendments, and also looks forward to the following recommendations of the Committee being given further consideration in the next Parliament:
(a) 19 and 20 (Ministerial business);
(b) 21 (Opposition business);
(c) 26 (notice and flexibility);
(d) 27 (timetabling);
(e) 32 (sessions and carry-over);
(f) 35 (Ministerial statements);
(g) 36 (general committees);
(h) 37 (public bill committees); and
(i) 40 (Private Members' bills).
election of the Deputy speakers
That the following Standing Order be made, with effect from the beginning of the next Parliament:-
(1) At the commencement of every Parliament, or from time to time, as necessity may arise, the Speaker shall notify the House of the arrangements to be made to elect a Chairman of Ways and Means and two Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means, who shall be known respectively as the First and the Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means.
(2) The election shall be by secret ballot.
(3) Preparatory arrangements for a ballot shall be made under the supervision of the Clerk of the House.
(4)(a) Nominations of candidates shall be in writing and shall be received by the Clerk of the House between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm on the day before the House is to elect the Deputy Speakers.
(b) Each nomination shall consist of a brief signed statement made by the candidate declaring his willingness to stand for election accompanied by the signatures of not fewer than six nor more than 10 Members. No Member shall sign more than three such statements and if any Member does so, his signature shall no longer be valid.
(c) As soon as practicable following the close of nominations, lists of the candidates and their sponsors and the statements shall be placed in the Members' lobby and published.
(5)(a) A ballot shall take place between eleven o'clock and twelve o'clock in a place appointed by the Speaker.
(b) Each Member intending to vote shall be provided with a ballot paper bearing the names of the candidates listed in alphabetical order.
(c) Each such Member may vote for as many or as few candidates on the ballot paper as he wishes, marking them in order of preference.
(d) Counting shall take place under arrangements made by the Clerk of the House.
(e) The ballot shall be counted under the Single Transferable Vote System with constraints that of those elected:
(i) two candidates shall come from the opposite side of the House to that from which the Speaker was drawn, the first of which candidates will be Chairman of Ways and Means and the second, Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means,
(ii) one candidate shall come from the same side of the House as that from which the Speaker was drawn and shall be First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, and
(iii) at least one man and at least one woman shall be elected across the four posts of Speaker and Deputy Speakers.
(f) The Speaker shall have discretion to vary the timings given in this order and power to give final directions on any matter of doubt arising from the conduct of a ballot or from an individual ballot paper.
(6) As soon as practicable after the votes have been counted the Speaker shall announce to the House the results of the ballot and direct the Clerk to enter the names of the elected Members in the Journal.
(7) Where a ballot is needed to elect to a single post of Deputy Speaker as a result of a change in the Speaker, the election shall be held with candidates from only the relevant side of the House.
(8) Each Deputy Speaker elected under this order is so elected to serve until the end of the Parliament.
(9) The Deputy Chairmen shall be entitled to exercise all the powers vested in the Chairman of Ways and Means, including his powers as Deputy Speaker .-(Ms Harman.)
Crown Estate (Proposed Sale of Homes)
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn. -(Lyn Brown.)
Mr. Speaker: Just before I ask the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Frank Dobson) to make his speech, may I appeal to right hon. and hon. Members leaving the Chamber please to do so quickly and quietly, without conducting animated or noisy conversations in the interim? That would be helpful- [ Laughter . ]-although there is no prohibition on laughing.
4.27 pm
Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras) (Lab): Among the people I represent are residents of 539 flats on the Cumberland Market estate that are owned by the Crown Estate. Like their fellow Crown Estate residents in Victoria Park in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Millbank in Westminster, and Lee Green in Lewisham, they were told, out of the blue, that their homes were to be sold. That has caused consternation among the residents, who range from elderly people such as Bill and Mary Greenleaf, who have lived all their lives at Cumberland Market, to young key workers who have recently got a flat.
All four estates are settled communities. Some people live in blocks of flats, others in street properties. Their homes are well managed, giving rise to far fewer complaints to local councillors and MPs than council or registered social landlord properties. The form of tenure ranges from leaseholders through regulated and assured tenancies to assured shorthold tenancies. All are let at affordable rents.
Documents were released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, but they contained massive redactions, and when I say massive, I really mean massive. They nevertheless revealed that the Crown Estate had been considering the proposal to sell off its affordable housing for well over a year. They also showed that the Crown Estate board might have been misled into adopting that policy. The minutes show that the board was given to understand that a mixture of flats and street properties was
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