Formal Minutes
Thursday 1 November 2012
Members present:
Richard Ottaway, in the Chair
Mr John Baron
Mike Gapes
| | Andrew Rosindell
Mr Frank Roy
|
Draft Report (The role and future of the Commonwealth),
proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
Ordered, That the draft
Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraph 1 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 2 to 10 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 11 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 12 to 21 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 22 read.
Amendment proposed, in lines 4 and 5, to leave out
the words "and that the Commonwealth's best years
as a promoter of democracy and human rights in its own member
states were behind it".(Andrew Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 2
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Whereupon the Chair declared himself with the Noes.
Amendment accordingly negatived.
Paragraph agreed to.
Paragraphs 23 to 29 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 30 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 31 to 34 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 35 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 3, to insert after "for"
the words "and what it means to be a Commonwealth Citizen
in 2012".(Andrew Rosindell.)
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made:Amendment,
by leave, withdrawn.
Paragraph agreed to.
Paragraphs 36 to 42 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 43 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 44 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 45 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 4, to leave out "invisible"
and insert "inactive".(Andrew Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 3
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
Mr Frank Roy
| | Noes, 1
Mike Gapes
|
Amendment accordingly agreed to.
An Amendment made.
Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraphs 46 to 51 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 52 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 53 to 60 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 61 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 62 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 63 to 70 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 71 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 72 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 73 to 75 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 76 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 77 to 83 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 84 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 85 to 91 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 92 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 3, to add after "markets"
the words ", but the potential for this to develop in
the years ahead is enormous and should be given a high priority
by H.M. Government".(Andrew Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 2
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Whereupon the Chair declared himself with the Ayes.
Amendment accordingly agreed to.
Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraphs 93 to 97 agreed to.
Paragraph 98 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 99 to 106 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 107 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 108 to 116 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 117 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 118 to 121 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 122 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 5, to insert after "Government"
the words "should actively encourage nations with a historical
connection to the British Isles to apply for membership of the
Commonwealth but".(Andrew Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 2
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Whereupon the Chair declared himself with the Noes.
Amendment accordingly negatived.
Paragraph agreed to.
Paragraph 123 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 124 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 3, to leave out after
"Sark" the words "and the islands of Herm, Jethou
and Lihou. The island of Brecqhou is part of Sark."(Andrew
Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 3
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
Mr Frank Roy
| | Noes, 1
Mike Gapes
|
Amendment accordingly agreed to.
Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraph 125 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 126 to 141 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 142 and 143 postponed.
Paragraph 144 read.
Amendment proposed, in line 8, at end, to add "Despite
objections that may exist, the U.K. has a duty to the Overseas
Territories and Crown Dependencies and therefore we recommend
that H.M. Government should actively promote the creation of a
new 'Territory Status' of members of the Commonwealth. This status
should be open to all British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
in addition to the territories of the other Commonwealth Realms."(Andrew
Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 1
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Amendment accordingly negatived.
Paragraph agreed to.
Paragraphs 145 and 146 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 147 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 148 read and agreed to.
Postponed paragraphs 142 and 143 read.
Motion made, to leave out paragraphs 142 and 143
and insert the following new paragraph:
"142. We conclude that there are substantial
arguments in favour of stronger connections between the Commonwealth
and the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, all of which
should be given the opportunity to become part of the Commonwealth
family. We note the apparently increasing interest in the Crown
Dependencies in stronger connections with the Commonwealth, in
some cases including associate status. We are currently
conducting an inquiry into the foreign policy implications of
and for a separate Scotland, and some related issues will be considered
during the course of that inquiry."(Andrew
Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 1
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Amendment accordingly negatived.
Paragraphs 142 and 143 agreed to.
Summary read.
Amendments made.
Amendment proposed, to leave out from "fundamental"
in line 35 to "We" in line 1, and to insert "change
in the UK's relationship with the European Union, and an assessment
of the potential benefits and disadvantages should take place".(Andrew
Rosindell.)
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 2
Mr John Baron
Andrew Rosindell
| | Noes, 2
Mike Gapes
Mr Frank Roy
|
Whereupon the Chair declared himself with the Noes.
Amendment accordingly negatived.
Summary, as amended, agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report,
as amended, be the Fourth Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair
make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That embargoed
copies of the Report be made available, in accordance with the
provisions of Standing Order No. 134.
Written evidence was ordered to be reported to the
House for printing with the Report, together with written evidence
reported and ordered to be published on 31 January 2012, in the
previous Session of Parliament.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 6 November at 1.45 pm.
|