PROCEEDINGS IN GRAND COMMITTEE
7.97 If a public bill is not committed to a Committee
of the whole House, it is usually committed to a Grand Committee.
As described above this is done on motion moved after Second Reading.
Bills which are unlikely to attract amendments and which would
have their committee stage discharged on the day of the committee
stage are not committed to Grand Committees.
7.98 Any bill may be committed to a Grand Committee.
The proceedings and forms of words in Grand Committees are identical
to those in a Committee of the whole House save that no votes
may take place. Only one bill per day may be considered in Grand
Committee. Amendments, which may be tabled and spoken to by any
member, are printed and circulated as for Committee of the whole
House.
7.99 As divisions are not permitted in Grand
Committee, decisions to alter the bill may only be made by unanimity.
Thus when the Question is put, a single voice against an amendment
causes the amendment to be negatived. If there is opposition to
an amendment, it should be withdrawn in Grand Committee, to enable
the House to decide the matter on report. For the same reason
the Question that a clause or Schedule stand part cannot be disagreed
to unless there is unanimity; provided there is a single voice
in favour, the clause or Schedule must be agreed to.
7.100 Unless the House orders otherwise, the
next stage of a bill reported from a Grand Committee is report.
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