Companion to the Standing Orders and guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords


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 If there is opposition to an amendment, it should be withdrawn in Grand Committee, to enable the House to decide the matter on report.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.


 
previous page contents next page

House of Lords home page Parliament home page House of Commons home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2007