Ninth Report from the
Procedure Committee
Debates on motions in Grand Committee
1. We have considered a proposal from the Clerk
of the Parliaments, brought forward with the support of the usual
channels, to allow general debates to be held in Grand Committee.
To give effect to this change, a new subheading, "general
motions for debate", would be added to the list of categories
of business that can be taken in Grand Committee given in paragraph
3.15 of the Companion to the Standing Orders. If this proposal
is agreed by the House, it is expected that the first such debate
will be held on 1 December 2011.
2. We also take this opportunity to clarify current
practice on referring items of business to the Grand Committee.
We see no good reason for business motions except when there are
to be further proceedings in the House. Thus business motions
are appropriate to refer bills or affirmative instruments to the
Grand Committee, which in turn reports that it has considered
the bill or instrument. But the use of a business motion in relation
to a Committee report[1]
or a take note motion, where there are no further proceedings
in the House, seems to be anomalous. Business motions are already
not required in the case of Questions for Short Debate, motions
to consider negative instruments or national policy statements.
3. We therefore recommend:
- That "general motions for debate"
be added to the list of categories of business that can be taken
in Grand Committee given in paragraph 3.15 of the Companion
to the Standing Orders;
- That such motions for debate may be taken
in Grand Committee without a business motion, and that the use
of business motions to refer Committee reports to Grand Committee
should be discontinued.
1 See Companion to Standing Orders, paragraph
11.36. Back
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