|
ANNEX
Note on action taken on each of the Committee's
Recommendations
A. Recommendations approved by the House and implemented
in full or in part:
First Report (1997-98): The Legislative Process
Agreed by the Committee 23 July 1997; approved by
the House 13 November 1997.
| Recommendation | Implementation |
| Certain bills (including at least one on which the Opposition proposes to divide on second reading) to be programmed. Motion to be moved after second reading, which could include: committee option; date by which bill is to be reported from committee; amount of time proposed for report and third reading; provisions for carry-over. Programming sub-committee to be appointed for standing committee stage of programmed bills.
| Programmes agreed for 14 bills, covering some or all of stages taken on floor of House. 1 programme also covered proceedings in standing committee.
Scotland—CWH, report, 3° and Lords amendments.
Government of Wales—CWH, report & 3°
Regional Development Agencies—report & 3°
Northern Ireland Elections—all stages
Teaching and Higher Education [Lords]-report & 3°
Human Rights [Lords]—CWH, report & 3°
Northern Ireland Sentences—CWH, report & 3°
Crime and Disorder [Lords]—report & 3°
Landmines—all stages
Northern Ireland—all stages
Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy)—all stages
Greater London Authority—CWH & Standing Committee; report & 3°
Tax Credits—Lords amendments
Access to Justice [Lords]—report & 3°
On 8 bills the Opposition divided on second reading or a reasoned amendment or both.
|
|
Draft bills (7 expected) to be considered by ad hoc select or joint committee or by departmental select committee.
|
Draft bills on pension-splitting on divorce and limited liability partnerships considered by departmental select committees. Draft bill on freedom of information considered by Select Committee on Public Administration. Draft bill on food standards considered by ad hoc select committee. Draft bills on financial services and on local government considered by ad hoc joint committees.
|
|
Explanatory material accompanying bills to be made more user-friendly. [See also Second Report.]
|
Explanatory Notes produced with effect from start of Session 1998-99.
|
|
Greater use of special standing committees.
|
Immigration and Asylum Bill referred to special standing committee.
|
|
Greater use of ad hoc select committees on bills.
|
Ad hoc select committee and 2 joint committees appointed for pre-legislative scrutiny.
|
|
Greater use of split committal between Committee of whole House and standing committees.
|
Greater London Authority Bill and Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill split (in addition to Finance Bills).
|
|
Sensible agreements to ensure that all parts of bills are discussed in standing committees.
| |
|
Removal of constraints on meetings of standing committees (including meetings during recesses) [See also First Report (1998-99)].
|
Approved. Sessional order made, and renewed for further Session.
|
|
Departmental select committees to monitor legislation newly in force.
|
Approved in principle, although no post-legislative scrutiny undertaken so far.
|
|
Discussions to be held between authorities of both Houses to determine how Government bills might be carried over from one Session to next. [See also Third Report].
|
Memoranda submitted by Clerk of the House and Clerk of the Parliaments. Third Report approved by the House.
|
First Special Report (1997-98): Work of the Committee:
First Progress Report
Agreed by the Committee 23 July 1997.
1. 3rd desk introduced into division lobbies.
2. Chair to use its discretion to appoint tellers
before 2 minutes have elapsed.
3. New style of Order Paper introduced in October
1997.
Second Report (1997-98): Explanatory Material
for Bills
Agreed by the Committee 3 December 1997.
|
Proposals from First Parliamentary Counsel for improved explanatory material to be implemented.
|
Explanatory Notes produced with effect from start of Session 1998-99.
|
Third Report (1997-98): Carry-over of Public Bills
Agreed by the Committee 2 March 1998; approved by
the House 4 June 1998.
Bills to be carried over by means of ad hoc motions; procedure to be used for bills still in first House; eligibility of bills for carry-over to be settled be agreement through usual channels.
|
Financial Services and Markets Bill carried over at committee stage.
|
Fourth Report (1997-98): Conduct in the Chamber
Agreed by the Committee 4 March 1998; approved by
the House 4 June 1998.
|
Extra time should be allowed for interventions in short speeches.
|
Approved. S.O. amended.
|
|
Speaker should be given discretion to impose a variable time limit on speeches.
|
Approved. S.O. amended. Limits of 8, 10 and 15 minutes imposed at various times.
|
|
Details of any proposed speech limit should be put out in advance on PDVN.
|
Implemented. |
|
Speaker need be under no obligation to give precedence to Privy Councillors in debate.
|
For Speaker's discretion.
|
|
Rule banning direct quotation from Lords speeches should be abolished.
|
Implemented. |
|
Constituency and name of Member speaking should be displayed on annunciators.
|
Implemented. |
|
Speaker should inform Member who has failed to observe courtesies of debate that he/she need not expect priority in being called.
|
For Speaker's discretion.
|
|
Ban on direct quotations in supplementary questions should be lifted.
|
Implemented. |
|
Practice of spying strangers should be abolished; Members should be able to claim immediate division on motion to proceed to next business.
|
S.O. amended to allow immediate division on question, that the House sit in private.
|
|
New procedure for raising points of order during divisions should be adopted.
|
Implemented. |
|
Members named by Chair should lose parliamentary salary for period of suspension.
|
Approved. New S.O. made.
|
Seventh Report (1997-98): The Scrutiny of European
Business
Agreed by the Committee 9 June 1998; approved by
the House 17 November 1998.
|
Terms of reference of European Legislation Committee to be amended to include Pillars 2 and 3 and related matters, and name to be changed to European Scrutiny Committee.
|
Approved. S.O. amended.
|
|
Scrutiny Reserve Resolution to be extended.
|
New Resolution passed.
|
|
Scrutiny Committee to conduct an experiment in pre- and post-Council scrutiny.
|
8 evidence sessions held (5 pre-Council and 3 post-Council).
|
|
Earlier information of outcome of Council meetings to be made available.
|
Chairman of Scrutiny Committee tables written Question to relevant Minister.
|
|
Amendments to procedures of European Standing Committees.
|
Approved. S.O. amended.
|
|
Business managers to hold discussions with a view to proposing increase to 5 European Standing Committees.
|
3 committees established.
|
|
S.O.s to be amended to enable departmental select committees to be more closely involved with European business.
|
Approved. S.O.s amended.
|
|
Proposals to be prepared for establishing National Parliament Office in Brussels.
|
National Parliament Office opened.
|
|
Designated official in each Department to be responsible for smooth running of scrutiny business.
|
Scrutiny Committee following this up with Cabinet Office and individual Departments.
|
First Report (1998-99): The Parliamentary Calendar:
Initial Proposals
Agreed by the Committee 2 December 1998; approved
by the House 16 December 1998.
|
House should meet 11.30 am—7.00 pm on Thursdays for experimental period.
|
Approved. Sessional order made, and renewed for further Session.
|
|
Non-sitting week in February.
|
3 non-sitting days in February 1999.
|
|
Standing committees should be allowed to sit at any time (including during recesses) except during Question Time.
|
Approved. Sessional order made, and renewed for further Session.
|
Second Report (1998-99): Sittings of the House
in Westminster Hall Second Report (1998-99): Sittings of the House in Westminster Hall
Agreed by the Committee 24 March 1999; approved by
the House 24 May 1999.
|
House should agree to a sessional order for Session 1999-2000 only which provides for the establishment of a parallel Chamber.
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
|
The parallel Chamber should meet in the Grand Committee Room, Westminster Hall.
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
|
The parallel Chamber should be referred to as Westminster Hall.
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
|
Sittings in Westminster Hall should be chaired by the Deputy Speakers.
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
|
The four members who have served longest on the Chairman's Panel should be formally appointed by the House as additional Deputy Speakers to sit in Westminster Hall.
|
Approved. Sessional order made. Four additional Deputy Speakers appointed.
|
|
There should normally be a sitting in Westminster Hall for private Members business on Tuesdays between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm.
|
Approved. |
|
There should be a sitting in Westminster Hall for private Members' business on Wednesdays between 9.30 am and 2.00 pm, which should replace the Wednesday morning sitting in the Chamber.
|
Approved. |
|
There should normally be a sitting in Westminster Hall on Thursdays between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm for debates on select committee reports and other business, which would be settled through the usual channels.
|
Approved. Extra time allowed to compensate for any time lost as a result of divisions in the House.
|
|
There should be a quorum of 3 (including the Deputy Speaker).
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
|
Grand Committee Room should be arranged as a wide hemicycle, but if after a reasonable trial period there were indications that a long hemicycle might command greater support, such a layout should be used for the remainder of the Session.
|
Approved. |
|
Planned improvements to the Grand Committee Room should be brought forward to the summer of 1999. Any additional expenditure on furniture should be kept to a bare minimum.
|
Approved. Works carried out.
|
Third Report (1998-99): Thursday Sittings
Agreed by the Committee 14 July 1999.
|
Current hours of sitting on Thursdays should be continued for a further Session.
|
Approved. Sessional order made.
|
B. Recommendations not yet implemented:
First Report (1997-98): The Legislative Process
|
Bill (not previously published in draft) to be considered by ad hoc first reading select committee.
| |
|
More use to be made of second reading committees.
|
2 Law Commission bills referred automatically; but otherwise none appointed.
|
|
S.O. No. 90 to be amended to relax provisions on referral of bills to second reading committees and to allow all Members to attend and speak.
| |
|
Existing clauses to be considered in standing committees following the practice currently used for new clauses (ie principle of clause considered before amendments).
| |
|
Short speeches in standing committees.
| |
|
Standing committees to be reconvened to consider non-controversial Government amendments before report stage.
| |
|
Lords amendments to be referred to standing committees which considered bills.
| |
Second Report (1998-99): Sittings of the House
in Westminster Hall
|
The House should specify a range of potential meeting times, from which actual meeting times could be selected by the Chairman of Ways and Means.
|
Sessional order provides for sittings in Westminster Hall on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons only.
|
|
The option of sitting on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays between 4.30 pm and 7.30 pm should be left open.
| |
| 
