Main Question put and agreed
to.
Ordered, That the Chairman's
draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraph 1 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 2 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 3 to 5 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 6 to 12 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 13 and 14 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 15 read and agreed to.
A paragraph—(Mr Andrew Stunell.)—brought
up, read the first and second time, and inserted (now paragraph
16).
Paragraph 16 (now paragraph 17) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 17 (now paragraph 18) read, as follows:
"There should be discussions at the earliest
possible stage of the Government's legislative proposals as a
whole. We propose therefore that the Government should begin informal
talks with all parties just after the Queen's Speech. These discussions
would include the weight and importance that should be given to
particular elements of the legislative proposals; which bills
might be candidates for carry-over motions (a procedure used only
once since the House agreed to our original proposals); and which
bills might start in the Lords. The outcome of the talks would
help to illuminate the likely pressures over the Parliamentary
year and would be useful in helping the Government to develop
a reasonable proposal for a start and finish date for certain
bills. It would give the Opposition a voice in the handling of
key aspects of Parliament's main programme. It would also help
in the development of a much more certain Parliamentary calendar
then exists at present, which remain one of our main objectives."
Motion made, to leave out paragraph 17 and insert
the following new paragraphs:
" There should be discussions at the earliest
possible stage of the Government's legislative proposals as a
whole. This would have a range of benefits, including allowing
better planning of the Parliamentary year (in both Houses), with
fewer surges of workload, and more certainty for all those in
and outside the House seeking to contribute to the proper examination
and improvement of legislation.
The Chairman of Ways and Means suggested to us that
there might be a US-style Rules Committee which would decide the
amount of time to be allocated to a particular bill after a hearing
in public at which representations could be made by any Member
of the House. We also considered the possibility of a Legislative
Business Committee which would recommend to the House the terms
of any programme motion. The case for a more formal approach of
this kind is that it would be more transparent and more inclusive
of minority concerns, and hence lead both to greater certainty
and more thorough debate of all disputed points.
We propose therefore that the House should establish
a Legislative Business Committee, comprising the usual channels
and representatives of backbenchers and minority parties. This
would meet after the Queen's Speech and consider the weight and
importance that should be given to particular elements of the
legislative proposals; which bills might be candidates for carry-over
motions (a procedure used only once since the House agreed to
our original proposals); and which bills might start in the Lords.
It would be open to any Member of the House to submit evidence
or views on the significance or contentiousness of proposals,
and for the Committee to seek and take evidence as it thought
fit.
The Committee would submit an amendable proposal
to the House setting out a programme for the coming Session. The
programme could be as detailed or as open as required. It would
help in the development of a much more certain Parliamentary calendar
than exists at present, which remains one of our main objectives."—(Mr
Andrew Stunell.)
Motion made, and Question put, That the paragraphs
be read a second time.
The Committee divided.
[Adjourned till Wednesday 19
July at half-past Nine o'clock.
