Executive Powers and Civil Service Bill [HL]

House of Lords

Session 2003 - 04
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Executive Powers and Civil Service Bill [HL]

Executive Powers and Civil Service Bill [HL]
Schedule 5 — Public Appointments Committee
21

Schedule 5
Section 20

Public Appointments Committee
Appointment
1     (1)
The Public Appointments Committee (referred to in this Schedule as “the
Committee” shall consist of nine members—
5
(a)
who shall be drawn from the members of the House of Commons;
and
(b)
none of whom shall be a Minister of the Crown.
      (2)
The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Prime Minister
and one of the members shall be appointed by him as chairman.
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      (3)
An appointment under sub-paragraph (2) may only be made after
consultation with the leader of each registered political party to which two
or more members of the House of Commons for the time being belong.
      (4)
Past service is no bar to appointment as a member of the Committee.
Tenure of office
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2     (1)
A member of the Committee shall hold office for the duration of the
Parliament in which he is appointed.
      (2)
But a member shall vacate office—
(a)
if he ceases to be a member of the House of Commons;
(b)
if he becomes a Minister of the Crown; or
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(c)
if he is required to do so by the Prime Minister on the appointment,
in accordance with this Schedule, of another person as a member in
his place.
      (3)
A member of the Committee may resign at any time by giving notice to the
Prime Minister.
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Procedure
3     (1)
The quorum of the Committee is three.
      (2)
The Chairman may appoint one of the members of the Committee to act, in
his absence, as chairman at any meeting of the Committee.
      (3)
If, on any matter, there is an equality of voting among the members of the
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Committee, the Chairman is to have a second or casting vote.
      (4)
But sub-paragraph (3) does not apply to a chairman appointed under sub-
paragraph (2).
4
Apart from the provision made in paragraph 3, the Committee may
determine its own procedure.
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Reports
5     (1)
At least once a year the Committee shall make a report on the discharge of
its functions to the Prime Minister.
      (2)
The Committee may at any time report to the Prime Minister on any matter
relating to the discharge of those functions.
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Executive Powers and Civil Service Bill [HL]
Schedule 5 — Public Appointments Committee
22

      (3)
The Prime Minister shall lay before each House of Parliament a copy of each
report made by the Committee under this paragraph.