Minutes of Proceedings

Transcription

1 House of Commons Liaison Committee Minutes of Proceedings Session together with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Sub-Committee Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 7 April 2005 HC 528 Published on 31 October 2005 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited 4.00

2 Liaison Committee The Liaison Committee is appointed to consider general matters relating to the work of select committees; to advise the House of Commons Commission on select committees; to choose select committee reports for debate in the House and to hear evidence from the Prime Minister on matters of public policy. Current membership Mr Alan Williams MP (Labour, Swansea West) (Chairman) The Chairmen for the time being of the Select Committees listed below: Accommodation and Works Derek Conway MP (Conservative, Old Bexley and Sidcup) Administration Dame Marion Roe MP (Conservative, Broxbourne) Broadcasting Mr David Lepper MP (Labour/Co-op, Brighton Pavilion) Catering Mr Dennis Turner MP (Labour/Co-op, Wolverhampton South East) Constitutional Affairs Mr Alan Beith MP (Liberal Democrat, Berwick-upon- Tweed) Culture, Media and Sport Sir Gerald Kaufman MP (Labour, Manchester Gorton) Defence Mr Bruce George MP (Labour, Walsall South) Education and Skills Mr Barry Sheerman MP (Labour/Co-op, Huddersfield) Environmental Audit Mr Peter Ainsworth MP (Conservative, East Surrey) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Mr Michael Jack MP (Conservative, Fylde) European Scrutiny Mr Jimmy Hood MP (Labour, Clydesdale) Finance and Services Sir Stuart Bell MP (Labour, Middlesbrough) Foreign Affairs Donald Anderson MP (Labour, Swansea East) Health Mr David Hinchliffe MP (Labour, Wakefield) Home Affairs Mr John Denham MP (Labour, Southampton Itchen) Human Rights (Joint Committee) Jean Corston MP (Labour, Bristol East) Information Mr Robert Key MP (Conservative, Salisbury) International Development Tony Baldry MP (Conservative, Banbury) Northern Ireland Affairs Mr Michael Mates MP (Conservative, East Hampshire) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Andrew Bennett MP (Labour, Denton and Reddish) Procedure Sir Nicholas Winterton MP (Conservative, Macclesfield) Public Accounts Mr Edward Leigh MP (Conservative, Gainsborough) Public Administration Tony Wright MP (Labour, Cannock Chase) Regulatory Reform Mr Peter Pike MP (Labour, Burnley) Science and Technology Dr Ian Gibson MP (Labour, Norwich North) Scottish Affairs Mrs Irene Adams MP (Labour, Paisley North) Selection Mr John McWilliam MP (Labour, Blaydon) Standards and Privileges Sir George Young MP (Conservative, North West Hampshire) Statutory Instruments Mr David Tredinnick MP (Conservative, Bosworth) Trade and Industry Mr Martin O Neill MP (Labour, Ochil) Transport Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody MP (Labour, Crewe and Nantwich) Treasury Mr John McFall MP (Labour/Co-op, Dumbarton) Welsh Affairs Mr Martyn Jones MP (Labour, Clwyd South) Work and Pensions Sir Archy Kirkwood MP (Liberal Democrat, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) and Mr Richard Allan MP (Liberal Democrat, Sheffield Hallam)

3 Powers The powers of the Committee are set out in House of Commons SO No 145. These are available on the Internet via Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are George Cubie (Clerk), Robert Wilson (Second Clerk), Lis Partridge (Committee Assistant) and Catherine Close (Secretary). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Liaison Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general enquiries is ; the Committee s address is liaisoncommittee@parliament.uk

4

5 Minutes of Proceedings 1 Proceedings of the Committee Thursday 2 December 2004 Members present: Mr Alan Williams, in the Chair Mrs Irene Adams Mr Peter Ainsworth Donald Anderson Mr A J Beith Andrew Bennett Derek Conway Jean Corston Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Mr Bruce George Dr Ian Gibson Mr Jimmy Hood Mr Michael Jack Mr Robert Key Mr Edward Leigh Mr John McFall Mr Martin O Neill Mr Barry Sheerman Mr Dennis Turner Sir Nicholas Winterton Sir George Young The Committee deliberated. 1. Estimates Day Ordered, That the Chairman do report to the House that the Liaison Committee has directed him to report the following recommendation for the allocation of time for the consideration of Estimates on an allotted day (being the first allotted day in the present Session of Parliament); That a day not later than 6 February 2005 be allotted for the consideration of the following Estimates for the financial years and : Department for Work and Pensions, Vote on Account , in so far as it relates to the management of IT projects by the Department for Work and Pensions. Department of Education and Skills, Winter Supplementary Estimates, for in so far as it relates to academies. 2. Debates in Westminster Hall The Committee agreed the Reports to be recommended for debate in Westminster Hall as follows: Environmental Audit Committee, Environmental Crime and the Courts, and Environmental Crime: Fly-tipping, Fly-posting, Litter, Graffiti and Noise, HC 126 and HC 445, Session , (13 January 2005). Work and Pensions Committee, The Work of the Health and Safety Executive, HC 456, Session , (20 January 2005).

6 2 Minutes of Proceedings 3. Evidence to Select Committees Ordered, That the Chairmen of Select Committees keep the Chairman of the Liaison Committee informed as to any problems experienced in gaining access to papers, persons and records. (The Chairman.) Resolved, That the Liaison Committee s Annual Report should contain a section on Evidence to Select Committees. (The Chairman.) 4. Pre-legislative Scrutiny Ordered, That the Chairman write to the Leader of the House of Commons urging Government departments to give Committees an early sight of proposed draft bills. (The Chairman.) 5. Freedom of Information Act 2000 The Committee discussed a paper by the Clerks about the implications for Select Committees of the Freedom of Information Act. 6. Overseas Travel Resolved, That the Committee approves the following overseas visits: Defence Committee to New York and Washington, at a cost not exceeding 46,698; European Scrutiny Committee to Bulgaria and Romania, at a cost not exceeding 27,261; Foreign Affairs Committee to Brussels and Luxembourg, at a cost not exceeding 15,641; Foreign Affairs Committee to New York and Washington, at a cost not exceeding 44,836; Home Affairs Committee to Paris and the Hague, at a cost not exceeding 28,912; International Development Committee to South Africa and Sudan, at a cost not exceeding 59,483; International Development Committee to Iraq, at a cost not exceeding 24,510; Joint Committee on Human Rights to Strasbourg and Geneva, at a cost not exceeding 12,301; Modernisation Committee to Helsinki, at a cost not exceeding 16,333; Public Accounts Committee to Brussels and Luxembourg, at a cost not exceeding 15,293; Scottish Affairs Committee to Chicago and Seattle, at a cost not exceeding 51,345; Trade & Industry Committee to Copenhagen, at a cost not exceeding 12,277;

7 Minutes of Proceedings 3 Treasury Committee to China, at a cost not exceeding 47,603; Treasury Sub-Committee to Hungary and the Czech Republic, at a cost not exceeding 7,893; Welsh Affairs Committee to Belgium, Germany and Holland at a cost not exceeding 29,866. [Adjourned till Thursday 20 January 2005 at half-past Nine o clock. Thursday 20 January 2005 Members present: Mr Alan Williams, in the Chair Mrs Irene Adams Mr Peter Ainsworth Donald Anderson Tony Baldry Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Dr Ian Gibson Mr David Hinchliffe Mr Michael Jack Mr Robert Key Sir Archy Kirkwood Mr Edward Leigh Mr Michael Mates Mr Martin O Neill Mr Peter Pike Dame Marion Roe Mr David Tredinnick Sir Nicholas Winterton Tony Wright Sir George Young The Committee deliberated. 1. Debates in Westminster Hall The Committee agreed the Reports to be recommended for debate in Westminster Hall as follows: Health Committee, Obesity, HC 23, Session (10 February 2005). International Development Committee, Migration and Development: How to make migration work for poverty reduction, HC 79, Session (24 February). 2. Specialist Advisers Interests Resolved, That the Committee approves the proposal by the Chairman of the Standards and Privileges Committee that that committee provide clarification of the guidelines for declaration of interests by specialist advisers. (The Chairman.)

8 4 Minutes of Proceedings 3. Arrangements for the proposed evidence session with the Prime Minister The Committee discussed the structure and division of time between themes for the forthcoming oral evidence session with the Prime Minister. [Adjourned till Tuesday 8 February at a quarter to Nine o clock. Tuesday 8 February 2005 Members present: Mr Alan Williams, in the Chair Mr Peter Ainsworth Mr Richard Allan Tony Baldry Mr A J Beith Derek Conway Jean Corston Mr John Denham Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Mr Bruce George Dr Ian Gibson Mr David Hinchliffe Mr Jimmy Hood Mr Michael Jack Mr Robert Key Sir Archy Kirkwood Mr Edward Leigh Mr David Lepper Mr John McFall Mr Michael Mates Mr Peter Pike Dame Marion Roe Mr Barry Sheerman Mr David Tredinnick Sir Nicholas Winterton Tony Wright Sir George Young The Committee discussed the proposed line of questioning to the Prime Minister. 1. Evidence session with the Prime Minister The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Tony Blair, a Member of the House, was examined. [Adjourned till Thursday 3 March at half-past Nine o clock.

9 Minutes of Proceedings 5 Thursday 3 March 2005 Members present: Mr Alan Williams, in the Chair Mr Peter Ainsworth Derek Conway Mr John Denham Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Mr Bruce George Dr Ian Gibson Mr David Hinchliffe Mr Jimmy Hood Mr Michael Jack Mr Robert Key Mr Edward Leigh Mr Peter Pike Mr Barry Sheerman Sir Nicholas Winterton Sir George Young The Committee deliberated. 1. Estimates Day Ordered, That the Chairman do report to the House that the Liaison Committee has directed him to report the following recommendation for the allocation of time for the consideration of Estimates on an allotted day (being the first part of the second allotted day in the present Session of Parliament); That a day not later than 18 March be allotted for the consideration of the following Spring Supplementary Estimate for the financial year ; BBC. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in so far as it relates to the Future of the 2. Debates in Westminster Hall The Committee agreed the following Report to be recommended for debate in Westminster Hall: Science and Technology Committee: The use of Science in UK International Development Policy, HC 133, Session and HC 235, Session Annual Report of the Committee The Committee further deliberated. Draft Report (Annual Report for 2004), proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read. Ordered, That the Chairman s draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph. Paragraphs 1 to 132 read and agreed to. Several Papers were ordered to be appended to the Report.

10 6 Minutes of Proceedings Resolved, That the Report be the First Report of the Committee to the House. Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House. 4. Any Other Business Resolved, That it is desirable that a paper on media coverage of committee meetings should be considered in the next Parliament. [Adjourned till a date and time to be fixed by the Chairman.

11 Minutes of Proceedings 7 Proceedings of the Sub-Committee Tuesday 18 January 2005 Members present: Mr Alan Williams, in the Chair Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Sir Nicholas Winterton Sir George Young The Committee discussed the themes for the evidence session with the Prime Minister on 8 February. [Adjourned to a place and time to be fixed by the Chairman.