MPs vote for Commons reform
5 March 2010 (updated on 22 April 2010)
MPs debated and voted for Commons reform based on the recent report, 'Rebuilding the House', from the Reform of the House of Commons Select Committee, chaired by Dr Tony Wright MP
- Video and Audio: Rebuilding the House debate
- Commons Hansard: Rebuilding the House debate 4 March 2010
- Commons Hansard: Rebuilding the House debate 22 February 2010
- Reform of the House of Commons Committee
- Report: Rebuilding the House
Background
On this occasion MPs considered amendments and voted on the propositions put forward in the report. This is the second time the report has been debated: the first was on 22 February on the general principles.
The following proposals have now been passed by MPs
- select committee chairmen will be elected by the House at the start of every Parliament
- members of select committees will be chosen by their parties in a secret ballot
- creation of a Backbench Business Committee in time for the next Parliament to timetable non-government business
- establishing during the next Parliament a House Business Committee comprising the backbench business committee and representatives of Government and Opposition which, while guaranteeing that Government has the time and first choice of dates to get its legislative programme through, would improve scheduling of business to ensure more effective scrutiny of legislation at Report Stage and consideration of Lords Amendments
- MPs from the start of the next Parliament to elect the three deputy speakers. Up until now they have been appointed