Reform of Ministerial statements
21 July 2010 (updated on 21 July 2010)
The House of Commons debated and agreed to a motion on 20 July 2010 on behalf of the Backbench Business Committee. The motion invites the Procedure Committee to consider how the rules of the Commons could be better used or, if necessary, changed to ensure compliance with the principle that Government Ministers make statements to the House of Commons before they are made elsewhere.
- Video and Audio: Information for Backbenchers on Statements
- Commons Hansard: Information for Backbenchers on Statements
- About Parliament: Debates
- About Parliament: Ministerial statements
- Backbench Business Committee
- Procedure Committee
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee is responsible for scheduling debates on 35 days during the current session, at least 27 of which will be debates in the main chamber of the House of Commons, with the remainder to be taken in Westminster Hall.
The Committee determined that the first debate to be held in backbench time this session would be on the subject of Information for Backbenchers on Statements.
The Committee chose this subject because the disclosure of information on key policy announcements to the media before its announcement in Parliament by present and previous administrations has affected the work of backbenchers in holding the Government to account.