Fixed-term Parliaments Bill: committee stage
30 March 2011
The House of Lords sat until 1.02am this morning (Wednesday 30 March) to complete the committee stage of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill.
The House agreed without voting to amendments that would prevent the general elections for the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly of Wales from being held on the same date as the general election for the UK Parliament. The remaining clauses in the Bill were also agreed to.
- Watch the debate: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill committee stage: day three
- Watch the debate: report stage continued
- Lords Hansard: Read a transcript of the debate
- Lords Hansard: debate continued
- Third Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 25 March 2011
The Government minister, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, moved amendments 55B and 55C on the dates for the general elections for the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly of Wales.
Clause 2: Early parliamentary general elections, Clause 3: Dissolution of Parliament, and clauses 4 and 5 concerning supplementary and final provisions, were agreed to.
A date for report stage has not yet been scheduled.
Committee stage: day two
Amendments discussed on Monday 21 March covered clauses 1 and 2, relating to proposals for the date of the next election and the length of a parliament.
- Watch the debate: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill committee stage, day two
- Read a transcript of the debate
Committee stage: day one
Members of the Lords discussed amendments 1 to 5 concerning Clause 1: Polling days for parliamentary general elections on Tuesday 15 March.
- Watch the debate: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill committee stage, day one
- Watch the debate: committee stage continued
- Lords Hansard: Read a transcript of the debate
- Lords Hansard: debate continued
- Amendments to be moved in Committee [supplementary to the Marshalled List] as at 14 March 2011
- Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 11 March 2011
Further information
The Bill, which started its passage through Parliament in the House of Commons, sets a fixed day for general elections for the UK Parliament to be held as the first Thursday in May every five years, and sets the length of UK Parliaments as a five-year fixed term.
The Bill completed second reading in the Lords on Tuesday 1 March. Lord Cormack made his maiden speech during debate.
- Bills before Parliament: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill
- Lords news: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill second reading
The Fixed-term Parliaments Bill has been the subject of House of Lords select committee reports. The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee published a report on 10 February 2011. The Constitution Committee published its report on 16 December 2010.
- Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee: Tenth Report of Session 2010-11
- Constitution Committee: Eighth Report of Session 2010-11
Detailed line by line examination of the separate parts (clauses and schedules) of the Bill takes place during committee stage.