Fixed-term Parliaments Bill report published
10 September 2010
In a report published today MPs conclude that the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill addresses an issue of acknowledged political concern, but is unnecessarily rushed and raises a number of legal and constitutional questions
- Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
- Report: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill
- Bills before Parliament: Fixed-term Parliaments Bill 2010-11
Graham Allen MP, Chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, said,
"The severe lack of time which the Committee has had to scrutinise this important Bill, which addresses such a fundamental issue as when people get to vote, is not only frustrating but very disappointing.
"The Bill sits in complex legal territory and has suffered as a result of a scrutiny bypass."
The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee says a Bill of such legal and constitutional sensitivity should be published in draft for rigorous pre-legislative scrutiny.
The Committee’s report also looks at some of the detail of the Bill.
Length of the fixed-term
On the issue of fixed parliamentary terms, most of the opinion received by the Committee suggests a four year term, rather than the five years proposed by the Government.
Early election
The Committee warns that provisions in the Bill for ending a fixed term prematurely raise uncertainties and that ways to simplify the provisions should be explored. The Committee suggests options for consideration:
- Keep the clock ticking so a new government, elected following an early general election, would only last for as long as the remainder of the term of the previous Parliament
- Ensure that early general elections could be called only with cross-party agreement.
Parliamentary privilege
The Committee asks the Government to respond to the concerns expressed by the Clerk of the House about the impact of the Bill on parliamentary privilege.