Business in Westminster Hall report published: Committee recommends practical change
13 October 2014
In a report published today, the Procedure Committee proposes changes to business in Westminster Hall which will streamline the existing rules and offer Members more flexibility. Westminster Hall has been described as a valuable way for backbenchers to hold the executive to account. The Procedure Committee agrees and has seen neither cause nor desire for root and branch reform. It has however identified ways in which procedures could be improved both for the benefit of Members and to assist public understanding.
Arrangement of debates
The Committee’s proposal of the introduction of an hour-long debating slot in Westminster Hall—in place of one of the current half-hour slots—is intended to provide a further timing option when applying for a debate and enable the participation of a larger number of Members. The Committee also recommends that the Monday e-petition debates and Thursday select committee and backbench business sittings be swapped to avoid the current clash of backbench business on a Thursday between the main chamber and Westminster Hall.
The trial of allocation of one 90-minute debate slot by the Backbench Business Committee has come to an end. The Committee considers the trial to have been a success and recommends that the Backbench Business Committee continue to be responsible for one 90-minute slot each week.
Finally the Committee proposes that Thursday’s sitting be brought forward by one hour to reduce incidents of Westminster Hall rising later than the main chamber.
Form of motion
The Committee considered the use of substantive motions in Westminster Hall but concluded that the provisions necessary to allow them would be unduly complicated. Nevertheless the Committee has recommended the end of the use of adjournment motions and their replacement with ‘general debate’ motions, “That this House has considered [a specified matter]”. This change, which mirrors the change already made for equivalent debates in the main chamber, is designed to aid public understanding of House procedures. Where the Liaison Committee desires it, the change will also enable more focussed motions relating to one or more select committee recommendations to be debated in Westminster Hall.
Other changes
Finally the Committee has proposed some technical changes; that the Chairman of Ways and Means have overall responsibility for all sittings in Westminster Hall; that the Chair have the power to suspend a sitting and report disorderly conduct to the House; and that unused provisions of the standing order governing business in Westminster Hall be repealed.
Charles Walker MP, Chair of the Procedure Committee, said:
“The changes we are recommending in this report are not radical. The evidence we received told us that Members are largely happy with the way Westminster Hall works and that they do not want it to be a replication of the main chamber.
“What we propose are some practical and sensible adjustments which tidy up our rules and make the most of Members’ debating time. We believe our reasonable proposals should receive widespread support and hope the House will be given the opportunity to agree them in time for implementation in the new Parliament.”
The Report can be downloaded for free from the Committee’s website, or it can be bought from the parliamentary bookshop (http://www.shop.parliament.uk/) and The Stationery Office (http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp).
FURTHER INFORMATION:
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