§ Motion made, and Question put.
§
That—
(1) A special standing committee to which a bill has been committed under the provisions of Standing Order No. 40 (Committal of bills) shall have power during a period not exceeding 28 days, excluding periods when the House is adjourned for more than two days, from the committal of the bill, to send for persons, papers and records and to hold up to four morning sittings of not more than two and a half hours each. The first such sitting shall be in private and the remainder, which shall be for the purpose of hearing oral evidence, shall be in public. The oral evidence shall be printed in the Official Report together with such written evidence as the committee may order to be so printed.
(2) For the sittings referred to in paragraph (1) of this Order, and notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 61(1) (Chairmen of standing committees) and Standing Order No. 65(1) (Procedure in standing committees)—
- (i) Mr. Speaker shall appoint any Member other than a Minister of the Crown as chairman of a special standing committee;
- (ii) The chairman shall be included in calculating the quorum of the committee.
(3) When a special standing committee has completed consideration of a Bill, the chairman shall put the question, That I do report the Bill to the House unless a Minister of the Crown shall move 'That the Committee do836
§ now adjourn'. It such a motion is made, the question thereon shall be put forthwith and, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 64 (Meetings of standing committees), may be decided after One o'clock.
§ (4) If the question is agreed to, the committee shall meet again on the day and at the hour named by the chairman to consider any amendments which may be moved by a Minister of the Crown which
- (a) arise from undertakings given by Ministers of the Crown during previous sittings of the committee;
- (b) are consequent upon previous decisions of the committee;
- (c) have been shown to be necessary during the committee's proceedings.
§ (5) If the proceedings have not been concluded before the end of two and a half hours the Chairman shall interrupt them and put the question 'That I do report the Bill to the House', unless on a motion made by a Minister of the Crown, on which the question shall be put forthwith, the Committee agree that further consideration of the Bill be adjourned, or that the debate be adjourned.
§ (6) The day and hour of any further sitting shall be named by the chairman, and the provisions of paragraph (5) shall apply thereto.
§ (7) Except as provided in the foregoing paragraphs, the Standing Orders relating to standing committees shall apply to any special standing committee.
§ That this be a Standing Order of the House until the end of the next session of Parliament.—[Mr. St. John-Stevas.]
§ The House divided Ayes 141, Noes 11.
837| Division No. 482 | AYES | [10.00 p.m. |
| Archer, Rt Hon Peter | Eyre, Reginald | Lamont, Norman |
| Atkins, Rt Hon H. (Spelthorne) | Fairbairn, Nicholas | Lester, Jim (Beeston) |
| Baker, Kenneth (St. Marylebone) | Fairgrieve, Russell | Lloyd, Ian (Havant & Waterloo) |
| Baker, Nicholas (North Dorset) | Faith, Mrs Shelia | Lloyd, Peter (Fareham) |
| Beith, A. J. | Fenner, Mrs Peggy | Loveridge, John |
| Bennett, Sir Frederic (Torbay) | Finsberg, Geoffrey | Luce, Richard |
| Best, Keith | Fisher, Sir Nigel | Lyell, Nicholas |
| Blackburn, John | Forman, Nigel | Macfarlane, Neil |
| Blaker, Peter | Fowler, Rt Hon Norman | McKay, Allen (Penistone) |
| Boscawen, Hon Robert | Fox, Marcus | Marshall, Michael (Arundel) |
| Boyson, Dr Rhodes | Gardiner, George (Reigate) | Marten, Neil (Banbury) |
| Brinton, Tim | Garel-Jones, Tristan | Mather, Carol |
| Brittan, Leon | Goodhart, Philip | Maude, Rt Hon Angus |
| Brooke, Hon Peter | Gow, Ian | Maxwell-Hyslop, Robin |
| Browne, John (Winchester) | Gray, Hamish | Meyer, Sir Anthony |
| Bryan, Sir Paul | Hampson, Dr Keith | Milian, Rt Hon Bruce |
| Carlisle, Rt Hon Mark (Runcorn) | Haselhurst, Alan | Mills, Iain (Meriden) |
| Chalker, Mrs. Lynda | Havers, Rt Hon Sir Michael | Mitchell, R. C. (Solon, Itchen) |
| Channon, Rt Hon Paul | Hayhoe, Barney | Monro, Hector |
| Clark, Hon Alan (Plymouth, Sutton) | Haynes, Frank | Moore, John |
| Clarke, Kenneth (Rushcliffe) | Heddle, John | Morgan, Geraint |
| Colvin, Michael | Hogg, Hon Douglas (Grantham) | Morris, Rt Hon Alfred (Wythenshaw) |
| Cope, John | Hooley, Frank | Morris, Rt Hon Charles (Openshaw) |
| Craigen, J. M. (Glasgow, Maryhill) | Howe, Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey | Neale, Gerrard |
| Cunningham, George (Islington S) | Howell, Rt Hon David (Guildford) | Needham, Richard |
| Davis, Terry (B'rm'ham, Stechford) | Howell, Ralph (North Norfolk) | Nelson, Anthony |
| Deakins, Eric | Howells, Geraint | Neubert, Michael |
| Dean, Paul (North Somerset) | Hunt, David (Wirral) | Nott, Rt Hon John |
| Douglas-Hamilton, Lord James | Hurd, Hon Douglas | Page, John (Harrow, West) |
| Douglas-Mann, Bruce | Jenkin, Rt Hon Patrick | Palmer, Arthur |
| du Cann, Rt Hon Edward | Jopling, Rt Hon Michael | Parris, Matthew |
| Dunn, Robert (Dartford) | Joseph, Rt Hon Sir Keith | Patten, Christopher (Bath) |
| Dunwoody, Hon Mrs Gwyneth | Kershaw, Anthony | Penhaligon, David |
| Durant, Tony | King, Rt Hon Tom | Percival, Sir Ian |
| English, Michael | Knight, Mrs Jill | Powell, Raymond (Ogmore) |
| Pym, Rt Hon Francis | Speed, Keith | Watson, John |
| Raison, Timothy | Speller, Tony | Wells, Bowen (Hert'rd & Stev'nage) |
| Rees, Rt Hon Merlyn (Leeds South) | Stanbrook, Ivor | Whitelaw, Rt Hon William |
| Rees, Peter (Dover and Deal) | Steel, Rt Hon David | Whitney, Raymond |
| Rhodes James, Robert | Stevens, Martin | Wickenden, Keith |
| Ridley, Hon Nicholas | Stewart, Ian (Hitchin) | Wiggin, Jerry |
| Rifkind, Malcolm | Stradling Thomas, J. | Wilson, Gordon (Dundee East) |
| Roberts, Michael (Cardiff NW) | Tebbit, Norman | Woolmer, Kenneth |
| Roberts, Wyn (Conway) | Thatcher, Rt Hon Mrs Margaret | Young, Sir George (Acton) |
| Sainsbury, Hon Timothy | Townend, John (Bridlington) | |
| St. John-Stevas, Rt Hon Norman | Vaughan, Dr Gerard | TELLERS FOR THE AYES: |
| Shepherd, Richard (Aldridge-Br'hills) | Waddington, David | Mr. Spencer Le Marchant and |
| Sims, Roger | Wakeham, John | Mr. Antony Berry |
| Spearing, Nigel | ||
| NOES | ||
| Body, Richard | Page, Rt Hon Sir Graham (Crosby) | Winterton, Nicholas |
| Brown, Michael (Brigg & Sc'thorpe) | Powell, Rt Hon J. Enoch (S Down) | |
| George, Bruce | Proctor, K Harvey | TELLERS FOR THE NOES: |
| Molyneaux, James | Taylor, Teddy (Southend East) | Mr. Marcus Kimball and |
| Murphy, Christopher | Wheeler, John | Mr. David Crouch |
§ Question accordingly agreed to.