HC Deb 29 November 2000 vol 357 c978 4.17 pm
Mr. Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I seek your guidance on the way in which the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill is to be dealt with today? There are 666 Government amendments. Their groupings follow the practice that was adopted in the House of Lords. That process was condemned during discussion of the Bill in the other place, as there was a complete muddle in chronological sequence and in the items under discussion. Not only must items further down the list be voted on together with previous ones—that is often customary—but there is no chronological sequence for consideration. In those circumstances, is it in order for our approach to be changed and for us to vote on the groupings as they appear on the selection list?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman gave me notice of that point of order. The grouping of Lords amendments is a matter for the Member in charge of the Bill. We must proceed through the amendments in numerical order as they stand in the Bill, unless the House has ordered otherwise. It has not done so in this case.