HC Deb 16 July 2001 vol 372 cc21-3 3.31 pm
Mrs. Jackie Lawrence (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will be aware that the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) tabled an amendment that names me. He did not seek my consent before tabling it. I understand that he has withdrawn it, but can you advise whether it is in order for a Member to table an amendment without seeking the named Member's consent and whether that conforms with the normal courtesies of the House?

Mr. Speaker

Members seeking to amend these motions should ensure that their amendments conform with the provision of Standing Order No. 121(1). That requires the proposer of the amendment to endeavour to find out previously whether each Member he is proposing to add to the Committee is willing to serve. From what the hon. Lady says, it appears that the right hon. and learned Gentleman did not seek to secure her agreement. I deprecate his actions, which I regard as a discourtesy to her and to the House.

Mr. Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the fact that the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham has done this about 20 times, surely he has multiplied his discourtesies to such an extent that some form of friendly but disciplinary action ought to be taken?

Mr. Speaker

I need to inform the right hon. and learned Gentleman only once and I hope that that will be the last occasion that it ever happens.

Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. A week ago in the Chamber, we had a Second Reading debate on the Export Control Bill. Several hon. Members protested because certain documents were not made available until the last minute. There was great concern that, although one of the most important aspects of the Quadripartite Committee recommendations was prior scrutiny, no Government response was made in the debate. The response came late on Thursday and rejected prior scrutiny.

The debate on Monday would have been very different had we known that that was to be the Government response and it is difficult for us to agree to proceed on Second Reading unless we possess all the facts. I ask you to protect the rights of Back Benchers.

Mr. Speaker

I am sure that Front Benchers will have heard what the hon. Lady has had to say.

Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On motions, what recourse is open to Members who table an amendment that appears to be in order and that has the support of many hon. Members on both sides of the House but is not selected for debate? We have before us motions that are invidious in that they propose that individuals be taken off Committees only to allow others to go on to them. Is not there a case for you to reconsider your ruling, given the number of Members who supported my amendment?

Mr. Speaker

There is no case. I have the final decision in these matters, and that is the end of it.

Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. It might be helpful if you were to tell the House whether you would consider requests for separate and individual votes on the motions on different Committees. If the House were able to do that, as I suspect that it is entitled to, and express a view on the membership of individual Committees, that would go some way towards helping the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice).

Mr. Speaker

If hon. Members will be patient, I shall make a statement along those lines.

Mrs. Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. With reference to your comments a few moments ago, may I inform the House that the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham did not seek my permission or communicate with me before tabling his amendment, which appears on today's Order Paper? Is that amendment in order?

Mr. Speaker

I have a statement to make, which may clarify matters for the hon. Lady.

Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. One of the amendments that you have selected is the very amendment that refers to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs. Ellman). Does that create a problem? You have said that tabling amendments without contacting the Member concerned is not a smart thing to do—it is unpleasant. However, that amendment has been selected, whereas other amendments that would have captured our attention and taken personality out of the issue have not been selected. Dare I say that that is not very clever?

Mr. Speaker

Difficult decisions had to be made on whether to accept amendments. I shall be making a statement that may clarify matters.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I make it absolutely clear that I would never support an amendment to remove my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Riverside from the Committee? She is a most useful, brilliant and hard-working member of the Committee, and contributes enormously to its work.

Mr. Frank Field (Birkenhead)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. It was because of these problems that I tabled amendments regarding two of the Committees that did not name particular Members to be taken off, but instead asked the Committee of Selection to reconsider the whole of the membership of Select Committees and to report back quickly to the House with a new list of names after it had listened to our debate.

Mr. Speaker

It is a difficult issue. All the motions before us refer to Members by name, so it is inevitable that some amendments remove Members from Committees and replace them with others.

Mr. Field

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Gentleman is in danger of arguing the case for his amendment.

Mr. Field

I was not trying to single out any name or group of names. I was merely proposing that the Committee of Selection be asked to consider the whole membership and to report back. It may decide to propose the same group of names after listening to our debate. I was not trying to put the House in the position of having to pick off individuals Members to bring greater justice to other Members.

Mr. Speaker

In that case, the right hon. Gentleman can vote against the motion and allow the Committee of Selection to do exactly that.

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the enormous interest in the House and among the public about the arrangements for appointments to Select Committees, and given the undue haste with which they have been made, can you advise what procedures are available to delay the whole issue? As my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) said, the Committee of Selection could come up with some new, more representative names that, I hope, would be more democratically chosen than those currently proposed.

Mr. Speaker

The procedure would be to vote against the motions before us.