HL Deb 08 June 1972 vol 331 c420

3.49 p.m.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I beg to move that the Sixth Report from the Select Committee on Procedure of the House be now considered.

Moved, That the Sixth Report from the Select Committee on Procedure of the House be now considered.—(The Earl of Listowel.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

The Committee's Report was as follows:

1. SHORT WEDNESDAY DEBATES

The Committee have considered the experimental short Wednesday Debates held in pursuance of the Second Report of the Procedure Committee of this Session. They recommend that the experiment should be continued in the next Session on the same lines as in the present Session (see Appendix). From the beginning of next Session until the Recess at Whitsun 1973 one Wednesday a month should be set aside for the purpose of Short Wednesday debates, but the actual dates should he arranged not more than a month in advance.

2. USE OE CLOCKS FOR TIMING SPEECHES IN THE CHAMBER

The Committee have considered the way in which the clocks should be used. They recommend that they should be principally used for those debates when lists of Speakers are issued. They should also be used to measure the total time taken for Starred Questions and Ministerial Statements. They should not be used for proceedings in Committee or on Report. Interruptions to a speech should count as part of the speech for the purposes of timing. The clocks could also be used for Divisions. The Committee recommend that the clocks should be operated by the Clerk at the Table.

The Procedure Committee will review the experiment in due course.

3. PROCEDURE ON THE CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS FROM SELECT COMMITTEES

The Committee have considered the procedure whereby two separate Motions are moved, when a Report from a Select Committee is considered and agreed to by the House.

They consider that the moving of two Motions on such occasions may lead to procedural difficulties and is a waste of the time of the House. They, therefore, recommend that the House should dispense with the Motion: "That this Report be now Considered"; and that one Motion only should be moved, namely:— That this Report be now agreed to".

Forward to