§ The CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES (The Earl of Listowel)My Lords, in moving this Motion I should like to inform the House that if the Report is agreed to, the proposed new Standing Orders and the proposed amendments to Standing Orders Nos. 38 and 39 will be placed on the Order Paper for Thursday. My Lords, I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Third Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.—(The Earl of Listowel.)
§ The Report was as follows :
§ 1. Hybrid Instruments
§ Private Business Standing Order 216
§ The Committee have considered Private Business Standing Order 216 governing affirmative instruments which are hybrid. In doing so, they have taken into account the views expressed by the Joint Committee on Delegated Legislation. They recommend that the present Standing Order should be repealed and be replaced by a new Standing Order as set out in the Appendix.
§ Private Business Standing Order 216A
§ The Committee have also considered appropriate procedures for " expedited hybrid instruments " such as are provided for in section 1(7) of the Offshore Petroleum Development (Scotland) Act recently before Parliament. They recommend that the procedures contained in Private Business Standing Order 216 should be adapted to ensure that the proceedings on an "expedited hybrid instrument" are carried out as speedily as possible so as to be invariably completed within the prescribed period. They therefore recommend a new Private Business Standing Order 216A as set out in the Appendix.
§ Public Business Standing Order 67A
§ They further consider that the provision formerly contained in Private Business Standing Order 216 to prevent a Motion to approve an affirmative instrument being taken on the Floor of the House before the Statutory Instruments Committee have reported on it, should now be incorporated in a new Public Business Standing Order 67A. The Committee accordingly recommend that a new Standing Order be proposed to the House as set out in the Appendix.
§ 2. Taking the Oath
§ The Committee have considered the terms of Standing Order 39(5) which states that the Oath of Allegiance may be taken "at any convenient time during a sitting ". The practice of the House is that the Oath may be taken only at the beginning of business after Prayers or at the end of business immediately before the adjournment of the House, but the terms of the Standing Order do not reflect this practice.
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The Committee accordingly recommend that Standing Order 39(5) should be amended as follows:—
Leave out "but may be taken at any convenient time during a sitting" and insert " or at the end of business before the adjournment".
§ 3. Standing Order 38— Arrangement of the Order Paper
§ The Committee have considered the terms of Standing Order 38 which governs the arrangement of the Order Paper. They consider that the effect of paragraph (4) of the Standing Order is not clear in its application to Prayers to annul negative instruments.
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The Committee accordingly recemmend that paragraph (4) of the Standing Order should be repealed and be replaced by the following new paragraph: —
(4) On all sitting days except Wednesdays, notices and orders relating to Public Bills, Measures and Affirmative Instruments shall have precedence over other notices and orders save the foregoing: and on such days the precedence of notices and orders relating to Public Bills, Measures and Affirmative Instruments may be varied if the convenience of the House so requires.
§ 4.Companion to Standing Orders and Simple Guide
§ The Committee were informed by the Clerk of the Parliaments of the intention to revise the Companion to Standing Orders in the coming year and accordingly have appointed a Sub-Committee to supervise this revision.
§ The Committee were also informed that work was in hand on the Simple Guide which they had authorised. This too would be submitted to the SubCommittee.
§ 5.Deputy Chairman of Committees
§ The Committee consider that the post of Deputy Chairman of Committees, presently occupied by the Baroness Tweedsmuir of Belhelvie, should be distinguishable from the Deputy Chairmen who are members of the panel of Deputy Chairmen, chosen by the Committee of Selection each Session.
§ The Committee accordingly recommend that this post should be known as Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees.