HOUSE OF COMMONS (ADMINISTRATION) BILL (Hansard, 11 July 1978)

§ Lord PEART

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I shall not take long over this as it is a matter for another place, but I thought that I would explain, quickly and shortly, what the Bill does.

The general purpose of the measure before us is to establish a new statutory framework for the staffing and administrative arrangements of the other place. The new House of Commons Commission, which it would establish, will supersede the present Commission established under the 1812 House of Commons Offices Act. Under the chairmanship of the Speaker the Commission is to become the single 1454 statutory employer of staff in the Departments of the House of Commons. Within the enabling provisions of the Bill, an administrative framework will be established for the development of a unified House of Commons Service.

The Bill follows recommendations made in 1975 by a Speaker's Committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Arthur Bottomley. This Committee had been asked to examine the recommendations made by Sir Edmund Compton for the reorganisation of the structure of the services and Departments of the House. It had been felt that there was a need to bring the several Departments together into a more unified structure, and so to provide the means for a more co-ordinated and flexible staffing policy. The legislation has been confined to the minimum necessary to establish the new Commission, and to enable it to consider the more detailed proposals made in the report.

I should like to turn to look quickly at some of the clauses. Clause 1 provides for the establishment and membership of the new Commission. It will have six members: the Speaker, as chairman; the Leader of the House of Commons; a Member nominated by the Opposition; and three other non-ministerial Members of the House of Commons. Clause 2 defines in general terms the Commission's functions and its responsibilities with regard to staff. Clause 3 provides, inter alia, that the Commission will in future be responsible, instead of a Treasury Minister, for presenting annual Estimates in respect of the expenses of the Departments of the House of Commons.

Clause 4 defines what is meant by "House Departments" in the Bill, and provides for the possible application of provisions in the Bill to staff, such as refreshment staff, who are employed in the House but who are not members of a House Department. Schedule 1 deals with a number of detailed matters regarding the membership and procedure of the Commission. Schedule 2 is primarily concerned with the application of employment legislation to House of Commons staff.

I referred earlier to the provision in Clause 3 of the Bill that the new Commission will become responsible for the presentation of the Estimates for the 1455 expenses of House Departments. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Privy Council Office undertook during the Report stage of this Bill in another place that a Statement would be made by the Government at a later stage to explain the significance of this.

At present the whole House of Commons Estimates are presented by a Treasury Minister. Under the provisions of the Bill, that part of the present House of Commons Estimates which covers Members' pay, allowances and pensions will be presented by a Treasury Minister as at present, but it will be the new House of Commons Commission, and not a Treasury Minister, that will be responsible, from 1979–80 onwards, for the preparation and laying before the House of Commons of that part of the present Estimate which relates to the expenses of House Departments and certain other expenses. Broadly speaking, these are staffing costs. But it is also provided that, at the Commission's discretion, this Estimate could in future cover any other expenses incurred for the service of the House of Commons". It could, for example, cover items on the existing House of Commons Vote—for example, certain Refreshment Department costs—or additional matters such as House printing expenses if the Commission so decided.

Apart from this change the Estimate will not be dealt with in any special way. This Estimate will continue to be presented by command of Her Majesty. The name of a member of the House of Commons Commission will, however, replace that of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the presentation slip sent to the Public Bill Office of the House of Commons. The expenditure will still require the authorisation of the House of Commons in an appropriate Supply Resolution and in the ensuing Consolidated Fund Bill.

It is intended that the present procedure, whereby increases in House expenditure which would involve a grant or charge on the public revenue cannot be proposed without the agreement of Ministers, who will, of course, have regard to the public expenditure implications, will remain unchanged. House of Commons expenditure will continue to count as public expenditure within the framework of the Public Expenditure Survey. This provision 1456 in the Bill, which was initiated by Treasury Ministers, does nevertheless represent a step in the direction of greater independence for the House of Commons over its own affairs.

This Bill deals solely with staff in the House of Commons. It has nothing to do with the staff of this House. This House is entirely autonomous in this matter, and while I am sure the results of this legislation will be followed by those responsible here with great interest, there is no link between the two Houses in this respect. We have, of course, had our own inquiries here recently.

I hope that this Bill will be accepted on all sides here as uncontroversial and as being concerned with another place. While recognising that the Bill is not directly concerned with your Lordships' House, I would hope nevertheless that its aims will commend themselves to your Lordships. It is the Government's aim in this legislation to foster co-ordination of Departmental services in the House of Commons; to provide the framework for a unified staffing policy; and to assist in the development at all levels of proper staff consultative procedures. In so far as these developments will, I believe, conduce to the maintenance and improvement of the services of the other House, they will serve to promote the efficiency and good staff working relationships of Parliament as a whole. As such I commend the Bill to this House. My Lords, I beg to move.