HL Deb 21 November 2001 vol 628 cc1135-6
The Chairman of Committees

My Lords, I beg to move the second Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Perhaps I should explain this matter a little more. The object of the Motion is to reduce the quorum for the Joint Committee of both Houses from three to two from each House.

A noble Lord

Why?

The Chairman of Committees

My Lords, thank you. Someone asks why. I shall attempt to give an answer. Let me say first that the quorum will apply only to those meetings where evidence is taken and where a transcript will be published. The problem is that the present quorum amounts to 50 per cent of the committee. That is a high quorum. There have been problems. If there are three Members of one House there and only one from the other the sitting has to be suspended. At the moment, we have the problem that one of the Members from this House has been ill and another has been sitting on the Stem Cell Research Committee. The committee times clash. Therefore, it was thought sensible—a similar Motion has already been moved in the Commons—that the quorum should be reduced to two on this occasion for this particular committee. I beg to move.

Moved, That the quorum of the Select Committee appointed to join with the Committee of the Commons as the Joint Committee on Human Rights be two for the purposes of taking evidence.—(The Chairman of Committees.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.