HC Deb 24 July 2000 vol 354 c382W
Mr. Gareth Thomas

To ask the President of the Council if she will set out the proposed terms of reference of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. [131597]

Mrs. Beckett

The proposed terms of reference for the Joint Committee on Human Rights will reflect those in the Message brought from the Lords and printed in the Votes and Proceedings for Wednesday 12 July.

Adapted for Commons usage they will be: The Committee shall consider

  1. (a) matters relating to human rights in the United Kingdom (but excluding consideration of individual cases);
  2. (b) proposals for remedial orders, draft remedial orders and remedial orders made under Section 10 of and laid under Schedule 2 to the Human Rights Act 1998; and
  3. (c) in respect of draft remedial orders and remedial orders, whether the special attention of the House should be drawn to them on any of the grounds specified in Standing Order No. 151 (Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee));
(3) The Committee shall report to the House
  1. (a) in relation to any document containing proposals laid before the House under paragraph 3 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether a draft order in the same terms as the proposals should be laid before the House; or
  2. (b) in relation to any draft order laid under paragraph 2 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether the draft order should be approved;
and the Committee may report to the House on any matter arising from its consideration of the said proposals or draft orders.
The Committee shall report to the House in respect of any original order laid under paragraph 4 of the said Schedule 2, its recommendation whether
  1. (a) the order should be approved in the form in which it was originally laid before Parliament; or
  2. (b) the order should be replaced by a new order modifying the provisions of the original order; or
  3. (c) the order should not be approved,
and the Committee may report to the House on any matter arising from its consideration of the said order or any replacement order.