Houses of Parliament: Joint Committee Reports

HL Deb 25 October 2004 vol 665 c109WA

Lord Acton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have set a time limit for replying to the reports of Joint Committees of the Houses of Parliament, as they have with the reports of Select Committees of each House. [HL4435]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The guidance issued to departments in the Cabinet Office'sGuide to Legislative Procedures, states that the target of response within two months, as is usual for Commons committees, should apply to reports of Joint Committees on draft Bills, though it notes that the committee may be willing to allow longer, perhaps to fit in with the timetable for introduction of the Bill.

In the case of other Joint Committees, similarly, the Government consider that the two-month target should apply, unless a longer timetable is agreed with the committee.