UK Parliament — House of Commons

Order ID:292

Known as:

Order numbers:

152J

Cite as

Current version

Date Title Text
2022 — 30th November 152J Backbench Business Committee (1) There shall be a select committee, called the Backbench Business Committee, to determine the backbench business to be taken in the House and in Westminster Hall on days, or parts of days, allotted for backbench business.
(2) The committee shall consist of a chair and seven other Members, of whom four shall be a quorum.
(3) The chair of the committee shall continue as chair for the remainder of the Session in which that person is elected as chair unless the chair is declared vacant by the Speaker under the provisions of Standing Order No. 122C (Resignation or removal of chairs of select committees) as applied by paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 122D (Election of chair of Backbench Business Committee).
(4) The chair of the committee shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 122D (Election of chair of Backbench Business Committee).
(5) No Member who is a Minister of the Crown or parliamentary private secretary or a principal opposition frontbench spokesperson shall be eligible to be the chair or a member of the committee: the Speaker's decision shall be final on such matters.
(6) The committee shall have power to invite Government officials to attend all or part of any of its meetings and to hear representations from Members of the House in public.
(7) The Committee shall have power to invite Members of the House who are not members of the Committee and who are of a party not represented on the Committee or of no party to attend its meetings and, at the discretion of the chair, take part in its proceedings, but-
(a) no more than one Member may be so invited to attend in respect of the same meeting;
(b) a Member so invited shall not move any motion or amendment to any motion, vote or be counted in the quorum.
(8) The committee shall determine the backbench business to be taken-
(a) in the House on any day, or any part of any day, allotted under paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business), and
(b) in Westminster Hall, in accordance with paragraph (7) of Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings in Westminster Hall),
and shall report its determinations to the House.

First appearance

2022 — 30th November 152J Backbench Business Committee (1) There shall be a select committee, called the Backbench Business Committee, to determine the backbench business to be taken in the House and in Westminster Hall on days, or parts of days, allotted for backbench business.
(2) The committee shall consist of a chair and seven other Members, of whom four shall be a quorum.
(3) The chair of the committee shall continue as chair for the remainder of the Session in which that person is elected as chair unless the chair is declared vacant by the Speaker under the provisions of Standing Order No. 122C (Resignation or removal of chairs of select committees) as applied by paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 122D (Election of chair of Backbench Business Committee).
(4) The chair of the committee shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 122D (Election of chair of Backbench Business Committee).
(5) No Member who is a Minister of the Crown or parliamentary private secretary or a principal opposition frontbench spokesperson shall be eligible to be the chair or a member of the committee: the Speaker's decision shall be final on such matters.
(6) The committee shall have power to invite Government officials to attend all or part of any of its meetings and to hear representations from Members of the House in public.
(7) The Committee shall have power to invite Members of the House who are not members of the Committee and who are of a party not represented on the Committee or of no party to attend its meetings and, at the discretion of the chair, take part in its proceedings, but-
(a) no more than one Member may be so invited to attend in respect of the same meeting;
(b) a Member so invited shall not move any motion or amendment to any motion, vote or be counted in the quorum.
(8) The committee shall determine the backbench business to be taken-
(a) in the House on any day, or any part of any day, allotted under paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business), and
(b) in Westminster Hall, in accordance with paragraph (7) of Standing Order No. 10 (Sittings in Westminster Hall),
and shall report its determinations to the House.