House of Commons Modernisation — 20 Nov 2000

I beg to move,

That this House approves the Third Report on Thursday Sittings (HC 954) and the Fourth Report on Sittings in Westminster Hall (HC 906) of the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons.

That, from the next Session of Parliament until the end of the first Session of the next Parliament, the Standing Orders and practice of the House shall have effect subject to the modifications set out below:

A. (1) The House shall meet on Thursdays at half-past Eleven o'clock, and will first proceed with private business, motions for unopposed returns and questions;

(2) proceedings on business on Thursdays shall be interrupted at Seven o'clock; and

(3) in their application to Thursday sittings of the House, reference to a specified time in the Standing Orders shall be interpreted as reference to a time three hours before the time so specified, save that reference to half-past Ten o'clock shall be substituted for reference to Twelve o'clock in Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration).

B. Standing committees shall have leave to sit at any hour and notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, subject to the following provisions:

(a) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the House is sitting, no standing committee sitting at Westminster shall sit between the hours of One o'clock and half-past Three o'clock, except as provided in paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 88 (Meetings of standing committees); and

(b) on Thursdays when the House is sitting, no standing committees sitting at Westminster shall sit between the hours of twenty-five minutes past Eleven o'clock and half-past Twelve o'clock, except as provided in paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 88 (Meetings of

That, from the next session of Parliament until the end of the first Session of the next Parliament, the Standing Orders and practice of the House shall have effect subject to the modifications set out below:

(1) On days on which the House shall sit after an address has been agreed to in answer to Her Majesty's Speech there shall be a sitting in Westminster Hall--

(a) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between half-past Nine o'clock and Two o'clock; and

(b) on Thursdays beginning at half-past Two o'clock and continuing for up to three hours (and in calculating that period no account shall be taken of any period during which the sitting may be suspended owing to a division being called in the House or a committee of the whole House).

(2) Any Member of the House may take part in a sitting in Westminster Hall.

(3) Subject to paragraph (13) below, the business taken at any sitting in Westminster Hall shall be such as the Chairman of Ways and Means shall appoint.

(4) The Chairman of Ways and Means or a Deputy Chairman shall take the chair in Westminster Hall as Deputy Speaker; and the House may appoint not more than four other members of the Chairmen's Panel to sit in Westminster Hall as Deputy Speaker.

(5) Any member of the Chairmen's Panel may also take the chair at a sitting in Westminster Hall when so requested by the Chairman of Ways and Means, with the duties and powers conferred on additional Deputy Speakers; and Members so appointed shall be addressed by name.

(6) Any order made or resolution come to at a sitting in Westminster Hall (other than a resolution to adjourn) shall be reported to the House by the Deputy Speaker and shall be deemed to be an order or resolution of the House.

(7) If a motion be made by a Minister of the Crown that an order of the day be proceeded with at a sitting in Westminster Hall, the question thereon shall be put forthwith, but such motion may be made only with the leave of the House and may not be made on a Friday.

(8) The quorum at a sitting in Westminster Hall shall be three.

(9) If at a sitting in Westminster Hall the opinion of the Deputy Speaker as to the decision of a question (other than a question for adjournment) is challenged, that question shall not be decided, and the Deputy Speaker shall report to the House accordingly; and any such question shall be put forthwith upon a motion being made in the House.

(10) If any business other than a motion for adjournment is under consideration at a sitting in Westminster Hall, and not fewer than six Members rise in their places and signify their objection to further proceedings, that business shall not be further proceeded with in Westminster Hall, and the Deputy Speaker shall report to the House accordingly, and any order under paragraph (7) above relating thereto shall be discharged.

(11) At the end of each sitting in Westminster Hall, unless a question for adjournment has previously been agreed to, the Deputy Speaker shall adjourn the sitting without putting any question; and proceedings on any business which has been entered upon but not disposed of shall lapse.

(12) The provisions of Standing Orders No. 29 (Powers of chair to propose question), No. 36 (Closure of debate), No. 37 (Majority for closure or proposal of question), No. 38 (Procedure on divisions), No. 39 (Voting), No. 40 (Division unnecessarily claimed), No. 41 (Quorum), No. 43 (Disorderly conduct), No. 44 (Order in debate), No. 45 (Members suspended, &c. to withdraw from precincts), No. 45A (Suspension of salary of Members suspended) and No. 163 (Motions to sit in private) shall not apply to sittings in Westminster Hall.

(13) In each Session, the Speaker shall appoint not more than six Thursdays on which the business to be taken in Westminster Hall should be debates on select committee reports chosen by the Liaison Committee.

(14) The House shall meet on Wednesdays at half-past Two o'clock, and paragraphs (1) and (2) of Standing Order No. 9 (Sittings of the House) shall have effect on Wednesdays; and Standing Order No. 10 shall not have effect.

there are some Members who for years have been used to a full traditional Parliamentary day until 10.00 pm on a Thursday and who find the experiment not to their liking.

Flexibility is of the essence in Westminster Hall.

non-controversial business agreed through the usual channels which at present finds no place whatsoever in the time of the House

The Committee may also consider whether all sitting days should start in the morning and conclude by 5 pm or 6 pm. While this might suit those Members whose constituencies and homes are within easy distance of London, there are many Members who would not be able to get home each evening however early the House rose. In this respect the House is not like most other organisations. MPs have to work both in London and in their constituencies.

It will be up to the Committee to balance these competing interests, but the Government is not persuaded that a change of sitting hours to normal office hours is in the best interests of the House, individual Members or the Government.

Normal procedure at meetings is that the Minister or Ministers make a statement and then answer questions (for up to one hour or, if the Chairman sees fit, for 1½ hours), following which the motion is debated.

the era of pure representative democracy is coming to an end.

The Chamber's primacy as a forum for political debate . . . is now being challenged by the media, the judges, a devolved parliament and Europe.

The failure to recall Parliament during the fuel crisis of September 2000 was interpreted by many commentators as evidence of its irrelevance and the extent to which direct action has now superseded parliamentary representation.

The crisis illustrated the problem for Parliament. The chamber's work can often appear irrelevant to most voters. It rarely sets the day's news agenda and is often slow to respond to issues of public concern.

has serious implications for democracy.

Let us make a start by remembering that the function of Parliament is to hold the Executive to account . . . That is the role for which history has cast the Commons.--[ Official Report , 26 July 2000; Vol. 354, c. 1114.]

Parliament is one of the most important things in our democratic country. We must protect it; we must improve it. We must take back the power that others seek to take away from us.--[ Official Report , 23 October 2000; Vol. 355, c. 34.]

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House approves the Third Report on Thursday Sittings (HC 954) and the Fourth Report on Sittings in Westminster Hall (HC 906) of the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons.

THURSDAY SITTINGS AND STANDING COMMITTEES

Question put:--

The House divided: Ayes 275, Noes 22.

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All Votes Cast - sorted by constituency

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party are marked in red. Also shows which MPs were ministers at the time of this vote. You can also see every eligible MP including those who did not vote in this division.

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Frank DoranAberdeen CentralLabaye
Mr Barry JonesAlyn and DeesideLabaye
Mrs Ray MichieArgyll and ButeLDemaye
Margaret HodgeBarkingLab (minister)aye
Eric IllsleyBarnsley CentralLabaye
Jeff EnnisBarnsley East and MexboroughLabaye
Michael ClaphamBarnsley West and PenistoneLabaye
John HuttonBarrow and FurnessLab (minister)aye
Angela SmithBasildonLabaye
Don FosterBathLDem (front bench)aye
Patrick HallBedfordLabaye
Martin SmythBelfast SouthUUPno
Alan BeithBerwick-upon-TweedLDem (front bench)aye
Ms Oona KingBethnal Green and BowLab (minister)aye
Mr Nigel BeardBexleyheath and CrayfordLabaye
Gisela StuartBirmingham, EdgbastonLab (minister)aye
Steve McCabeBirmingham, Hall GreenLab (minister)aye
Mr Terry DavisBirmingham, Hodge HillLabaye
Richard BurdenBirmingham, NorthfieldLabaye
Mr Jeff RookerBirmingham, Perry BarrLab (minister)aye
Lynne JonesBirmingham, Selly OakLabaye
Roger GodsiffBirmingham, Sparkbrook and Small HeathLabaye
Gordon MarsdenBlackpool SouthLab (minister)aye
Mr Llew SmithBlaenau GwentLabaye
Mr John McWilliamBlaydonLabaye
Ronnie CampbellBlyth ValleyLab (minister)aye
Dennis SkinnerBolsoverLab (minister)aye
Brian IddonBolton South EastLabaye
Joe BentonBootleLabaye
Andrew MacKayBracknellConno
Gerry SutcliffeBradford SouthLab (minister)aye
Marsha SinghBradford WestLabaye
Mr Alan HurstBraintreeLabaye
Barry GardinerBrent NorthLab (minister)aye
Mr Paul BoatengBrent SouthLab (minister)aye
Ann KeenBrentford and IsleworthLabaye
Mr Win GriffithsBridgendLabaye
Ian CawseyBrigg and GooleLabaye
Desmond TurnerBrighton, KemptownLabaye
David LepperBrighton, PavilionLabaye
Ms Jean CorstonBristol EastLabaye
Doug NaysmithBristol North WestLabaye
Dawn PrimaroloBristol SouthLab (minister)aye
Mrs Valerie DaveyBristol WestLabaye
Eric ForthBromley and ChislehurstContellno
John BercowBuckinghamCon (front bench)no
Mr Peter PikeBurnleyLabaye
Janet DeanBurtonLabaye
Chris McCaffertyCalder ValleyLabaye
Mrs Anne CampbellCambridgeLabaye
Julie MorganCardiff NorthLabaye
Alun MichaelCardiff South and PenarthLabaye
Dr Alan WilliamsCarmarthen East and DinefwrLabaye
Nick AingerCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireLabaye
Tom BrakeCarshalton and WallingtonLDem (front bench)aye
Mrs Christine ButlerCastle PointLabaye
Mr Simon ThomasCeredigionPCaye
Jonathan R ShawChatham and AylesfordLabaye
Mr Nigel JonesCheltenhamLDem (front bench)aye
Sir Sydney ChapmanChipping BarnetConno
Christine RussellCity of ChesterLabaye
Mr Gerry SteinbergCity of DurhamLabaye
Hugh BayleyCity of YorkLab (minister)aye
Shona McIsaacCleethorpesLabaye
Martyn JonesClwyd SouthLabaye
Mr Tony WorthingtonClydebank and MilngavieLabaye
Jimmy HoodClydesdaleLab (minister)aye
Tom ClarkeCoatbridge and ChrystonLabaye
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)aye
Kali MountfordColne ValleyLabaye
Betty WilliamsConwyLabaye
Dr Jack CunninghamCopelandLabaye
Phil HopeCorbyLabaye
Geoffrey Clifton-BrownCotswoldCon (front bench)no
Bob AinsworthCoventry North EastLab (minister)aye
Geoffrey RobinsonCoventry North WestLabaye
Jim CunninghamCoventry SouthLab (minister)aye
Laura MoffattCrawleyLabaye
Claire Curtis-ThomasCrosbyLabaye
Malcolm WicksCroydon NorthLab (minister)aye
Rosemary McKennaCumbernauld and KilsythLabaye
Brian H DonohoeCunninghame SouthLab (minister)aye
Ann ClwydCynon ValleyLab (minister)aye
Howard StoateDartfordLabaye
Mr Andrew BennettDenton and ReddishLabaye
Margaret BeckettDerby SouthLab (minister)aye
Mrs Ann TaylorDewsburyLab (minister)aye
Caroline FlintDon ValleyLabaye
Rosie WintertonDoncaster CentralLabaye
Mr Kevin HughesDoncaster NorthLab (minister)aye
Ian PearsonDudley SouthLabaye
Mr Ernie RossDundee WestLabaye
Steve PoundEaling NorthLab (minister)no
Mr Clive SoleyEaling, Acton and Shepherd's BushLab (minister)aye
Piara S KhabraEaling, SouthallLabaye
John CummingsEasingtonLabaye
Mr David ChidgeyEastleighLDem (front bench)aye
Ian StewartEcclesLabaye
Alistair DarlingEdinburgh CentralLab (minister)aye
Gavin StrangEdinburgh East and MusselburghLabaye
Dr Lynda ClarkEdinburgh PentlandsLab (minister)aye
Donald GorrieEdinburgh WestLDemaye
Andrew MillerEllesmere Port and NestonLabaye
Colin BurgonElmetLabaye
Clive EffordElthamLab (minister)aye
Joan RyanEnfield NorthLabaye
Stephen TwiggEnfield, SouthgateLab (minister)aye
Liz BlackmanErewashLabaye
John AustinErith and ThamesmeadLabaye
Michael ConnartyFalkirk EastLab (minister)aye
Ms Candy AthertonFalmouth and CamborneLabaye
Alan KeenFeltham and HestonLabaye
Rudi VisFinchley and Golders GreenLabaye
Mrs Diana OrganForest of DeanLabaye
Edward LeighGainsboroughCon (front bench)no
Paul ClarkGillinghamLabaye
Mr John MaxtonGlasgow CathcartLabaye
Ian DavidsonGlasgow PollokLab (minister)aye
Thomas McAvoyGlasgow RutherglenLab (minister)aye
Martin CatonGowerLab (minister)aye
Mr Chris PondGraveshamLabaye
Anthony D WrightGreat YarmouthLabaye
Dr Norman GodmanGreenock and InverclydeLabaye
Nick RaynsfordGreenwich and WoolwichLab (minister)aye
Mr Nick St AubynGuildfordConno
Diane AbbottHackney North and Stoke NewingtonLab (minister)aye
David DavisHaltemprice and HowdenCon (front bench)no
John ReidHamilton North and BellshillLab (minister)aye
Glenda JacksonHampstead and HighgateLabaye
Bill RammellHarlowLabaye
Phil WillisHarrogate and KnaresboroughLDem (front bench)aye
Tony McNultyHarrow EastLab (minister)aye
Mr Ivan HendersonHarwichLabaye
Michael Jabez FosterHastings and RyeLabaye
John Martin McDonnellHayes and HarlingtonLabaye
Andrew StunellHazel GroveLDem (front bench)aye
Mr Tony McWalterHemel HempsteadLabaye
Jon TrickettHemsworthLabaye
Andrew DismoreHendonLabaye
Paul KeetchHerefordLDemaye
Mr Bowen WellsHertford and StortfordConno
James ClappisonHertsmereCon (front bench)no
Jim DobbinHeywood and MiddletonLabaye
Tom LevittHigh PeakLabaye
Frank DobsonHolborn and St PancrasLabaye
John CryerHornchurchLabaye
Mr Ivor CaplinHoveLabaye
Barry SheermanHuddersfieldLab (minister)aye
Greg PopeHyndburnLab (minister)aye
Mike GapesIlford SouthLab (minister)aye
Dr Peter BrandIsle of WightLDemaye
Jeremy CorbynIslington NorthLabaye
Don TouhigIslwynLab (minister)aye
Stephen HepburnJarrowLab (minister)aye
Ann CryerKeighleyLabaye
Des BrowneKilmarnock and LoudounLabaye
Edward DaveyKingston and SurbitonLDem (front bench)aye
Mr Kevin McNamaraKingston upon Hull NorthLabaye
Alan JohnsonKingston upon Hull West and HessleLab (minister)aye
Edward O'HaraKnowsley SouthLabaye
Mr Hilton DawsonLancaster and WyreLabaye
George MudieLeeds EastLabaye
Fabian HamiltonLeeds North EastLab (minister)aye
Mr Harold BestLeeds North WestLabaye
John BattleLeeds WestLab (minister)aye
Dr Jim MarshallLeicester SouthLabaye
Mr Peter Temple-MorrisLeominsterwhilst Labaye
Bridget PrenticeLewisham EastLabaye
Joan RuddockLewisham, DeptfordLabaye
Gillian MerronLincolnLabaye
Maria EagleLiverpool, GarstonLabaye
Jane KennedyLiverpool, WavertreeLab (minister)aye
Robert WareingLiverpool, West DerbyLabaye
Mr Denzil DaviesLlanelliLabaye
Kelvin HopkinsLuton NorthLabaye
John WhittingdaleMaldon and East ChelmsfordConno
Tony LloydManchester CentralLabaye
Graham StringerManchester, BlackleyLab (minister)aye
Gerald KaufmanManchester, GortonLab (minister)aye
Mr Keith BradleyManchester, WithingtonLab (minister)aye
Alan MealeMansfieldLab (minister)aye
Robert Marshall-AndrewsMedwayLabaye
Elfyn LlwydMeirionnydd Nant ConwyPC (front bench)aye
Ashok KumarMiddlesbrough South and East ClevelandLabaye
Mr Huw EdwardsMonmouthLabaye
Frank RoyMotherwell and WishawLabaye
Julian LewisNew Forest EastCon (front bench)no
Desmond SwayneNew Forest WestCon (front bench)no
Mr David RendelNewburyLDemaye
Jim CousinsNewcastle upon Tyne CentralLabaye
Mrs Llin GoldingNewcastle-under-LymeLabaye
Paul FlynnNewport WestLabaye
Mr Bill O'BrienNormantonLabaye
Mr Paul TylerNorth CornwallLDem (front bench)aye
Nick HarveyNorth DevonLDem (front bench)aye
Malcolm MossNorth East CambridgeshireConno
Mr Harry BarnesNorth East DerbyshireLabaye
Menzies CampbellNorth East FifeLDem (front bench)aye
Mr David PriorNorth NorfolkCon (front bench)no
Simon HughesNorth Southwark and BermondseyLDem (front bench)aye
Hilary ArmstrongNorth West DurhamLab (minister)aye
David TaylorNorth West LeicestershireLabaye
Dr George TurnerNorth West NorfolkLabaye
Sally KeebleNorthampton NorthLabaye
Mr Tony ClarkeNorthampton SouthLabaye
John HeppellNottingham EastLabaye
Graham AllenNottingham NorthLab (minister)aye
Alan SimpsonNottingham SouthLabaye
Bill OlnerNuneatonLabaye
Mr Raymond PowellOgmoreLabaye
Andrew SmithOxford EastLab (minister)aye
Douglas AlexanderPaisley SouthLabaye
Gordon PrenticePendleLabaye
David MacleanPenrith and The BorderContellno
Ms Helen ClarkPeterboroughLabaye
Mr David JamiesonPlymouth, DevonportLab (minister)tellaye
Linda GilroyPlymouth, SuttonLabaye
Yvette CooperPontefract and CastlefordLab (minister)aye
Jim FitzpatrickPoplar and Canning TownLabaye
Mr Syd RapsonPortsmouth NorthLabaye
Mike HancockPortsmouth SouthLDem (front bench)aye
Mrs Jackie LawrencePreseli PembrokeshireLabaye
Paul TruswellPudseyLabaye
Karen BuckRegent's Park and Kensington NorthLab (minister)aye
Mr Allan RogersRhonddaLabaye
Mr Teddy TaylorRochford and Southend EastConno
Mrs Eileen GordonRomfordLabaye
Mr Archy KirkwoodRoxburgh and BerwickshireLDem (front bench)aye
Mr Andy KingRugby and KenilworthLabaye
Elliot MorleyScunthorpeLab (minister)aye
John GroganSelbyLab (minister)aye
Clive BettsSheffield, AttercliffeLab (minister)tellaye
Mr Richard AllanSheffield, HallamLDem (front bench)aye
Mr Bill MichieSheffield, HeeleyLabaye
Mrs Helen JacksonSheffield, HillsboroughLabaye
Paddy TippingSherwoodLab (minister)aye
Chris LeslieShipleyLabaye
Mr Paul MarsdenShrewsbury and AtchamLabaye
Fiona MactaggartSloughLabaye
David HeathSomerton and FromeLDem (front bench)aye
Mark ToddSouth DerbyshireLabaye
Mr Ian BruceSouth DorsetConaye
Colin BreedSouth East CornwallLDemaye
Stephen LadymanSouth ThanetLabaye
Mrs Virginia BottomleySouth West SurreyConno
John DenhamSouthampton, ItchenLab (minister)aye
Sir David AmessSouthend WestCon (front bench)no
Mr Ronnie FearnSouthportLDemaye
Mr Kerry PollardSt AlbansLabaye
Mr Gerry BerminghamSt Helens SouthLabaye
David KidneyStaffordLabaye
Charlotte AtkinsStaffordshire MoorlandsLabaye
Mr Tom PendryStalybridge and HydeLabaye
Barbara FollettStevenageLabaye
Anne McGuireStirlingLab (minister)aye
Ann CoffeyStockportLabaye
Dari TaylorStockton SouthLabaye
Joan WalleyStoke-on-Trent NorthLab (minister)aye
Mr George StevensonStoke-on-Trent SouthLabaye
Keith HillStreathamLab (minister)aye
David DrewStroudLab (minister)aye
Bill EtheringtonSunderland NorthLabaye
Chris MullinSunderland SouthLab (minister)aye
Brian JenkinsTamworthLabaye
Mrs Jackie BallardTauntonLDemaye
Mr Bruce GrocottTelfordLabaye
Laurence RobertsonTewkesburyCon (front bench)no
Mr Peter BradleyThe WrekinLabaye
Andrew MacKinlayThurrockLabaye
Mr Tom CoxTootingLabaye
Adrian SandersTorbayLDem (front bench)aye
Paul MurphyTorfaenLab (minister)aye
David LammyTottenhamLabaye
Matthew TaylorTruro and St AustellLDem (front bench)aye
Michael MooreTweeddale, Ettrick and LauderdaleLDem (front bench)aye
David ClellandTyne BridgeLab (minister)aye
Mr Keith DarvillUpminsterLabaye
Chris RuaneVale of ClwydLab (minister)aye
Mr David HinchliffeWakefieldLabaye
David WinnickWalsall NorthLab (minister)aye
Neil GerrardWalthamstowLabaye
Denis MurphyWansbeckLabaye
Helen JonesWarrington NorthLab (minister)aye
James PlaskittWarwick and LeamingtonLabaye
Claire WardWatfordLabaye
Bob BlizzardWaveneyLabaye
Mike HallWeaver ValeLab (minister)aye
David Heathcoat-AmoryWellsConno
Miss Melanie JohnsonWelwyn HatfieldLab (minister)aye
John HealeyWentworthLabaye
Mr Colin PickthallWest LancashireLabaye
Mr Brian CotterWeston-Super-MareLDem (front bench)aye
Neil TurnerWiganLabaye
Mark OatenWinchesterLDemaye
Mr Michael TrendWindsorConno
Ben ChapmanWirral SouthLabaye
Mr Dale Campbell-SavoursWorkingtonLab (minister)aye
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)aye
Mr David LockWyre ForestLab (minister)aye
Paul GogginsWythenshawe and Sale EastLabaye
Mr Paddy AshdownYeovilLDem (front bench)aye

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