Business of the House — Regional Grand Committees — 12 Nov 2008 at 16:17

Motion made, and Question proposed,

That the following new Standing Orders be made, with effect from 1st January 2009 until the end of the current Parliament-

A. Regional grand committees

(1) There shall be general committees, called Regional Grand Committees, for each of the following English regions:

(a) East Midlands

(b) East of England

(c) North East

(d) North West

(e) South East

(f) South West

(g) West Midlands

(h) Yorkshire and the Humber

which in each case shall consist of those Members who represent constituencies within the region and up to five other Members nominated by the Committee of Selection, which shall have power from time to time to discharge the Members so nominated by it and to appoint others in their place.

(2) A motion may be made by a Minister of the Crown providing for-

(a) a Regional Grand Committee to sit on a specified day at a specified place in the region to which it relates or at Westminster;

(b) the time and duration of such a sitting; and

(c) the business as provided in paragraph (4) to be conducted at it.

(3) The question on a motion under paragraph (2) shall be put forthwith and may be decided after the moment of interruption.

(4) The business of the committees may include-

(a) questions tabled in accordance with Standing Order (Regional Grand Committees (questions for oral answer));

(b) statements by a Minister of the Crown, in accordance with paragraph (5) below;

(c) general debates on specified matters.

(5) The chairman may permit a Minister of the Crown, whether or not a Member of the House, to make a statement and to answer questions thereon put by members of the committee; but no question shall be taken after the expiry of a period of 45 minutes from the commencement of such a statement.

(6) If the House has resolved that the business at a sitting of a committee shall be concluded at a certain hour and it has not otherwise been concluded before that time the chairman shall, at that time, adjourn the committee without question put and any business then under consideration shall lapse.

B. Regional Grand Committees (questions for oral answer)

(1) Notices of questions for oral answer in a Regional Grand Committee by the relevant regional minister, on a day specified in an order made under paragraph (2) of Standing Order (Regional grand committees), may be given by members of the committee in the Table Office.

(2) Notices of questions given under this order shall bear an indication that they are for oral answer in a specific Regional Grand Committee.

(3) No more than one notice of a question may be given under this order by any member of the committee for each day specified for the taking of questions.

(4) On any day so specified, questions shall be taken at the time provided for in an order under paragraph (2) of Standing Order (Regional Grand Committees); no question shall be taken later than three quarters of an hour after the commencement of the proceedings thereon; and replies to questions not reached shall be printed with the official report of the committee's debates for that day.

(5) Notices of questions under this order may be given ten sitting days before that on which an answer is desired save where otherwise provided by a memorandum under paragraph (8) of Standing Order No. 22 (Notices of questions, motions and amendments), provided that when it is proposed that the House shall adjourn for a period of fewer than four days, any day during that period (other than a Saturday or a Sunday) shall be counted as a sitting day for the purposes of the calculation made under this paragraph. [Ms. Harman.]

Amendment made : (a), in line 1, after 'made', insert 'and Standing Order No. 117 (Regional Affairs Committee) be suspended' .-<[/i> Sir George Young.]