National Policy Statements — Parliamentary debate following committee report — rejected — 20 May 2009 at 16:10

The majority of MPs voted against inserting provisions into the procedure for appointing a select committee to review a National Policy Statement for a debate and vote on the floor of the House.

The procedure, as proposed and eventually passed, merely arranges for a Select Committee to take evidence and write a report about such a statement.

The amendment, which was rejected, would have inserted the following paragraphs into the rules.^[1]

• If the committee is in favour of the proposed national policy statement, and a motion is made by the Government that effect, then there will be a 90 minute debate on the subject.
• If the committee recommends against a proposed national policy statement, then it cannot be approved unless the House has voted to disagree with the committee and then holds a three hour debate on the subject.

The rules, which merely require nothing more than for a committee to convene and discuss the proposed National Policy Statement, were passed in the next vote.^[2]

• [1] John McDonnell MP, House of Commons, 20 May 2009
• [2] National Policy Statements - Parliamentary committee writes a report, House of Commons Division, 20 May 2009

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