Political Parties and Elections Bill
10:00 am
Frank Cook (Stockton North, Labour)
Before we begin, I have a few points to make. Members may, if they wish, remove their jackets during the sittings. Will they ensure that their mobile phones and pagers are turned off or at least switched to silent running during our proceedings? I would hate interruptions. I will have enough difficulty concentrating on the detail myself, without there being distractions. I remind the Committee that there is a money resolution in connection with the Bill, copies of which are available in the room. Adequate notice should be given of amendments and, to be eligible for selection at a Tuesday sitting, they must be tabled by the rise of the House on the previous Thursday. To be eligible for selection at a Thursday sitting, they must be tabled by the previous Monday. As a general rule, I and my fellow Chairmen do not intend to call starred amendments.
Not everyone is familiar with the process of taking oral evidence in Public Bill Committees, so it might help if I explain briefly what is proposed so that we can all be clear about it, especially me. The Committee will be asked first to consider the programme motion on the amendment paper for which debate is limited to half an hour. We shall then consider a motion to report written evidence, followed by a motion to permit the Committee to deliberate in private in advance of the oral evidence sessions, which I hope that we can take formally to save time.
Assuming that the second motion has been agreed, the Committee will then move into private session. After it has deliberated, witnesses and members of the public will be invited back into the room and our oral evidence session will commence. That should be at about 10.30. We shall not be starting the evidence session before then. If the Committee agrees to the programme motion, it will hear oral evidence today and on Thursday, and revert to the more familiar proceedings of clause-by-clause scrutiny next week. I call the Minister to move the programme motion.