Saving Gateway Accounts Bill
10:30 am
David Taylor (North West Leicestershire, Labour)
Good morning. Before we begin, I have a few preliminary announcements. Hon. Members may remove their jackets during Committee meetings if they wish. We are no doubt expecting a January heat wave. Hon. Members must ensure that mobile phones and pagers are turned off or switched to silent.
There is a money resolution in connection with the Bill, copies of which are available in the room. I remind hon. Members that adequate notice should be given of amendments. As a general rule, my fellow Chairman, Mr. Bercow, and I do not intend to call starred amendments, including any that are reached during afternoon sittings.
The Committee will first be asked to consider the programme motion on the amendment paper. I chaired the Programming Sub-Committee last week. Debate on that motion today is limited to half an hour. We will then proceed to a motion to report written evidence, followed by a motion to permit the Committee to deliberate in private in advance of the oral evidence session. I hope that we will be able to take those formally.
Assuming that the motion to deliberate in private is passed, the Committee will move into private session. Once we have deliberated, witnesses and others will be invited back into the room and the oral evidence session will begin. For those who are new to this procedure, which includes me, I should say that the evidence session will proceed under the Select Committee format. The one difference is that I will not lead in the same way as a Select Committee Chairman. I am not able to ask questions, but must hold the ring in an impartial way and bring people in as appropriate. I will also keep order, if that is a factor.
If the Committee agrees to the programme motion, we will hear oral evidence this morning and this afternoon before reverting to the traditional format next week.