Liaison: Select Committee Report

– in the House of Lords at 3:07 pm on 11 March 2002.

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Photo of Lord Tordoff Lord Tordoff Chairman of Committees, House of Lords 3:07, 11 March 2002

My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I should explain that in the report of the Liaison Committee we make three recommendations, which I shall summarise briefly.

First, the Liaison Committee considered a proposal that the Religious Offences Bill introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, should be committed to a Select Committee. While the Liaison Committee recognised the value of examination of this matter by a Select Committee, it was considered that it would be better to refer the subject of religious offences to an ad hoc Select Committee rather than limit the Select Committee to the terms of the noble Lord's Bill. I understand that the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, is supportive of that view.

This ad hoc Select Committee would, in effect, be the successor to the ad hoc Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, which has slightly overrun its time. We were worried that this would cause problems in terms of staffing, but I am pleased to say that the Clerk of the Parliaments has indicated that it will be possible to provide staff resources to enable the new Select Committee to be set up after Easter rather than await the completion of the work of the Select Committee on animals.

The Liaison Committee also considered the proposal of the noble Baroness, Lady Howe of Idlicote, for a Select Committee on the subject of communications, which has received wide support throughout the House. It was suggested that such a Select Committee might be set up in late 2003 after the passage of the Government's proposed Communications Bill. The Liaison Committee has welcomed this proposal in principle and will make a further recommendation nearer the time. The Liaison Committee felt that in the first instance the Select Committee should be set up as an ad hoc Select Committee rather than as a permanent sessional committee. This has been done in the past. If it proves successful, it would be possible to move to a permanent sessional committee if required.

Finally, the Liaison Committee considered a proposal put forward by the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, for a Select Committee on measures to combat international terrorism. The Liaison Committee felt that such a Select Committee would risk duplicating the work of departmental committees in another place, which we have always sought to avoid. The Liaison Committee recognised the case for more Select Committee work in the field of foreign affairs and will return to that issue later in the year, but it does not recommend the appointment of a Select Committee on measures to combat international terrorism. However, your Lordships will see from the report that the Liaison Committee proposes to return to the possibility of a Select Committee to scrutinise treaties. I beg to move.

Moved, That the First Report from the Select Committee (HL Paper 84) be agreed to.—(The Chairman of Committees.)

Following is the report referred to:

Religious offences

1. The Committee has considered a proposal put forward by Lord Avebury that his Religious Offences Bill [HL], which received a Second Reading on 30 January, should be committed to a select committee.

2. This bill would create an offence of religious hatred, as proposed in a provision in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill which was deleted during its passage through the House. It would also abolish blasphemy and certain other religious offences. These are both matters which could benefit from examination by a select committee. A select committee set up to examine Lord Avebury's Bill might be unduly constrained, so we recommend the appointment, as soon as clerk resources permit, of an ad hoc select committee on the subject of religious offences.

A select committee on communications

3. The Committee has considered a proposal put forward by Baroness Howe of Idlicote for a select committee on communications. A letter from her to the Chairman is printed as Annex 1 to this Report.

4. The proposed select committee would examine a subject on which the House has a great deal of expertise, and which cuts across Government departmental boundaries. We believe that it would be a good subject for a House of Lords committee.

5. Baroness Howe's proposal is for a sessional rather than an ad hoc committee, to be appointed after the passage of the proposed Communications Bill - probably in late 2003. We would prefer the appointment of an ad hoc committee in the first instance, with a view to making it permanent if it were a success. We will return to the matter with a firm recommendation nearer the time.

A select committee on measures to combat international terrorism

6. The Committee has considered a proposal put forward by Lord Gilbert for a select committee on measures to combat international terrorism. A letter from him to the Chairman is printed as Annex 2 to this Report.

7. Lord Gilbert's letter indicates that this is a matter which has been considered by three of the House of Commons' departmental committees. In our view this provides a strong argument against the proposal— Lords Committees should complement and not duplicate the work of Commons Committees. We recognise that there is a case for more select committee activity in the field of foreign affairs, and we propose later in the year to return to the proposal for a select committee to scrutinise treaties, previously postponed pending developments in the Commons. We do not, however, recommend appointment of a select committee on measures to combat international terrorism.