– in the House of Lords at 3:08 pm on 4 December 2017.
My Lords, the first report from the Procedure Committee proposes a number of changes to existing procedures, arising from the Government’s announcement in June that the current Session would last for two years instead of the usual one year. In effect, the recommendations will double the present limits by resetting them half way through the Session. The details of the changes proposed are set out in full in the report but noble Lords may find it helpful if I set them out briefly.
First, for both Oral Questions and topical Oral Questions, the report recommends that for the duration of the current Session, the limit on the number of Questions per Member should be reset at the point of any Whitsun Recess or on
Secondly, the report covers Thursday and balloted debates. It recommends that the Thursday general debates should run from June 2017—the start of the current Session—to the end of January 2018, and then again from the first sitting Thursday in June 2018 until the end of January 2019. Balloted debates should run from June 2017, the start of the current Session, to the end of December 2017 and then again from the first sitting Thursday in June 2018 until the end of December 2018; and the limit on the number of balloted debates per Member should be reset at the point of any Whitsun Recess or on
Thirdly, the report covers topical Questions for Short Debate and recommends that: topical Questions for Short Debate on every Thursday should run from June 2017, the start of the current Session, to the end of January 2018 and from the first sitting Thursday in June 2018 until the end of January 2019; and that the limit of one topical Question for Short Debate per Member should be reset at the point of any Whitsun Recess or on
I hope that noble Lords will agree that these changes are an appropriate response to the longer-than-usual Session. I beg to move.
Motion agreed.