Part of the debate – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:30 pm on 7 January 2003.
Bob Ainsworth
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
4:30,
7 January 2003
I beg to move,
That—
(1) during proceedings on the Extradition Bill the Standing Committee do meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at twenty-five minutes past Nine o'clock and at half-past Two o'clock;
(2) 9 sittings in all shall be allotted to the consideration of the Bill by the Committee;
(3) the proceedings to be taken at the sittings shall be as shown in the second column of the Table below and shall be taken in the order so shown;
(4) the proceedings which under paragraph (3) are to be taken at any sitting shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at the time specified in the third column of the Table;
(5) paragraph (3) does not prevent proceedings being taken (in the order shown in the second column of the Table) at any earlier sitting than that provided for under paragraph (3) if previous proceedings have already been concluded.
TABLE Sitting Proceedings Time for conclusion of proceedings 1st Part 1 — 2nd Part 1 — 3rd Part 1 — 4th Part 1 (so far as not previously concluded), New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 1 11.25 am 5th Part 2, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 2 5.30 pm 6th Part 3, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 3 11.25 am 7th Part 4 — 8th Part 4 (so far as not previously concluded), New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 4 11.25 am 9th Clauses 174 to 200, the Schedule, Clauses 201 to 208, remaining New Clauses, remaining New Schedules and remaining proceedings on the Bill 5.30 pm. Mr. Bob Ainsworth has given notice of his intention to move a motion in the terms of the resolution of the Programming Sub-Committee [Sessional Order C(9) relating to Programming (28th June 2001).]
I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. O'Hara. I sincerely hope that you had a pleasant Christmas and new year break, and that you have come back in a congenial mood, which you will display throughout our proceedings.
In a normal session there are up to ten standing committees on bills. Each has a chair and from 16 to 50 members. Standing committee members on bills are appointed afresh for each new bill by the Committee of Selection which is required to take account of the composition of the House of Commons (ie. party proportions) as well as the qualification of members to be nominated. The committees are chaired by a member of the Chairmen's Panel (whose members are appointed by the Speaker). In standing committees the Chairman has much the same function as the Speaker in the House of Commons. Like the Speaker, a chairman votes only in the event of a tie, and then usually in accordance with precedent. The committees consider each bill clause by clause and may make amendments. There are no standing committees in the House of Lords.
