Book Description
This report makes a number of conclusions and recommendations for revised procedures so that it is easier for the general public, as well as lobby groups, representative organisations and other stakeholders to influence Parliament's consideration of bills. Issues discussed include: the volume of legislation; pre-legislative scrutiny; information about bills; programming; second, committee and third reading stages; consideration of Lords amendments; timing of votes; and resource implications. Recommendations include that pre-legislative scrutiny of draft bills should become more widespread, and as a matter of routine, Government bills should be referred to committees with the power to take evidence and to amend bills. For greater clarity, standing committees should be renamed as 'public bill committees' in relation to bills and 'delegated legislation committees' in relation to statutory instruments. The standing committee stage could be improved by increasing the notice period for amendments, and the Commons should begin to computerise standing committee papers and provide on-screen access to papers in committee rooms. There should be a more flexible approach to the timing of bills to allow for longer second reading debates on some bills and shorter debates on others as required. Parliament should improve the quality of its information provision, using a series of 'legislation gateways' on its internet site to provide a single source of information for each bill, and there should be greater use of information currently available, such as the Government's Regulation Impact Assessments.
