Hello!
These weeknotes come with an apology for our short break in transmission. The Schrödinger prorogation and the actual prorogation have made things a little hectic for my compatriots, if not for me. Anyway, since we last spoke we have:
Tidied up Lords bill commitment and change of commitment motions. There is no real change in logic here, the improvement is that fewer lines now cross and it’s hopefully more legible.
Allowed for questions to be put forthwith at the Commons second reading stage.
Added referrals to Scottish and Northern Ireland Grand Committees in Commons third reading stage.
Added Speaker’s certification under Commons Standing Order No 97. A bill being certified as Scotland allows referral to the Scottish Grand Committee, it does not cause this referral to happen.
Following conversations between Librarian Jayne and the Public Bill Office, removed the implication that the tabling of a reasoned amendment after referral to committee at Commons second and third readings caused the referral to collapse somehow.
Removed the steps that referred to Clerks of Legislation deciding on the need for Queen’s consent and Prince of Wales’ consent, as these steps are not procedural. These decisions now hang off bill printing following first reading.
Where either Queen’s consent or Prince of Wales’ consent is required but not (yet) given, the third reading motion moved step is now precluded in the Lords.
In an attempt to keep pace with the news cycle, motions once moved now preclude withdrawal. However…
A Twitter conversation with David and Martyn brought to our attention the existence of seeking of leave to withdraw. This has been sketched, photographed and sent to David, Martyn and Matt for idiot checking before we add to the main flowchart.
Speaker’s certification of Money bills has been added to the end of the Commons procedure. A new one month clock starts ticking to time limit the Lords before the bill heads off for Royal Assent.
In dealing with Queen’s and Prince of Wales’ consent, David brought legislative consent motions to our notice. The flowchart now has three new bubbles for the devolved legislatures (top left). These appear to make no practical difference to anything and so they hang around in space with no arrows emerging.
All of these changes are drawn up in the flowchart except leave to withdraw, which so far only exists on a whiteboard and as a photograph. Large size print outs of the procedure map are available courtesy of the Library plotter. Do shout if you’d like one. If nothing else, they would make super Christmas wrapping paper for the procedural geeks amongst us.
Jayne and Michael have just emerged blinking from a meeting with Martyn about motions, orders and resolutions. In the immediate future this has more implications for our statutory instrument and treaty flowcharts but we’ll be double checking against the bill procedure to ensure everything is consistent.
We have a meeting with some academics who’ve been analysing changes to Standing Orders over time. We’d like to see if we might be able to put stable identifiers to Standing Orders. We have a dream of being able to cite specific SOs from procedural routes where appropriate.
We also have a meeting with Mssrs. Makower and Korris to run back through Queen’s and Prince of Wales’ consent, legislative consent motions, money and supply bills and possibly a little more around committee stages.