Public Bill Committees

Question 1

What is the main role of a public bill committee

Answer 1

It is to ensure that the legislation presented to the House of Commons is passed in a form that will ensure its able to be successfully implemented

Question 2

Are public bill committees Ad-hoc

Answer 2

Ad-hoc: they’re only temporary and only exist until the bill has become/doesn’t become an act of parliament

Public bill committees are ad-hoc

Question 3

How are public bill committees named

Answer 3

They are named after the relevant bill eg: the equality bill committee

This is to make it clear that the committee is established purely to consider that bill

Question 4

How is membership of Public bill committees decided

Answer 4

It is decided by the party leader and whips to ensure that possible backbench rebellions are sidelined,
As they’re decided by whips they can be controlled and influenced by the whip system

There is between 16 and 30 members and a committee selection

Question 5

What powers do public bill committees have

Answer 5

They have the power to receive oral and written evidence from outside experts, interest groups and members of the public as part of their consideration of a bill

Question 6

What are weaknesses of public bill committees (1)

Answer 6

1. They are temporary and only exist until the bill becomes an act of parliament: this is a disadvantage as these committees will lack the expertise that can be developed through membership of a permanent committee. At present a main failing of the committee system is the inability to ensure that committees are staffed with needed expertise.

Only 8% of the places on public bill committees were taken by members who also sat on the relevant departmental select committee.

Question 7

What are weaknesses of public bill committees (2)

Answer 7

2. The guillotine motion can restrict time: the government can pursue a motion in the commons to further restrict the time a Pbc has to consider a piece of legislation at the committee stage.

Question 8

What are weaknesses of public bill committees (3)

Answer 8

3. It’s not only MPs from the governing party who have been seen as an obstacle to effective scrutiny of legislation but also committee members from the opposition parties who have to contend with their own party whips.
   Often a partisan approach is taken to participation in a Pbc and the former Labour MP Paul Flynn writing in his book (how to be an MP) claimed that opposition MPs are lectured that their own influence is the ability to delay government bills. They are urged to fill time spaces with words whose main purpose is to gum up the works

Question 9

What are weaknesses of public bill committees (4)

Answer 9

4. Once are limited to the time they have to consider and scrutinise legislation as their timetable is determined by the government and as such their path can be altered in the commons as conservative government will choose conservative members to pass or block a bill. This also means a backbench MP can’t develop detailed knowledge on the focus and detail of the bill and given the technical nature of legislation it can prevent effective scrutiny

Question 10

When and why were public bill committees created

Answer 10

Late 1800s to save time in the House of Commons

Question 11

What happens if a bill goes through unamended

Answer 11

It skips the report stage therefore MPs see membership of a public bill committee as a chore

Question 12

What are the strengths of Public bill committees

Answer 12

• They allow a close reading of the clauses of a bill and any recommended amendments
• All Mps will be required to sit on them at some stage