HAFF Committee Report

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has the honour to present its

 

FIFTIETH REPORT

 

1.      Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(a)(iii), the Committee has considered the provisional Standing Orders regarding Private Members’ Business.

 

2.      On March 17, 2003, the House of Commons concurred in the Third Report of the Special Committee on the Modernization and Improvement of the Procedures of the House of Commons. This Report recommended changes to the procedures regarding Private Members’ Business, and included provisional Standing Orders to implement those changes. As the Report stated:

 

In order to implement the Committee’s First Report, we recommend the adoption of this Report which contains as Annex 1, an amended Chapter 11 of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, to replace the existing Chapter 11 on a provisional basis, beginning on March 17, 2003, until the earlier of one year or until the end of the 2nd Session of the 37th Parliament . . .

 

3.      In addition, the operation of the new rules were to be reviewed by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The Third Report specifically provided as follows:

 

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs shall review the new procedures at the end of the trial period, consider any changes recommended to them and report its recommendations to the House [.]

 

4.      The Committee believes that the trial period should be extended to allow the Committee to undertake its review of the provisional Standing Orders in an appropriate manner, including consultations with Members of the House regarding their experiences and opinions. An extension would also avoid any uncertainty or disruption in early 2004 in the event that Parliament is prorogued or the current session continues past March 17, 2004, without a decision on the provisional Standing Orders having been made.

 

5.      The Committee recommends that provisional Standing Orders 86 through 99, adopted by the House on March 17, 2003, remain in effect until the earlier of the June 23, 2004, or the dissolution of 37th Parliament, and that Standing Orders 68(4)(b) and 68(7)(b) remain suspended for the same trial period.

 

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 63) is tabled.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Peter Adams
Chair