Select Committee Membership

Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts

Wednesday 8th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Eleanor Laing)]

We now come to motions 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the International Trade Committee, the Home Affairs Committee, the Justice Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee. With the leave of the House, I propose that we debate motions 3, 4, 5, and 6 together.

[Bill Wiggin (North Herefordshire) (Con)]

I beg to move,

That Mr Chris Leslie be discharged from the International Trade Committee and Gareth Thomas be added.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

With this we shall consider the following motions:

Motion 4—Home Affairs Committee—

That Alex Norris and John Woodcock be discharged from the Home Affairs Committee and Janet Daby and Toby Perkins be added.

Motion 5—Justice Committee—

That Janet Daby be discharged from the Justice Committee and Andy Slaughter be added.

Motion 6—Women and Equalities Committee—

That Mr Gavin Shuker be discharged from the Women and Equalities Committee and Stephanie Peacock be added.

[Bill Wiggin]

As the Chair of the Selection Committee, it is my responsibility to ensure that the Committee operates in accordance with the rules of the House. That is the case with motion 3, which I am moving in the usual way following its agreement by the Selection Committee. I do not have personal interests in moving it. It is a function of the fairness of the transparent and democratic system that allows Select Committees to continue their incredibly important work.

The Labour party has decided to change Select Committee membership, and it is for the House to confirm those changes. Unlike with General Committees, there is no Standing Order that requires Select Committees to be kept in proportion to the House at large. By mutual agreement, the membership of Select Committees is appointed in rough proportion to that of the House. That is why the Committee has discretion in proposing changes to Select Committee membership.

Across all Select Committees, MPs who come from neither of the main parties are slightly over-represented. Change UK—the Independent Group—is over-represented on Select Committees, compared with the number of members of the group in this House. Although that over-representation does not compel the Selection Committee to take action, it is enough to satisfy me that reducing that representation is in accordance with the practice of the House. I therefore move this motion for the approval of the House.