Backbench Business Committee Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Backbench Business Committee

Graham Brady Excerpts
Thursday 26th April 2012

(12 years ago)

Westminster Hall
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Graham Brady Portrait Mr Graham Brady (in the Chair)
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It may be convenient for hon. Members if I remind them, before I call the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire (Natascha Engel), that the Backbench Business Committee has recommended that the first debate should last no more than 20 minutes in total.

Natascha Engel Portrait Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire) (Lab)
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Until the Procedure Committee introduces a change in the Standing Orders, unfortunately, we are unable to make proper mini-statements, so I invite hon. Members to intervene on me and, hopefully, this will take us no longer than 20 minutes, so that the important business that follows can take place.

I want to mark the occasion of the Backbench Business Committee’s finishing its first session and launching the end-of-term report, part of which is designed to feed into the Procedure Committee’s investigation into how the Backbench Business Committee has operated over the past year and a half to two years. It is important to give hon. Members the opportunity to comment or give further suggestions about the Committee’s operation.