Steven Paterson
Main Page: Steven Paterson (Scottish National Party - Stirling)Department Debates - View all Steven Paterson's debates with the Leader of the House
(8 years, 8 months ago)
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Dr Philippa Whitford (Central Ayrshire) (SNP)
7. What parliamentary mechanisms are available to hon. Members to scrutinise Barnett consequentials within the estimates process.
Steven Paterson (Stirling) (SNP)
8. What parliamentary mechanisms are available to hon. Members to scrutinise Barnett consequentials within the estimates process.
The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Dr Thérèse Coffey)
Estimates are formal requests for authorisation of expenditure proposed to the House by the Government. Scrutiny of these, which are effectively departmental budgets, is undertaken in a variety of ways, including debates selected by the Liaison Committee, and it is also open to Select Committees to examine these budgets. The Procedure Committee has recently announced that it will look at the House’s procedures for examining estimates and the passing of legislation that authorises this expenditure—the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bill, which we dealt with yesterday.
Dr Coffey
I believe that there are avenues to do that. I welcome this inquiry by the Procedure Committee, especially as it might open up some new ideas, and I hope that all political parties will contribute to it. I really encourage this idea that Select Committees are one avenue. Of course Ministers are always held to account at this Dispatch Box, and by written questions as well.
Steven Paterson
The hon. Lady keeps telling us that the Procedure Committee is reviewing the estimates process. Will she tell us whether, when giving evidence to that Committee, she or the Leader of the House will be supportive of reform of the estimates process?