Harman sets aside extra day for backbench vote
By politics.co.uk staff
Harriet Harman has moved to allay concerns that MPs will not get sufficient time to vote on measures enhancing backbench MPs’ powers.
An extra date – provisionally penned in for March 4th – will be added to the scheduled Monday February 22nd debate.
The proposals include secret ballots of all MPs for the chairmanship of select committees, which are currently chosen by party bosses, and a cap on select committee size to 11 MPs.
The committees would receive additional resources.
A trial could take place of Commons debates being triggered by public petition and MPs could vote to sit in September.
But there are concerns that the government is backing down on the plan for a backbench committee to schedule non-government debates, with Ms Harman insisting the backbench business committee needed to clarify its scope.
A government motion would back it in principle, however.
The further day’s vote will only be required if MPs object to any of the provisions.
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