House of Commons Backbench Business Committee Formal Minutes of the Committee Session 2012-13 2 The Backbench Business Committee The Backbench Business Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to determine the backbench business to be taken in the House and in Westminster Hall on days, or parts of days, allotted for backbench business. Current membership Natascha Engel (Labour, North East Derbyshire) (Chair) Mr David Amess (Conservative, Southend West) Mr David Anderson (Labour, Blaydon) Bob Blackman (Conservative, Harrow East) Jane Ellison (Conservative, Battersea) John Hemming (Liberal Democrat, Birmingham Yardley) Mr Marcus Jones (Conservative, Nuneaton) Ian Mearns (Labour, Gateshead) Powers The Committee is established under Standing Order No 152J to determine the backbench business to be taken in the House and in Westminster Hall on days, or parts of days, allotted for backbench business. The powers of select committees are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, which are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications All publications of the Committee are on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/bbcom Committee staff The current staff of the Committee is Paul Evans (Clerk), Robert Cope (Second Clerk), Kevin Gardner (Committee Assistant) and Gary Calder (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Backbench Business Committee, Table Office, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 3754; and the Committee’s email address is [email protected]. 1 Formal Minutes of the Committee, Session 2012-13 WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Mr David Anderson Mr Marcus Jones Bob Blackman Ian Mearns Jane Ellison 1. General discussion on the Committee’s working practices The Committee considered this matter. 2. Representations from Members The Committee had received the following representations: Mrs Eleanor Laing: House of Lords reform Damian Hinds and Hazel Blears: Social mobility Guto Bebb: Mis-selling of interest rate swap products to small businesses Guy Opperman: VAT on air ambulances Mr Laurence Robertson and Paul Murphy: Work of the British-Irish Parliamentary Association Penny Mordaunt: Minister for Older People (for which a petition had achieved 100,000 signatories) 3. Determination of business on 14, 21 and 28 June The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 14 June in the Chamber: General debate on mental health (Members in charge: Nicky Morgan and Mr Charles Walker) Thursday 21 June in the Chamber: General debate on the work of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (Members in charge: Mr Laurence Robertson and Paul Murphy); Motion on mis-selling of interest rate swap products to small businesses (Member in charge: Guto Bebb) Thursday 28 June in Westminster Hall: Social Mobility (Members in charge: Hazel Blears and Damian Hinds) [Adjourned until Tuesday 19 July at 12.55 pm 2 TUESDAY 19 JUNE 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Bob Blackman Mr Marcus Jones Jane Ellison Ian Mearns 1. Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Laura Sandys: Green economy Sheryll Murray: Adoption Mr Bernard Jenkin: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Minsters’ Interests Iain Stewart and Dr Julian Huppert: Centenary of the birth of Alan Turing Paul Flynn: Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan Richard Graham: Commonwealth Day 2. Determination of business on 28 June and 5 July The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 28 June in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to fiscal measures to strengthen the green economy (Member in charge: Laura Sandys) (first half); Debate on a motion relating to the Appointment of a Minister for Older People. (Members in charge: Penny Mordaunt, Margot James, Julie Hilling and Martin Vickers) (second half) Thursday 5 July in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to the return of VAT on Air Ambulance fuel payments (Members in charge: Guy Opperman and Hugh Bayley) (part day) Thursday 5 July in Westminster Hall: Debate on adoption (Member in charge: Sheryll Murray) (up to 90 minutes) [Adjourned until Tuesday 26 June at 12.55 pm 3 TUESDAY 26 JUNE 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess Mr Marcus Jones Bob Blackman Ian Mearns Jane Ellison 1. Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Mr Frank Field: Immigration and population Mr Michael Meacher, Simon Hughes and Steve Baker: tax avoidance and tax evasion Mr Bernard Jenkin, Greg Mulholland, Priti Patel and Lindsay Roy: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Ministers’ Interests Robert Halfon and Guy Opperman: Petrol and diesel market in the UK Written representations were received as follows: Mr Greg Knight: Sittings of the House 2. Determination of business on 5 and 11 July The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 5 July in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to the Prime Minister's Adviser on Ministers' Interests (Member in charge: Mr Bernard Jenkin) (part day) Wednesday 11 July in the Chamber: Debate on motions relating to Sittings of the House (Member in charge: Mr Greg Knight) [Adjourned until Tuesday 3 July at 12.55 pm 4 TUESDAY 3 JULY 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Bob Blackman Mr Marcus Jones Jane Ellison Ian Mearns 1. Committee working practices Resolved, that the deadline for applications for debates will be 12 pm on the Friday before the Committee meets. 1. Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Mr David Davis, Mr David Lammy, Yasmin Qureshi and Gavin Barwell: Use of intercept evidence in courts and inquests Robert Halfon, Guy Opperman and Jim Shannon: Petrol and diesel market in the UK Daniel Kawczynski and Sheryll Murray: Future of the BBC Andrea Leadsom, Mark Garnier, George Freeman, Penny Mordaunt, Tessa Munt and Teresa Pearce: Bank competition Guy Opperman: VAT on air ambulances 2. Determination of business on 11, 12 and 17 July The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Wednesday 11 July in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to the return of VAT on Air Ambulance fuel payments (Members in charge: Guy Opperman and Hugh Bayley) (part day) Thursday 12 July in Westminster Hall: Debate on bank competition (Members in charge: Andrea Leadsom, Teresa Pearce, Mark Garnier, Tessa Munt, George Freeman and Penny Mordaunt). Tuesday 17 July in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to the Prime Minister's Adviser on Ministers' Interests (Member in charge: Mr Bernard Jenkin) (1 hour); Pre-recess Adjournment debate (part day). [Adjourned until Tuesday 10 July at 12.55 pm 5 TUESDAY 10 JULY 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Mr David Anderson Mr Marcus Jones Bob Blackman Ian Mearns Jane Ellison 1. Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Stuart Andrew, Fabian Hamilton, Greg Mulholland and David Tredinnick: Safe sustainable review of children’s congenital cardiac services Dr Sarah Wollaston, Richard Drax, David Tredinnick, Rory Stewart, Dr Julian Lewis and James Morris: community hospitals Thomas Docherty and Neil Parish: dairy industry 2. Determination of business on 13 September The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 13 September in Westminster Hall: Debate on the dairy industry (Member in charge: Neil Parish) [Adjourned until Thursday 12 July 6 THURSDAY 12 JULY 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Bob Blackman Mr Marcus Jones Jane Ellison Ian Mearns 1. Determination of business on 6 September The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 6 September in the Chamber: Debate on a motion relating to immigration (Members in charge: Mr Frank Field and Nicholas Soames); Debate on a motion relating to community hospitals (Member in charge: Dr Sarah Wollaston [Adjourned until Tuesday 4 September at 12.55 pm 7 TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Amess John Hemming Mr David Anderson Mr Marcus Jones Bob Blackman Ian Mearns Jane Ellison 1. Representations from Members The following Members made oral representations: Robert Halfon: Effects of the oil market on the price of petrol and diesel 2. Determination of business on 13 and 18 September The Committee determined that the following business would take place in backbench time: Thursday 13 September in the Chamber: Launch of an inquiry by the Transport Select Committee into the Government’s aviation strategy (Member in charge: Mrs Louise Ellman); debate on a Motion relating to the Oil market in the UK (Member in charge: Robert Halfon); general debate on tax avoidance and tax evasion (Member in charge: Mr Michael Meacher) Tuesday 18 September in the Chamber: Pre-recess Adjournment debate [Adjourned until Tuesday 11 September at 12.55 pm 8 TUESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2012 Members present: Natascha Engel, in the Chair Mr David Anderson John Hemming Bob Blackman Mr Marcus Jones Jane Ellison Ian Mearns 1. Committee working practices Resolved, that the Committee shall meet at 3 pm in public on Tuesdays from 16 October 2012,