The House of Lords Select Committee on HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom published its report yesterday. The Committee, chaired by former Social Services Secretary, Lord Fowler, spent eight months taking evidence and has produced the first major analysis for some years. As the Committee notes in it summary: “This report examines what is…
The House is again in committee on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill. For the second time, the House took the unusual step of passing a closure motion to bring debate on one amendment to a close. The amendment was then defeated. The Opposition objected to the use of this exceptional procedure. However, the…
The Liaison Committee of the House is responsible for receiving proposals for new committees – be they permanent or ad hoc – and making recommendations to the House. It has a reputation for being somewhat cautious, as it does not wish to duplicate the work of committees in the Commons or absorb unduly the resources…
Yesterday’s Second Reading debate on the Digital Economy Bill produced some good speeches: the most telling critiques of the Bill were provided by Lord Lucas on the Conservative benches and Lord Whitty on the Labour benches. The debate is well worth reading. The first speaker on the Conservative side was former Cabinet minister, Lord Fowler,…
On 11 June, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) in the Commons held a seminar, drawing on former diplomats, those who had chaired inquiries, and MPs and peers, in order to discuss how an inquiry into the Iraq war could and should be conducted. I was one of the participants. It was an extremely productive gathering.…
