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Further scrutiny of "Great Repeal Bill" proposals urged for next Parliament

2 May 2017

The Procedure Committee report recommends that its successor committee carries out further investigations over the impact on the scrutiny of delegated legislation of any "Great Repeal Bill".

The committee's end-of-session report ahead of the forthcoming dissolution of Parliament notes that its inquiry into the bill had to be curtailed due to the early election.

Questions on the Government's proposals still need to be answered

Many questions on the Government's proposals still need to be answered—including on how the balance will be struck between ensuring effective scrutiny of delegated legislation and the need for speed in ensuring the UK's statute book is ready for the UK's departure from the EU.

The committee also recommends that chairs and members of the relevant Commons select committees—Procedure, European Scrutiny, and Exiting the EU, as well as the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments—should be in place before any Great Repeal Bill starts its legislative journey.

Aside from the Great Repeal Bill the report highlights a number of issues that its successor committees should scrutinise.

These include term limits for select committee chairs, reviewing the operation of English votes for English laws, the revision of Standing Orders, as well as further work on the Estimates procedure.

Chair's comment

Chair of the Procedure Committee, Charles Walker OBE MP said:

"Despite it being a shorter than expected parliamentary session, the committee has undertaken a number of key inquiries.

These have covered a range of issues, including the outdated private Members' bill process, the impact of EVEL procedures, the quality and timeliness of written answers to Parliamentary questions and the use of the Welsh language in Westminster sittings of the Welsh Grand Committee.

Our successor committee will need to promptly pick up the baton and continue inquiries into a number of important procedural matters, not least ensuring that any Great Repeal Bill allows for proper parliamentary scrutiny of delegated legislation."

Further information

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