Smith Lockwood: Speaker’s Rulings — Select Committees—Status of Reports and Proceedings 
Smith Lockwood: Speaker’s Rulings — Select Committees—Status of Reports and Proceedings 
[Volume:657;Page:6019] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: On the Thursday before the House adjourned members raised a number of points of order about the status of committees their reports and proceedings. Standing Order 180(3) makes it clear that a select committee established for a particular purpose continues in existence until the completion of that task by the presentation of its final report on it. Members raised with me Speaker’s ruling 92/2. This ruling from 1892 is relevant now only in so far as it protects a committee’s report once it is finally agreed. This is the report that must be presented; it cannot be revisited. Standing Order 180(3) prevails in terms of extinguishing the life of the committee. 
The ruling recognises that a committee can reconsider a report if the final report has not been fully agreed. Committees should take great care if they intend to use the practice of agreeing a final report by “round robin” or subject to certain conditions because there is always a real possibility that it will result in uncertainty. 
Where doubt arises about the form of a committee’s final report the only way it can be resolved is by the committee. I refer members to Speaker’s ruling 93/6: “If doubts arise as to what the chairperson was directed to report the report should be deferred for the committee to meet again and clarify the position.” It is a matter for the committee not for the House. The House has no cognisance of matters before a committee until they are reported to the House by the chairperson. I refer to Speaker’s ruling 87/2. The Speaker intervenes only when invited to do so by resolution of the committee. Again I refer to Speaker’s ruling 87/4. 
Once the committee adopts its final report the chairperson must report to the House within a reasonable time. This does not mean at once or even at the first opportunity. Indeed it is desirable to hold back a report for a few days so that the necessary preparation can be made to print the report. A delay of about 1 week in reporting to the House is quite acceptable. I refer to Speaker’s ruling 93/5. The responsibility for reporting lies with the chairperson of the committee. Another member of the committee may present a report but only where authorised to do so by the chairperson. If a chairperson did not report within a reasonable time the House may order the report to be presented. 
Finally where a committee as part of its deliberation sets a specific deadline for receipt of amendments to a report or minority views it has in effect agreed a closure. In doing so a committee should be careful to ensure the effect of the closure resolution is very clear. 
A committee cannot require a member to submit a minority view nor can it amend one but one having been proposed a committee must decide whether to agree to its inclusion in the report. The setting of a closure does not presuppose that the amendments or minority views that are the subject of it will be agreed to. A committee’s deliberation must include a specific resolution providing for their agreement. In agreeing to resolutions to conclude deliberation outside a committee meeting a committee should also give careful consideration to including a resolution to deal with the situation where agreement cannot be reached. 
The setting of a closure during a committee’s deliberation is a somewhat unusual practice for select committees. Where the Standing Orders do not provide directly for committee procedure a committee must rely on the Committee of the whole House procedure and Standing Order 200 covers that. The effect of a closure in the Committee of the whole House is that amendments handed in at the time the closure is agreed are in the possession of the committee and may be withdrawn only by leave. I refer to Speaker’s ruling 114/7. 
A minority view can be considered as if it were an amendment. Once it is received by the clerk of the committee it becomes part of the committee’s proceedings. It may be withdrawn up until the time agreed for the closure. A member wanting to withdraw a minority view after that time would need the leave of the committee.