Skip to main content

1-20 of 25 results for subject:"House of Commons"

Answering member X
David Heath

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

More
Heath, David (25)

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher


Show detailed: On Off
Results: 10 20 50 100
Sort by: Newest first Oldest first

This Government have successfully implemented recommendations to introduce elections to Select Committee membership, established a Backbench Business Committee and, within the last 12 months, introduced an e-petition system to achieve a greater degree of public participation. The

majority of the remaining recommendations of the Wright Committee are a matter for the House rather than the Government.

Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
14 June 2012
Reference
546 c460
House
House of Commons

As the hon. Gentleman probably knows, the Procedure Committee is now completing and in the very late stages of production of a report on the parliamentary calendar. We would prefer to wait and see what suggestions the Procedure Committee makes rather than taking a unilateral view on what is best for the House.

Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
14 June 2012
Reference
546 c461
House
House of Commons

It was indeed; there was no progress whatever under the previous Government on this matter. I am very proud of the fact that we moved quickly to establish the Backbench Business Committee. Speaking personally, I think it has been a great success. It is something that the House should have done some time ago. I look forward to building on it in the years to come, and I look forward to the review of the Backbench Business Committee’s work, which will give us an indication of how the House views its performance more widely.

Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
14 June 2012
Reference
546 c461
House
House of Commons

That was what might be considered a bold attempt to transfer the answer for Question 1 that the hon. Lady had prepared to Question 2. I do not think that the Wright Committee was in any way concerned with the subject to which she referred. As she has raised the issue, however, let me remind her that the present Government have, on average, made more statements than their predecessors. We made 191 in the last Session, an average of 0.7 per sitting day, which compares favourably with the last Administration’s average of 0.4 per sitting day during the 2009-10 Session. We did almost twice as well as they did.

Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
14 June 2012
Reference
546 c461
House
House of Commons
To ask the Leader of the House, what progress he has made on the implementation of the Wright proposals on House of Commons reform in the last 12 months.
Asked by
Paul Flynn (Labour)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
14 June 2012
Reference
111329; 546 cc460-1
House
House of Commons
Since taking office, this Government have made substantial progress on implementing the coalition's commitments on parliamentary reform, which have helped to make the House more effective, transparent and accountable. Measures have included establishing the Backbench Business Committee, launching the e-petitions system and transferring responsibility for Members' pay and pensions out of our hands and into those of the independent regulator. Working with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean (Mr Harper), we have also piloted a public reading stage for the Protection of Freedoms Bill, published proposals to allow the recall of Members of Parliament and started work to establish a commission on the West Lothian question. We will also shortly bring forward proposals on how we will proceed with the draft parliamentary privilege Bill.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 December 2011
Reference
537 c925-6
House
House of Commons
I should first congratulate the hon. Lady, who since her election has demonstrated her commitment to this issue, not least during the passage of her private Member's Bill, the Legislation (Territorial Extent) Bill. As she correctly says, the coalition programme for government set out our commitment to establishing a commission to consider the West Lothian question, and my hon. Friend the Minister who has responsibility for political and constitutional reform updated the House in a written statement in September. The Government intend to publish the make-up and terms of reference of the commission shortly.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 December 2011
Reference
537 c926
House
House of Commons
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Time simply does not permit us to set out all the important reforms that this Government have introduced to the House, and there is much still to be done. One of those things is the establishment of the House Business Committee. We are clearly committed to doing that during the third year of this Parliament, and are happy to ensure that that is the case. We are looking forward to introducing proposals after we have listened to those on both sides of the House who have an interest in the matter.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 December 2011
Reference
537 c926
House
House of Commons
What progress he has made on implementing the coalition agreement commitments on parliamentary reform.
Asked by
Harriett Baldwin (Conservative)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
15 December 2011
Reference
86682; 537 c925-6
House
House of Commons

Second reading. Debate adjourned. To be resumed on 21 October.

Lead member
Peter Bone
Answering member
David Heath
Department
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Debates on bills
Date
9 September 2011
Reference
532 c711-24
House
House of Commons
I do think this is a House matter, and a matter for you, Mr Speaker—and you have given an indication of your own thoughts on it. I understand that the Chair of the Committee has asked the Backbench Business Committee for time to discuss the report, and I think it is appropriate that the House has a debate on the issue, takes on board the contrary views on either side of the argument, and then comes to a decision.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c347
House
House of Commons
It is an intriguing thought, but I suspect there are enough distractions in the Chamber already.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c347
House
House of Commons
As the hon. Gentleman probably knows, on 24 May 2010 the Government announced that in all but exceptional cases Ministers would no longer have dedicated cars and drivers. That is not to say that no cars are ever used—there are times when Ministers require the use of a car—but I think I can modestly say that my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House and I set something of an example in that we hardly, if ever, use ministerial cars: we prefer to use our bikes or walk.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c345
House
House of Commons
The Leader of the House and I regularly discuss such issues with ministerial colleagues. Since the general election the Government have cut ministerial pay by 5%, steered through legislation that will reduce the size of the House of Commons, cut the cost of special advisers, and scrapped the use of dedicated ministerial cars in all but exceptional cases. The House has played its part, with Members agreeing to the freezing of their salaries, and the Commission is overseeing a programme to save at least 17% by 2014-15 while ensuring that the House remains able to scrutinise the Executive effectively.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c345
House
House of Commons
The Leader of the House has received no representation on this matter which is ultimately a matter for the House. The Procedure Committee has produced a sensible proposal in its Report. My right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House wrote to the Chair of the Committee saying that we would both support a Motion in the terms proposed by the Committee to be debated in backbench time.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c346-7
House
House of Commons
I am always happy to discuss such matters with anyone, but that is now a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. It is certainly not a matter for Government.
Answered by
David Heath (Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c345
House
House of Commons
Asked by
James Gray (Conservative)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c347
House
House of Commons
Asked by
Lord Brennan of Canton (Labour)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
527 c347
House
House of Commons

To ask the Leader of the House what representations he has received on the use of hand-held devices during proceedings of the House and its Committees.

Asked by
Lord Brennan of Canton (Labour)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
52656; 527 c557W
House
House of Commons
What recent discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on the implications for the House of Commons of the Government’s programme for reducing the cost of politics.
Asked by
Brandon Lewis (Conservative)
Answering body
Leader of the House of Commons
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
28 April 2011
Reference
52654; 527 c345
House
House of Commons