In a report published this week, the Joint Committee on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act said the 2011 Act was flawed and would require major amendment even if it were to be retained. On the draft Bill put forward to replace the Act, the committee suggested clarifying that the power to grant or refuse a dissolution of parliament returned to the Monarch.
The committee also recommended a cross party working party be established to look into how the General Election campaign period can be shortened without compromising voter participation. This is because, since the 2011 Act, legislation has increased the length of the period from 17 to 25 working days.
The committee chair, Lord McLoughlin said: ‘Major constitutional change like this requires careful consideration and it is welcome that the bill to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act was published in draft.
‘To start with, this will be a major piece of the UK’s constitutional framework. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act looks unlikely to last, and whatever replaces it should ideally form an enduring part of our constitutional settlement.’
