The committee recommends that bills starting in the House of Lords pass through an evidence-taking stage, as currently happens with bills starting in the House of Commons. It raised concerns about the government practice of adding substantial new material to a bill late in its passage, curbing parliamentary scrutiny. Instead, it says, the bill or at least the new clauses should return to committee stage.
It also recommended the establishment of a Legislative Standards Committee in Parliament, to examine explanatory materials and assess their quality and consistency.
The report, ‘The Passage of Bills Through Parliament’, was published this week.
Committee chair Baroness Taylor of Bolton said: ‘Scrutiny of legislation is Parliament’s most important function.’
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