Thursday 11 November 2010

European Union Bill

Was presented for its first reading today, second reading is tomorrow which seems remarkably quick as Tory MP Bill Cash highlights:
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I raised earlier with the Leader of the House my Committee’s concerns at the extremely short time between the presentation of the European Union Bill and its Second Reading. The Bill deals with matters of enormous constitutional importance and it would be appropriate, within the terms of reference of my Committee, to guarantee that we are given adequate time to consider it. I would be grateful, Mr Deputy Speaker, if you would be kind enough to take that point on board for the purposes of ensuring that, within the Standing Orders, my Committee has appropriate time to deal with the Bill.
Surely Cameron's Tories are not trying to rush through hopelessly inadequate legislation to prevent proper scrutiny. Surely not?

Update: Odd, despite yesterday's Hansard stating this:
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time tomorrow, and to be printed (Bill 106) with explanatory notes
(Bill 106-
EN ).
...it doesn't appear on today's Order Paper, and Parliament's progress site states that the date of the second reading is yet to be announced. Though the printed Bill can be found here.

Bill Cash is still not happy (his emphasis):

Bill Cash announced that the Commons European Scrutiny Committee would be holding an inquiry into the Bill, which would be the “fullest into the issues, including the sovereignty of Parliament, that has ever taken place.” Bill Cash has only been given four months to conduct the inquiry, which he described as “wholly inadequate.”

2 comments:

  1. All credit to Bill Cash. Unlike most other MPs he is doing his job.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree Julia, however I have doubts how far Mr Cash will go if it came to a choice between his country or his party.

    ReplyDelete