English Grand Committee

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The Legislative Grand Committee (England) is a committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.^[1][2] It is one of four grand committees in the United Kingdom Parliament, the other three are for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.^[3] The committee is to be made up of all 533 English MPs.

History

A grand committee for Scotland was established in 1907 to consider issues and legislation exclusive to Scotland. Grand committees for Wales and Northern Ireland were subsequently established to consider issues relating to those nations. No grand committee was established for England; however, a Standing Committee on Regional Affairs was established to discuss issues relating to the Regions of England. This committee had 13 members, but all English MPs could attend and participate in its proceedings. Regional select committees also existed for the English Regions between 2008 and 2010.

Standing orders to establish a grand committee for England were approved by the House of Commons in October 2015^[4] as part of efforts to address the so-called West Lothian Question, an anomaly whereby MPs representing seats in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can vote on issues and legislation which only affect people in England. The idea of establishing an grand committee for England was suggested by Conservative MP Sir Malcolm Rifkind in 2007 as part of his "East Lothian Answer" to the West Lothian Question.^[5] This was echoed by the report of the McKay Commission established by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, published in 2013.^[6]

Functions

A legislative grand committee for England was established to facilitate the Conservative Government's policy of ensuring that legislation that only applies in England can only be enacted with the consent of MPs representing constituencies in England. This system has been dubbed "English votes for English laws".

The Speaker judges which parts of a bill relate to just England, or England and Wales. When a bill is deemed to apply to "England-only in its entirety", an England-only committee stage will consider the bill. Membership of this committee will reflect the number of MPs each party has in England. Where sections of legislation relate only to England or to England and Wales, agreement of a legislative grand committee all of English MPs, or as the case may be, a legislative grand committee made up of all English and Welsh MPs, is required. All MPs would be able to vote on the bill's Third Reading, but a double majority of all MPs and English (or English and Welsh) MPs would be required for the bill to be passed.^[7][8]

The first bill that Was scrutinised by the Committee was the Housing and Planning Bill 2015, which is set for second reading on 2 November 2015.^[9]

See also

• List of committees of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Governance of England
• Devolved English parliament

References

Devolution in the United Kingdom
Devolved areas	National level Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Regional level (in England) Combined authorities Directly elected mayoralties Greater London Authority
Referendums1	English mayoral referendums London, 1998 2012 North East England 2004 Northern Ireland 1998 Scotland 1979 1997 Wales 1979 1997 2011
Heads of devolved governments	Chairs of combined authorities Directly elected mayors London (Mayor) Northern Ireland (FM and dFM) Scotland (FM) Wales (FM)
Devolved legislatures2	Northern Ireland Assembly National Assembly for Wales Scottish Parliament
Devolved administrations3	Northern Ireland Executive Scottish Government Welsh Government
Organisations and laws of the legislatures and governments of the UK and the devolved areas	Commissions (UK Parliament) Kilbrandon Commission Holtham Commission Silk Commission McKay Commission Commissions (devolved legislatures) National Assembly for Wales Richard Commission Holtham Commission Scottish Parliament Calman Commission Smith Commission Devolution acts Greater London Authority Acts 1999 2007 Northern Ireland Acts 1998 2006 Wales Acts 1998 2006 2014 2016–2017 Scotland Acts 1998 2012 2016 Select committees Northern Ireland Affairs Scottish Affairs Welsh Affairs Grand committees England Northern Ireland Scottish Welsh Departments and Territorial Offices (MOJ) Cabinet Office - Devolution Secretariat Ministry of Justice - Devolution Directorate-General Office of the Advocate General for Scotland Northern Ireland Office Scotland Office Wales Office
Elections	London Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
Related articles	Current Agreements/Treaties Anglo-Irish Treaty Good Friday Agreement Budget Barnett formula Block grant Constitution of the United Kingdom Reserved and excepted matters West Lothian question Proposals Cornwall Cornish Assembly Cornish Constitutional Convention Mebyon Kernow Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament Devolved English parliament Campaign for an English Parliament Northern England Campaign for the North Yorkshire First Other parts of Southern England Wessex Regionalist Party Scotland Full fiscal autonomy Historical Administrations of England English Regional Assemblies, 1998-2010 Administrations of London London County Council Greater London Council Administrations of Northern Ireland 1922–72 1974 Legislatures of Northern Ireland 1922–72 1973–74 1982–86 Northern Ireland-related legislation of the UK Parliament Ireland, 1886 Ireland, 1893 Ireland, 1914 Ireland, 1920 Irish Free State, 1922 Northern Ireland, 1974 Irish Home Rule movement Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Scotland Act 1978 Scottish Office Sunningdale Agreement Wales Act 1978 Welsh Office
1. Rejected referendums are italicised. The others were fully or partially approved. 2. There is no law-making body for any regionally devolved area. 3. Administrations of regionally devolved areas are omitted. Category