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Mr Galeworthy MY POİTCE
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Reference..
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HONG KONG BILL:
COMMITTEE STAGE, REPORT STAGE AND THIRD READING
1. I spoke to the Parliamentary Clerk in the Public Bill Office today to establish a clear picture of what will happen during these three stages.
When the Bill is taken the Speaker will have the Chair and be replaced by the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
2.
If there are no amendments to Clause 1, he will move that the Clause stand part of the Bill. There will then be a debate, the format of which is very flexible. The Minister may wish to explain the Clause early on in the debate, or to wait until he has heard Members' views and then
sum up. He can speak twice. will need to settle the order of speakers through the "usual channels". The question will be moved after the debate.
3.
He
After Clause 2, the Schedule will be taken as a whole. Amendments to the Schedule will have been grouped prior to the Committee Stage. If the amendment or amendments are based on a misapprehension the Minister may wish to speak early in
the debate after the mover of the amendment. If not the Minister usually makes the penultimate speech before the mover of the amendment
concluded
Following debate on all the amendments that are selected there will be a debate on "the Schedule stand part". The Chairman can decide that discussion of the amendments has exhausted all that can be said about the schedule, but is unlikely to do so.
4.
amendments
If
It
The Bill then moves on to the Report Stage. If no to the Bill have been accepted there is no Report Stage. we move a Government amendment there will be a Report Stage. is very difficult for Members to move amendments at the Report Stage when it carries directly on from the Committee Stage, but if they are very fast they can table manuscript amendments. If they do SO we will have to react fast in the Box.
5.
The scope of the Third Reading debate which follows is much narrower than that of the Second Reading. It will be on the provisions of the Bill as passed by the House. There will only a debate if the opposition insists on its motion that the question not be put, or if another motion to that effect is put down by someone else and selected.
be
6.
In light of this, we will need:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
#
speaking notes on clause stand part for Clause One and Two together with defensive notes;
speaking notes on the amendments to the Schedule, together with defensive notes;
speaking notes on the Schedule stand pafat, together
with defensive notes;
a skeleton speech for the Third Reading debate.
CODE 18-77
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