TNAG-0525-FCO40-620-Visit-of-UK-Members-of-Parliament-(Defence-and-External-Affa-1975 — Page 233

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PARLIAMENTARY DICTIONARY'

COMMITTEE, SELECT-continued appointed immediately after the motion for the appointmert of the committee has been agreed to. Not more than fifteen members may be appointed to serve on a select committee unless the House has previously made an order that the committee do consist of" a larger number of members. A motion to this effect requires notice. Select committees are usually constituted on a party basis, the various parties being represented on the committee in proportion to their strength in the Honse.

The whips of each party ascertain which members of their party would be best qualified and willing to serve on the committee, and the Government Chief Whip, after consulting, if necessary, the Leader of the House, then selects the majority of the committee, and the Opposition Chief Whip and the chief whips of the other parties, after consulting, if necessary, their leaders, select the minority.

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The names of the members proposed as members of a select committee are usually put to the House en bloc and agreed to without any debate. If, however, when the Speaker is reading the names, a member objects to one of them, the Speaker pro- poses the question that the member objected to "be a member (or another member) of the committee -any members whose names have passed unchallenged being considered to have been appointed to serve on the committee-and when this question has been decided, puts the remaining names to the House en bioc. If notice has been given of an amendment to substitute the name of another member for one of the names proposed, the Speaker puts any names which precede that of the member for whom it is proposed to substitute another member to the House en bloc. He then proposes the question that that member "be another member of the committee ", and, when this question has been agreed to, with or without amendment, puts the remaining names to the House en bloc.

Motions for the appointment of the members of select com- mittees may also be made at the commencement of public business" (see BUSINESS, ORDER OF) on Mondays and Thursdays by a member of the Government, and on Tuesdays and Wednes- days by any member. If, when the question on the motion is proposed from the chair, objection is inade to one of the names, the Speaker puts the question, either that the member objected to be a member (or another member) of the committee, or that the debate be now adjourned, withor: allowing any debate except a brief speech from the objector and a brief reply from the mover. The membership of a committee may subsequently be altered or enlarged. A member of a select committee cannot resign; he must himself move, or induce some other member to move, that he be discharged from" the committee. Such a motion, and all other motions to alter the composition of a select cominit-

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