Backbench Business Committee
Encyclopedia
The Backbench Business Committee of the British House of Commons
was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee
on Reform of the House of Commons in its report of 12 November 2009.
or shadow ministers), the business before the House for approximately one day each week. This includes Thursday sittings in the parallel debating chamber, known as Westminster Hall, which are considered half days. The Standing Orders give the committee 35 days per session, of which at least 27 are taken on the floor of the House (as opposed to Westminster Hall). The one-and-one-half-hour Topical Debates, which count as quarter days, are also within the ambit of the committee.
method in a manner similar to other select committee chairs. The other members are selected under the single transferable vote
method with the stipulation that the eight members (including the Chair) reflect a distribution of the seats made by the Speaker, which is to reflect the party composition of the House of Commons. In addition, at least two men and two women must be elected. Ministers of the Crown, Parliamentary Private Secretaries
, and 'principal opposition frontbench spokespersons' are prohibited from standing for election as chair or as a member. As of 8 November 2010, the members are as follows:
Source: Backbench Business Committee
, Sir George Young
, stated that the purpose of the review was to help reach the next phase of implementing the Wright Committee report: setting up a committee to manage substantially all House business.
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
was created on 15 June 2010 through the adoption of a new standing order. It was created soon after 2010 general election, but had been proposed during the previous Parliament by the Wright Committee
Wright Committee
The Reform of the House of Commons Committee was a Select Committee of the UK Parliament. It was established in 2009 to improve the procedures and relevance of Parliament...
on Reform of the House of Commons in its report of 12 November 2009.
Remit
The committee is responsible for determining, on behalf of backbench members (i.e., members who are not Ministers of the CrownMinister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
or shadow ministers), the business before the House for approximately one day each week. This includes Thursday sittings in the parallel debating chamber, known as Westminster Hall, which are considered half days. The Standing Orders give the committee 35 days per session, of which at least 27 are taken on the floor of the House (as opposed to Westminster Hall). The one-and-one-half-hour Topical Debates, which count as quarter days, are also within the ambit of the committee.
Membership
The committee consists of a chair and seven other members to be elected at the beginning of each session. The chair is elected under the alternative voteInstant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
method in a manner similar to other select committee chairs. The other members are selected under the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
method with the stipulation that the eight members (including the Chair) reflect a distribution of the seats made by the Speaker, which is to reflect the party composition of the House of Commons. In addition, at least two men and two women must be elected. Ministers of the Crown, Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
, and 'principal opposition frontbench spokespersons' are prohibited from standing for election as chair or as a member. As of 8 November 2010, the members are as follows:
| Member | Party | Constituency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natascha Engel Natascha Engel Natascha Engel is a German-British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire since 2005. She has extensive involvement in the trade union movement, and has close connections to Gordon Brown.... MP (Chair) |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
North East Derbyshire North East Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency) North East Derbyshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
|
| Peter Bone Peter Bone Peter William Bone is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden.-Personal life:Bone was born in 1952 in Billericay and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea High School for Boys... MP |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
Wellingborough Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency) Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election... |
|
| Philip Davies Philip Davies Philip Andrew Davies is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Shipley in West Yorkshire.-Early life:... MP |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
Shipley Shipley (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1910s:... |
|
| Jane Ellison Jane Ellison Jane Elizabeth Ellison is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as Member of Parliament for Battersea.Ellison was born in Bradford and studied at the University of Oxford... MP |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
Battersea Battersea (UK Parliament constituency) Battersea is a parliamentary constituency located in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which it elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system.- Boundaries :The... |
|
| John Hemming John Hemming (politician) John Alexander Melvin Hemming is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley and Group Chair of the Liberal Democrats on the city council of Birmingham, England.... MP |
Liberal Democrats Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
Birmingham Yardley | |
| Philip Hollobone Philip Hollobone Philip Thomas Hollobone is a British Conservative Party politician who is both a Member of Parliament for the Kettering constituency and a member of Kettering Borough Council for the Piper's Hill ward .-Early life:Hollobone was educated at Dulwich College, London, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford... MP |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
Kettering Kettering (UK Parliament constituency) Kettering is a county constituency in Northamptonshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... |
|
| Ian Mearns Ian Mearns Ian Mearns is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Gateshead. He was first elected at the 2010 general election.... MP |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
Gateshead Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency) Gateshead is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. A previous Gateshead constituency existed from 1832 to 1950.... |
|
| George Mudie George Mudie George Edward Mudie is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds East since 1992.-Early life:... MP |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
Leeds East Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency) Leeds East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
Source: Backbench Business Committee
Changes
When vacancies occur on the Committee, an election takes place for a member from the same party as the vacated position. The first such election had as many candidates as vacancies, and so there was no ballot.| Date | Outgoing Member & Party |
Constituency | → | New Member & Party |
Constituency | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 November 2010 | David Anderson David Anderson (UK politician) David Anderson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Blaydon since 2005.-Early life:... MP (Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... ) |
Blaydon | → | Ian Mearns Ian Mearns Ian Mearns is a British Labour Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for Gateshead. He was first elected at the 2010 general election.... MP |
Gateshead Gateshead (UK Parliament constituency) Gateshead is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. A previous Gateshead constituency existed from 1832 to 1950.... |
Hansard | ||
| Alison Seabeck Alison Seabeck Alison Jane Seabeck is an English Labour Party politician and shadow Minister in the Ministry of Defence. She was previously the shadow Housing Minister... MP (Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... ) |
Plymouth Moor View | George Mudie George Mudie George Edward Mudie is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds East since 1992.-Early life:... MP |
Leeds East Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency) Leeds East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
Review
At same time it created the committee, the House resolved to review the work of the committee at the beginning of the 2011/12 session. The Leader of the House of CommonsLeader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
, Sir George Young
Sir George Young, 6th Baronet
Sir George Samuel Knatchbull Young, 6th Baronet is a British politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal, and has served as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament since 1974, having represented North West Hampshire since 1997, and Ealing Acton before...
, stated that the purpose of the review was to help reach the next phase of implementing the Wright Committee report: setting up a committee to manage substantially all House business.